Arts and Culture are Under Attack. Help Us Fight Back.

Last month, I issued a call for courage. I urged our community to recognize the erosion of democracy and the dangerous pattern of attacking the arts that often signals its decline. This week, I want to share how we’re turning resistance into action — and I’m asking you to join us in our fight.

Before the Trump administration called for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and began slashing crucial arts and culture grants, the Arts Council drafted and distributed a letter to our state and federal elected officials, co-signed by dozens of cultural leaders in our region. Together, we made the case for public investment in the arts and called out the harm caused by politically motivated efforts to dismantle institutions like the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Since sending that first letter, the situation has grown more dire. NEA grants have now been rescinded. In the past two years alone, our region has received more than $3 million in direct federal arts funding. While we don’t yet know the full extent of which grants have been cut, nor do we know how many local organizations will be willing to modify their projects to meet federal criteria moving forward, it’s clear these cuts are already severely impacting our sector. Organizations including City Theatre Company, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, New Hazlett Theater, Rivers of Steel, Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, and City of Asylum are among the organizations who have publicly shared they’ve lost critical funding.

This sudden and dangerous federal disinvestment strips resources from communities across the country, especially those where arts funding may already be scarce. To address these new threats, we've drafted a second letter — one that reflects this disturbing escalation and calls for immediate action to protect public investments in the arts and humanities. And this time, we’re inviting the public to join us.

Please join us in signing the letter here: Arts Advocacy Spring 2025 Appeal

But these letters are also just the beginning. Building a unified voice for the cultural sector is an ongoing effort. We recognize our sector is not a monolith. We represent a spectrum of disciplines, experiences, values, and viewpoints. But if we want to shift from a defensive posture to an offensive one — if we want to shape policy rather than scramble to survive it, we must speak with a unified voice and demonstrate our collective power.

That doesn’t mean we erase differences. It means we align around shared values: freedom of expression, the dignity of artists and cultural workers, and the right of all people to access art that reflects their lives and expands their imagination. Unity doesn’t require uniformity, but it does require commitment.

Mobilization is key. When we show up — not just in protest, but in solidarity and strategy — we make it harder for elected officials to ignore us. When we flood inboxes and phone lines, they listen. When we vote, they respond. When we partner with civic leaders, educators, organizers, and each other, we build something bigger than any one institution. We build a movement.