Late Monday night (1/27/2025), the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a directive temporarily pausing the obligation and disbursement of federal grants and loans. This pause impacted thousands of federally funded programs, including those supporting the arts, such as:
- -National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
- -National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
- -Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
The freeze temporarily halted the distribution of funds and the issuance of new grants while agencies reviewed their programs for compliance with recent executive orders and White House policy goals. This announcement created widespread concern and uncertainty among grant recipients nationwide.
What’s the Latest?
On Wednesday, after significant backlash and advocacy efforts from affected sectors, the OMB rescinded its directive, allowing federal agencies to resume disbursing funds and processing grants as originally intended.
What This Means for the Arts
While this decision restores access to critical funding, the sudden policy shift highlights the vulnerability of federal support for the arts. The swift reversal of this decision demonstrates the power of advocacy and outreach from supporters of the arts and other impacted sectors, reinforcing the importance of collective action in protecting vital federal funding. We will continue to monitor for any further developments.
Our Next Steps
ArtsKC remains in communication with Americans for the Arts, the NEA, the Missouri Arts Council, and the Kansas Arts Commission to ensure clarity and stability for arts funding. We are also continuing conversations with federal leaders to share the concerns of our region’s arts, culture, and heritage sector about the ramifications of such administrative decisions.
How You Can Help
- -Stay engaged by following our updates on arts funding policy.
- -Advocate for the arts by reminding policymakers of the essential role federal funding plays in supporting vibrant, creative communities. You can view ArtsKC’s dedicated resources for sharing the story of the impact of the arts via our Regional Arts Impact Dashboard and other advocacy resource pages.
- -Join us at Missouri Arts Advocacy Day 2025 on February 5, 2025, hosted by Missouri Citizens for the Arts. Register for free, roundtrip transportation provided by ArtsKC here.
This incident underscores the importance of stable, full funding for the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and all agencies that invest in arts, culture, and humanities nationwide. We remain committed to advocating for long-term security in federal arts funding and will keep you informed as more details emerge.
