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ISSUES

Trump Hosts Kennedy Center Board Meeting, Says He’ll Fix The Place

“We’re gonna turn it around,” Trump told dinner attendees of the center. He said of running the board, ”When I said, ‘I’ll do this,’ I hadn’t been there” and joked, “That’s the last time I’ll take a job without looking at it.” - APNews

Lincoln Center’s $335M Redesign Plans

The project, designed by Hood Design Studio (Landscape Architect), Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism (Design Architect) and Moody Nolan (Architect of Record), creates what Lincoln Center describes as “a new, world-class performance venue that will greatly improve artist and audience experiences.” - Deadline

Certain Items At Smithsonian’s African-American History Museum Are Being Taken Off Display. Why?

The items removed as part of what museum administrators call normal rotation include Harriet Tubman’s hymnbook and a first edition of Frederick Douglass’s memoir. And a potential review of the museum by the Trump White House looms.  Coincidence? - NBC News

New Kennedy Center Chief Calls For Criminal Investigation Into Its Finances

“Richard Grenell, whom President Trump installed as the president of the Kennedy Center, claimed Monday night that the center’s deferred maintenance and its deficit — two things commonly found at nonprofit arts organizations — were ‘criminal.’ He said he would refer the matter to federal prosecutors.” - The New York Times

Republicans Go After Philanthropies For Taxes

The House tax bill increases taxes on philanthropies. It was news to me that philanthropies pay any taxes at all; I always thought nonprofit status shielded these groups entirely from taxation. That’s not correct. - The New Republic

Who’s Hurt Most By Threatened Cuts To PBS?

“Since PBS reaches an estimated 99% of the country’s broadcast viewers, that gives every child free access to high-quality educational content.” When that goes, rich kids in cities won’t be so hurt - but poorer and more rural kids sure will. - Salon

Oregon, Other States Sue Doge, NEH Over Funding Cuts

“Congress approved $65 million for these councils in the 2025 fiscal year, which means that DOGE or any other member of the executive branch spending that money on anything else is doing so under an illegal process called ‘impoundment.’” - Oregon ArtsWatch

Elton John Calls The UK Government ‘Absolute Losers’ Over AI Plans

“He said if ministers go ahead with plans to allow AI firms to use artists' content without paying, they would be ‘committing theft, thievery on a high scale.’” - BBC

Fears Deepen For Arts Funding In England

"Sir Nicholas Serota, who runs the body that distributes public funds to arts organisations ranging from national institutions to community-based ventures, said it would be a tragedy if people outside big cities were denied access to the arts.” - The Guardian (UK)

The Loss Of The NEA Is A Loss For Civil Society

“Since he began his second presidential term in January, President Donald Trump has moved quickly to obliterate a relatively stable and successful system for funding the nonprofit arts, humanities and sciences.” - Washington Post (Yahoo)

At Cannes, Actor Pedro Pascal Tells Artists To Fight Back Against Trump

The actor said, “Fight back. And don’t let them win.” - The Guardian (UK)

Republican Tax Bill Would Allow President To Kill Non-Profits

Among those amendments, buried on page 380 of the draft, is a section that would enable Trump’s secretary of the Treasury to denounce any nonprofit as a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip it of its tax-exempt status. - The Intercept

Remaining Kennedy Center Employees Start Unionization Process

“The union, which they’re calling the ‘Kennedy Center United Arts Workers,’ would be in partnership with … the UAW. It would consist of nonsupervisory employees from artistic programming, education, marketing and development departments, along with administrators of the Washington National Opera and the National Symphony Orchestra.” - The Washington Post (MSN)

Argentine President Is Waging War On History And Closing Arts Speaces

In an ongoing attempt to erase victims’ stories of Argentina’s dictatorship under Jorge Rafael Videla, President Javier Milei has started closing art spaces. - The Art Newspaper

National Constitution Center Gets Its Biggest Gift Ever

The $15 million donation from billionaire hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin will support the creation of two new galleries focused on America’s founding principles, the separation of powers, and federalism, said Jeffrey Rosen, National Constitution Center president and CEO. - Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

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