Create Wisconsin Action Alert | May 14, 2025
Here’s the latest info and action steps concerning state and federal arts and creative funding. Check Create Wisconsin, Wisconsin Arts Board, and Americans for the Arts’ Action Fund sites for updated info. Watch for info about the next Create Wisconsin Advocacy Update soon. Keep in touch with questions, comments, and ideas.
Update: federal funding for arts and culture
and the FY2025-2027 state budget process
President Trump’s proposed FY2026 budget recommends deep cuts to non-defense discretionary programs, including drastic reductions to cultural and educational programs. Specifically, his proposed budget eliminates funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
The National Endowment for the Arts has released new funding guidelines and begun to rescind and terminate some FY2024 and FY2025 grants. On May 13, we heard about another 276 grant notices re cuts for arts groups of various sizes across the U.S.
Right now the 40% of the NEA’s budget directed to state arts agencies, including the Wisconsin Arts Board, is intact.
Here’s a recent update from the NEA - as of April 30th, 2025, this holds true regarding the Gender Ideology Executive Order (14168)
"Applicants will not be required to certify that no federal funds are used to promote gender ideology. Thus, there is no eligibility bar to submitting an application related to promoting gender ideology. The only criteria all applications are subject to are those set forth in the enabling statute, which the agency has always enforced. Under these criteria, there is no room for viewpoint discrimination. This implementation process is consistent with the First and Fifth Amendments as well as the APA. No applicant should suffer harm under this process, which essentially utilizes the existing statutory review scheme that the agency currently follows." More here.
The White House's budget recommendations signal the beginning of the appropriations process, not the end. Congress holds the ultimate constitutional authority to appropriate funds to federal agencies and will formulate a budget for the NEA in the months ahead.
The national arts and creative sector advocacy networks and state arts agencies, and other national and state partners, are mobilizing to gather information and develop collaborative advocacy platforms and actions. This is a changing, volatile situation, and we’ll keep you in the loop. Watch for more info and action.
CREATE WISCONSIN ADVOCACY UPDATE 5-13-25:
FEDERAL ADVOCACY
Americans for the Arts’ Arts Action Fund, including:
Send a message to your Congressional representatives urging support of federal investment in the arts and culture.
Americans for the Arts (AFTA) Advocacy Update 5-8-25
5-7-25 Webinar: NEA Grant Cancellations - Guidance, Support & Action Steps
AFTA's national pulse survey of arts and culture organizations and creative businesses, gathering critical information to demonstrate the human, programmatic, and financial impacts of recent executive orders that reduce the footprint of many federal agencies. The survey takes about 6 minutes to complete.
If your organization’s NEA grant has been terminated or rescinded, add your info to this spreadsheet documenting the national scale and scope of these actions.
From the Wisconsin Arts Board: news articles on the NEA, the NEH, and IMLS. Share widely.
STATE ADVOCACY
Create Wisconsin’s 2025 Legislative and State Budget Agenda
These Create Wisconsin-backed legislative and state budget proposals are making their way through the legislative and state budget process:
Increase arts and cultural opportunities for all through an increase to the Wisconsin Arts Board budget. Click here for more info.
Establish Rural Wisconsin Creative Economy Grant Program. Click here for more info.
Establish State Film Office and Film and TV Tax Incentives. Go to www.actionwi.org for more info.
Contact info:
Create Wisconsin
Anne Katz, Director, info@createwisconsin.org | 608 255 8316
Facebook/Instagram @createwis | LinkedIn @Create Wisconsin
Wisconsin Arts Board
George Tzougros, Director george.tzougros@wisconsin.gov
Karen Goeschko, Deputy Director karen.goeschko@wisconsin.gov
