If you've ever gone to an art museum, attended a performance at a theatre, or had a child take an art class, it's quite likely you were able to do so because of the National Endowment for the Arts. The National Endowment for the Arts is an amazing organization that, as stated on their website, "gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities". It's an all around great thing, and it's wonderful to see our government take an interest in creation as opposed to destruction and violence. Not to mention, it's a non-partisan organization. Though some conservatives have opposed the National Endowment for the Arts in the past, historically both Democrats and Republicans have seen the importance of funding arts organizations.
But all that seems likely to change in view of recent events. While nothing is yet official, many news sites have reported that President Trump is planning to remove all funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. His reasoning? According to the New York Times, it's so that he can increase the amount of military spending. But when you get down to the numbers, the National Endowment for the Arts is only about .003% of the national budget. Cutting it won't help resolve the nation's debt. That's not to mention that if Trump goes through with his plans on building a wall between Mexico and the United States it would cost over 250 times what cutting the National Endowment for the Arts would save.
Some proponents of Trump's plan say that arts organizations should be funded by donations, not through federal means. However, nearly every arts organization out there already relies on many private donations in addition to the money they receive from the National Endowment (either directly or indirectly). If the National Endowment for the Arts were to be eliminated, many beloved arts organizations, museums, and theatres would have to close their doors, or at the very least raise their prices by outrageous amounts. Neither is a good thing. Art should be for everyone, not just those whom society deems wealthy enough to enjoy it. Art is not created to provide entertainment to the elite. It is there to inspire people of all backgrounds, to create peaceful means of expression, and to bring beauty to an otherwise dismal world.
I encourage you to do as much research as you can about the National Endowment for the Arts. Then, write to your government representatives on all levels. Ask them to support the National Endowment for the Arts so that we can continue to bring art to people of every sort. Then, contact your favorite local art organization. Make a donation if you can, or volunteer to help at a fundraiser. Every little bit helps. No matter what happens, if we work together, art will prevail.
