Arts Funding in a New Administration

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It – Episode: Arts Funding in a New Administration

Release Date: February 19, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart | WNYC

---

Introduction

In this episode of All Of It, hosted by Alison Stewart, the focus centers on the evolving landscape of arts funding under the new Trump administration and the burgeoning unionization efforts within New York City's Off Broadway theater scene. Through insightful discussions with Michael Paulson, a New York Times theater reporter, the episode delves into the National Endowment for the Arts' (NEA) revised grant policies and the implications for local arts organizations, alongside the challenges faced by theater stagehands seeking better wages and benefits.

---

NEA Policy Changes Under the Trump Administration

Alison Stewart opens the conversation by addressing significant shifts in the NEA's grant-awarding procedures aligning with President Trump's executive orders. Michael Paulson elaborates on these changes:

"The NEA has rewritten all of the rules for applying for grants... The rules changes were made to bring the policies into compliance with President Trump's executive orders. And the two that have been of most concern to some artists are rules that say that no organization applying for a grant can be promoting diversity equity initiatives in ways that violate federal law, and that none of these organizations can use federal money to promote what the Trump administration calls gender ideology, which is generally understood to refer to transgender acceptance policies."
(04:01)

Impact on Local Arts Organizations

Paulson discusses the critical role NEA funding plays, especially for smaller organizations:

"For small organizations, and there are small organizations all over the country that have been getting grants from the NEA, it's very important. But the other thing that arts organizations often talk about is that NEA funding can function as a kind of Good Housekeeping seal of approval..."
(04:07)

This funding not only supports financial needs but also lends credibility, aiding in securing additional private donations.

Artist Backlash and NEA's Response

The episode highlights a significant backlash from the arts community, exemplified by a letter from over 400 artists, including notable figures like Lynn Nottage and Paula Vogel:

"The letter asks the NEA to drop these new requirements about diversity and about gender. They say that these are sort of forms of discrimination, and they ask the NEA to reconsider coming into compliance with the president's executive orders."
(05:08)

Paulson notes the NEA's stance:

"The NEA, not surprisingly, is saying it's a federal agency and it needs to comply with executive orders issued by the current president."
(05:38)

Uncertainty and NEA's Leadership

With the NEA currently lacking a designated administrator, Marianne Carter serves as a senior advisor and de facto leader. Paulson remarks on the uncertainty surrounding future funding:

"There's a fair amount of uncertainty about what that's going to mean for arts funding going forward."
(06:38)

Comparing to the first Trump administration, Paulson observes:

"The NEA has not been giving grants to individual artists for some decades... The first Trump administration did propose eliminating all funding for the NEA, but that did not go anywhere with Congress."
(07:49)

Unionization Efforts in Off Broadway

Shifting focus to the local theater scene, Paulson discusses the ongoing strike by stagehands at the Atlantic Theater Company:

"The workers say they need to be paid a living wage and they want the theater to contribute to health and pension funds... The theater... says they face an existential crisis..."
(09:01)

This strike has led to the cancellation of current productions, highlighting the fragile balance between fair wages and operational sustainability within nonprofit theaters.

Broader Implications for Off Broadway Productions

Paulson expands on the broader movement to unionize Off Broadway institutions, noting successes and ongoing negotiations:

"They are trying to get contracts... The Public Theater... the Vineyard Theater... and two long-running for-profit productions off Broadway... have now negotiated contracts with the producers."
(12:27)

---

Conclusion

The episode provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing the arts sector under changing federal policies and the push for better labor conditions within the theater industry. Alison Stewart and Michael Paulson illuminate the tensions between governmental directives, organizational survival, and the artists' pursuit of equity and sustainability. As New York City's vibrant cultural landscape navigates these complexities, the dialogue underscores the resilience and advocacy within the arts community striving to preserve and evolve the cultural fabric of the city.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Michael Paulson (04:01): "The NEA has rewritten all of the rules for applying for grants... no organization applying for a grant can be promoting diversity equity initiatives in ways that violate federal law..."

• Michael Paulson (04:07): "NEA funding can function as a kind of Good Housekeeping seal of approval..."

• Michael Paulson (05:08): "The letter asks the NEA to drop these new requirements about diversity and about gender..."

• Michael Paulson (09:01): "The workers say they need to be paid a living wage and they want the theater to contribute to health and pension funds..."

---

This episode of All Of It offers valuable insights into the intersection of federal policy, arts funding, and labor rights within one of the world's most dynamic cultural hubs. Whether you're an artist, theater enthusiast, or advocate for cultural policies, the discussions presented provide a nuanced understanding of the current challenges and the ongoing efforts to address them.

