The proposal was introduced by Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee as part of a spending bill for the Department of the Interior, environment and related agencies. - The New York Times
Opinions differ over whether Trump or any president could make the NEA (or NEH) cease to exist without an act of Congress, but if that happens, it’s clear that smaller, less wealthy places will be the ones most affected. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
“’Continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States,’ State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. (She) Bruce accused the organization of platforming ‘divisive social and cultural causes’.” The withdrawal is effective at the end of 2026. - ARTnews
“We’re in an uncertain fiscal environment for state governments overall, but it is encouraging to see that 29 states increased their funding for their arts agencies. Overall, we can say that state legislatures around the country are sustaining their investment in the arts.” - The Art Newspaper
“For Ukraine, For Their Freedom and Ours!, a French nonprofit, has filed a case with the International Criminal Court (in the Hague), accusing Russia of the ‘systematic, widespread, and organized’ looting of Ukrainian cultural heritage.” - ARTnews
This summer, five artists — Yumzhana Sui from Buryatia, Michel Lafleur from Haiti, Boluwatife Victoria Lawal and Samuel Olayombo from Nigeria, and Patrick Ruganintwali from Rwanda — had intended to participate in the residency, but their visas were denied. - Hyperallergic
From the role of large-scale cultural events like the European Capital of Culture to the so-called “Bilbao effect” (where a new cultural site is thought to spark revitalisation and economic growth), the same questions arise. Who is it for? What type of value is created – and is it shared in equitably? - The Conversation
Higher education has become regressive, widening class divisions by delivering far greater returns to wealthy students than to their low-income peers. - Washington Post
Ever since William F. Buckley Jr. turned his alma mater, Yale, into a bête noire, the American right has dreamed of shattering the left’s hegemony on campus, which it sees as the primary theater for radical experiments in social engineering. - Th Atlantic
Art has become so heavily politicised, so narrowly interpreted through the lens of identity and ideology, that many people can no longer even see the art itself. They don’t encounter it openly or imaginatively. Instead, they approach it armed with a checklist. - The Critic
They show Trump has found tactical ways to prevail in his nonstop battle to discredit outlets that report critically on him and his activities. - Variety
House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee recommended 35 percent cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) budget, and a 17.2 percent reduction in the Kennedy Center’s budget. If passed, this would be the NEA’s lowest allocation since 2007. - American Theatre
“(The 21st-century’s neo-burlesque) feels relevant to 2025 – in step with drag and queer culture, and in line with the broader movement towards diversity and inclusivity that we've seen in the last decade. Yet what's surprising about some of the new burlesque offerings is how old-fashioned they seem.” - BBC
“Universities and artists would have funding withheld if they fail to act against antisemitism, AI tools would be banned from sharing Jewish hatred, and the government would have new grounds to deport visitors under a wide-ranging plan put forward by Australia’s antisemitism envoy.” - The Guardian
