Arts organizations in Austin are being impacted by the termination of grant funding by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The NEA informed organizations last week that the previously approved grants it awarded will end on May 31, citing a shift in priorities. Some organizations said they had not received the funding yet but had already allocated the funds or spent money anticipating the grants.
“The NEA will now prioritize projects that elevate the Nation's HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities,” the email stated, which was shared with KUT by Rancho Alegre.
The National Endowment for the Arts is among a group of "small agency eliminations" proposed by the Trump administration's 2026 Discretionary Budget Request. The move is consistent with the President's efforts to decrease the size of the Federal Government "to enhance accountability, reduce waste, and reduce unnecessary governmental entities," the document states.
Events and programming are already being canceled as a result of the cuts.
Acia Gray, co-founder and executive artistic director of Tapestry Dance Company, said the organization lost $30,000 because of the cuts and will no longer put on its 25th annual Soul 2 Sole Festival that was set for June.
“This was a big chunk of change and we couldn't move forward unless those funds were found pretty fast,” she said.
Gray said cuts to arts funding is not new, but the abruptness of this change took many by surprise.
“The loss of income that was supporting so many artists and programs is frightening," Gray said. "If we lose our arts we lose our legacy and we lose our true history."
Creative Action, a youth-focused arts group, said two of its programs for teens will be impacted.
The NEA previously awarded the group $30,000 for its Color Squad program for teen artists who create public art, like murals around town. The money was also going to the Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble that brings kids together to create an original play around the themes of healthy relationships, social justice and violence prevention.
“What's cool about these programs is we pay them stipends to participate,” Patrick Torres, the executive director at Creative Action said. “So we are trying to use these programs as a way to inspire the next generation of creative leaders by showing them pathways of careers in the arts.”
While the funding cut will not cancel the programs, Torres said it is a gut to the program and it will mean having to rely on the community to help fill the gaps.
Some in the arts community said the loss of funds put the smaller events at a greater risk.
Rancho Alegre hosted its annual, free Conjunto music festival at the end of April, but in anticipation of cuts, the group reduced the number of musicians in what Chief Operating Officer Piper LeMoine ultimately was a "disservice" to the community. The NEA canceled a $10,000 grant.
“These smaller events, these grassroots events, they are what give Austin its flavor,” LeMoine said. “The smaller events that people here put their heart and soul into. We draw people from out of town too, we contribute to the local economy too, we employ people here, we employ musicians here, [and these cuts] are contributing to that loss of local flavor.”
Several organizations are still trying to figure out next steps.
Zac Traeger, executive director for the Museum of Human Achievement, said the museum plans to appeal for the $40,000 grant it had received. The money was being used to support artistic and professional development, access to art space, and exhibition opportunities for artists to learn creative technology skills.
“It is unclear to us what exactly the loss will be,” he said. “We are still figuring it all out, but at large we think it is going to be even harder to be a working creative and stay in Austin and it is more likely people will leave Austin to find work.”
He said he hopes the city of Austin will help fill the gaps.
Earlier this year, the city created a new office to unify all of the city’s music, arts, culture and entertainment programming in hopes of making it easier to access resources, including grant funding.
The city said its Artist-in-Residence program is being impacted by the cuts, and "it is assessing the implications of the notice and actively exploring alternative funding options to continue supporting participating artists and the goals of the program."
Greta Díaz González Vázquez contributed to this report.
