In Washington, D.C., this building is home to both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
In Wednesday’s (5/7) Washington Post, Sophia Nguyen and Janay Kingsberry write, “The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) saw an exodus of senior leaders and other employees this week, further hampering its operations as the Trump administration has sought to redirect much of the arts funding it distributes and ultimately shut down the agency. All 10 directors who oversee grants in various disciplines of the arts—such as museums, theater, design, and folk and traditional arts—are leaving the agency … At least two members of senior leadership also announced their departures: Michael Orlove, director of state, regional and local partnerships, and international activities; and Ayanna Hudson, the agency’s chief strategy, programs and engagement officer…. [In addition], many of the specialists charged with reviewing grant applications and making funding recommendations have also retired or resigned…. In response to [grant] cancellations, arts organizations have called on their supporters for donations and to publicly defend the agency. ‘The NEA has enjoyed strong bipartisan support from Congress, and the breadth of recipients reflect the breadth of the nation,’ said Heather Noonan, vice president for advocacy at the League of American Orchestras, expressing concern about the grant rescissions and Trump’s proposed budget. Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget plan … calls for the elimination of several small agencies—including the NEA, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).”
