Rescinded NEA Grants Cause Pain for O.C. Arts Groups Large and Small
- Paul Hodgins
- 7 hours ago
- 6 min read
Most have no easy way to replace withdrawn grants, which reimburse groups for money already spent.
The federal government’s ax has fallen hard on Orange County’s arts community.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration began withdrawing current National Endowment for the Arts grants previously earmarked for recipients across the nation. The action followed President Trump's proposal on May 2 that the federal agency be eliminated altogether next year. Along with the NEA, funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services were also allotted zero funding in Trump's 2026 fiscal year budget proposal.
NEA grants are a reimbursement for money already spent, so the decision to rescind them has proven especially painful for smaller institutions.
The unexpected disappearance of NEA money has affected several nonprofit arts groups and cities in Orange County. South Coast Repertory lost a $20,000 grant that would have repaid it for some costs involving its current production of “The Staircase.” Other local groups and cities that lost NEA grants include Anaheim Ballet, Chance Theater, the City of Laguna Beach, Muzeo and the city of Anaheim, Pacific Chorale and Relampago Del Cielo.
Chance Theater’s $15,000 NEA grant was awarded to support its On the Radar: New Works Program, a year-long initiative that helps playwrights and composers, particularly those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, develop new work. It includes commissions, public readings and full productions. “At its core, the program creates space for new stories that don’t always get told – and to give artists real support while doing it,” said Chance’s founding artistic director Oanh Nguyen.
Chance was luckier than many other arts groups, Nguyen said.
“We were fortunate to receive the funds just before we got the termination notice, so we can move forward with this year’s plans, unless the NEA asks for the money back.
“But this casts a shadow over the future,” he said. “It’s unclear whether we’ll be considered for funding next year, and we don’t currently have backup funding to keep the program going past this season. Like most small theaters, every dollar we have is already earmarked. This puts pressure on us to find emergency support, and it means fewer opportunities for the artists and behind-the-scenes workers we were planning to hire.”
Even larger institutions such as South Coast Rep are profoundly affected by the cuts. “For (us), $20,000 gets me the workshop of a new play, ‘The Staircase,’” said South Coast Repertory artistic director David Ivers. “A workshop allows us to develop work and create jobs.” SCR is a national leader in new-play development.
Anaheim Ballet’s $10,000 NEA grant was destined for its outreach program, STEP-UP! “We are hoping to make up the rescinded funds with individual donations raised during the upcoming June 4th ImpACT Anaheim Giving Day, when several Orange County nonprofit groups join to raise funds for programs benefitting Anaheim youth,” said Anaheim Ballet artistic director Larry Rosenberg.
But finding willing donors to help replace the lost federal funds is a tall order for some arts groups, according to Patrick Brien, vice president and chief operating officer of local advocacy group Arts Orange County.
“The problem with donors saying, ‘I’m going to replace that’ is oftentimes they are champions of a number of different organizations,” Brien said. “Even those that are the most generous can only do so much. And I think that’s always been the misconception of people who have openly advocated for no public funding to the arts – (that) it will get made up from the private sector. If someone donates $50,000 for the symphony, are they then going to donate an additional $50,000 when federal funding disappears? The answer is probably no.”
Access to art ‘as a deeply held belief’
Many affected arts leaders pointed out that beyond its financial value, assistance from the NEA holds important symbolic value that could lead to additional support.
“NEA funding has played a big role in our growth,” Nguyen said of his theater company. “It’s never just about the money, it’s about what it represents. It tells our team, our artists and our audiences that the work we’re doing is part of a larger national conversation – that it matters.”
“It’s definitely a seal of approval. Listing the NEA on your program gives a lot of confidence and exposure to an organization,” said Rhett Del Campo, president and CEO of Pacific Chorale. Del Campo estimates his group has received more than $500,000 in NEA money over the last couple of decades. The chorale invoiced and received half of a $15,000 NEA grant to support the commissioning of a new work to be premiered in October.
Del Campo said that an NEA imprimatur is particularly valuable “when you’re fundraising for a project. We can go and say, ‘We have an NEA grant.’ People want to put their name next to that.”
Beyond its value as a fundraising catalyst, the NEA confers recognition at the highest level that all communities deserve a robust artistic life, said South Coast Repertory managing director Suzanne Appel. “(It) is very much a reflection of support coming from our federal government in the belief that every American deserves access to great art and is part of what our country has (identified) as a deeply held belief,” she said. “The NEA was broadly supported by both parties. It also creates a lot of jobs and has a real, meaningful impact on people across the country.”
Some worry that the elimination of the NEA will have a knock-on effect at the state and local levels.
How to Help
Donate to your favorite arts organization to help offset lost funding.
Contact your local congressional representative to encourage their support for the NEA. Click here to find your representatives in Congress: congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Fill out this form on the Americans for the Arts website.
Advocate for the NEA on your social media platform of choice.
“If the NEA is eliminated, it isn’t clear how many of the 56 arts agencies at the state and territory level would stay in business, given that much of what they do is disburse federal dollars,” wrote Washington Post art and architecture critic Philip Kennicott in his May 16 analysis of the possible ramifications of the decision.
“The loss of the state arts agencies would mean the loss of programs that deal with mental health, aging, the well-being of active and retired military personnel, arts education in rural communities and economic development. The loss of the humanities councils would eliminate a wide variety of local oral history projects, lectures, traveling exhibitions, documentaries, cultural festivals, lectures, panels and book events.”
Brien said the federal cutbacks weren’t a complete surprise to the arts community.
“There was very good advice a few months ago that if you have pending money invoice it now, because you’re allowed to submit a partial invoice up to a certain percentage (of the total grant). Several groups did, and they did get their partial grants. I haven't yet heard of anyone who got the notification to give that money back. Hopefully they won’t.”
Like most arts leaders who spoke about the rescinded NEA grants, Brien isn’t optimistic that the decision will be reversed. Nevertheless, his organization contacted five local members of Congress – Derek Tran, Michael Levin, Young Kim, Lou Correa and Dave Min – urging them to support the NEA and pointing out the longstanding bipartisan support for the arts in Washington. Ultimately, the elimination of the NEA is a congressional, not presidential decision.
“Will it do any good? Who knows? That’s the big question: What in this very unusual time would be effective?” Brien said. “In the past, the arts and the NEA have never been a political issue. Even when previous attempts to zero out the budget were on the table, it was never successful. I was told face-to-face by a Republican member of Congress in a powerful position a number of years ago that there was just no political will to defund the NEA. Whether or not that remains true to this day is anybody’s guess.”
Can President Trump Eliminate the NEA?
A President can advocate for eliminating the NEA, but he cannot do so unilaterally. It requires legislative action by Congress.
The NEA was established by an act of Congress, the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, and its funding is appropriated annually by Congress. To eliminate the NEA, Congress would need to pass legislation repealing the act that created it or specifically eliminating its funding. This would require a majority vote in both the House and the Senate and then the President's signature.
Click here to read about other executive actions that are affecting the arts. (Source: Americans for the Arts)
