Artists protest new NEA restrictions

Hundreds of artists signed a letter sent to the National Endowment for the Arts asking it to reverse policy changes made as a result of recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump.

“We oppose this betrayal of the Endowment’s mission to ‘foster and sustain an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States’,” the letter said.

The NEA did not respond to requests for comment.

Calling for a rollback of compliance rules

The letter specifically called for the NEA to roll back compliance rules for the Grants for Arts Projects, which now require applicants to abide by two executive orders issued by Trump. One states applicants should not “operate any programs promoting ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ that violate any applicable federal anti-discrimination laws”; the other, which targets transgender and other LGBTQ+ arts programming, states that federal grants must not be used to “promote gender ideology,” with reference to an executive order recognizing only “two sexes, male and female.”

“ The First Amendment is one of the most cherished principles that this country was founded on. And we all like to think of this being a country where artists have the right to self expression, as we all do,” said Dorsen. “So this action by the NEA is more than concerning, because it seems to suggest that through these sort of weird executive orders and the applications of them to certain agencies, that freedom is being taken away bit by bit.”

The letter comes amid a growing number of artist-led protests against the Trump administration, including one involving dancers in Washington, D.C,. in connection with Trump dismissing leaders of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and making himself chair.

“ The issue is not over now that we’ve sent this letter,” Dorsen said. “It’s a signal to them that we know what’s happening and we’re not staying silent about it.”

Edited by Jennifer Vanasco.