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance Ad]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the Name youe Price Tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match Limited by state law not available in all states. Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of It. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC studios in soho. Thank you for spending part of your day with us. I'm really grateful you're here. Before we kick things off today, I want to let you know there's just one week left before our February get lit with all that book club event. We have exciting news now. First, if you haven't gotten started on Imani Perry's new book, Black and Blues How a Color Tells the Story of My People, now is your time to visit your local library and check it out or go to your local bookstore. New Yorkers can borrow an E copy of the books thanks to our partners at the New York Public Library. Now, tickets to our events, they're free, but they tend to go really fast. So reserve yours today. Head to wnyc.org getlit now here's that exciting part. We are excited to announce that this month's musical guest is actually two musical guests, R and B and soul jazz singer Bilal and five time Grammy winning bassist, singer, songwriter and composer Esperanza Spalding. She and Bilal will be creating some musical fusion together. So join me, Imani Perry, Bilal and Esperanza spalding on Wednesday, February 26th at 6pm Visit wnyc.org getlit for tickets and more information. Now with that out of the way, let's get this hour started with some news from the theater world. The art world hasn't been spared from the Trump administration's sweeping changes. The National Endowment for the Arts announced updated policies into how it will award grants. The NEA has a budget of an estimated $200 million a year. New York Times theater reporter Michael Paulson has been speaking to local arts organizations about how these changes might affect their funding plans. He's with me now to discuss the latest in this story as well as his reporting into current Off Broadway unionization efforts here in New York. Hi Michael.

[Michael Paulson]

Good. Hello. How are you doing?

[Alison Stewart]

I am doing okay. So the headline of this story is that the NEA is complying with President Trump's executive orders. What specifically has the NEA changed about its grant guidelines?

[Michael Paulson]

Sure. Well, the NEA has rewritten all of the rules for applying for grants, these tend to be small grants in the kind of 10 to $30,000 range that go to a very large number of organizations across the country. And the rules changes were made to bring the policies into compliance with President Trump's executive orders. And the two that have been of most concern to some artists are rules that say that no organization applying for a grant can be promoting diversity equity initiatives in ways that violate federal law, and that none of these organizations can use federal money to promote what the Trump administration calls gender ideology, which is generally understood to refer to transgender acceptance policies.

[Alison Stewart]

Could you put this in perspective for us?

[Unknown Speaker]

How important are those funds from the NEA to local arts organizations?

[Michael Paulson]

Yeah, it's a good question. So, as I said, the amount of money tends to be in the $10,000 to $30,000 range. So for a large organization, it's not a huge fraction of the budget. But for small organizations, and there are small organizations all over the country that have been getting grants from the nea, it's very important. But the other thing that arts organizations often talk about is that NEA funding can function as a kind of Good Housekeeping seal of approval that signals to other donors that this organization is legit and that it's been vetted by the federal government. It kind of gives a green light for potential donors from the private sector to take seriously the the possibility of giving to some of these organizations.

[Unknown Speaker]

You reported yesterday that a letter signed by more than 400 artists was sent to the NEA officials regarding these new rules and these regulations. Signers include people like Lyn Nottage and Paula Vogel. What does the letter say?

[Michael Paulson]

Well, the letter asks the NEA to drop these new requirements about diversity and about gender. They say that these are sort of forms of discrimination, and they ask the NEA to reconsider coming into compliance with the president's executive orders. The nea, not surprisingly, is saying it's a federal agency and it needs to comply with executive orders issued by the current president.

[Unknown Speaker]

One interesting thing that I read in your reporting is one of the grantees reached out to the NEA for clarification, and the grantee said NEA's response was vague. What do you make of this vagueness?

[Michael Paulson]

Well, one of the complexities of this situation is that the way that NEA grants work is you apply, you get approved for a project, then you do the project, and then you get the money. And so there's a large number of organizations out there that have been approved by the NEA during the Biden administration for projects, but that have not yet received payment. And they're wondering, are they still going to get payment if these are projects that the Trump administration might have concern about. And I think the NEA itself is scrambling to figure out what the implications are of this shifting landscape on these projects that are sort of in the in between space where they were greenlit already under a previous set of rules.

[Alison Stewart]

The NA director during President Biden's administration.

[Unknown Speaker]

Resigned on President Trump's inauguration day.

[Alison Stewart]

So who is the acting leader of the nea?

[Michael Paulson]

Yeah, so there is no current administrator, but Marianne Carter, who was the administrator during the first Trump era, is serving as a senior advisor. And so she's the de facto leader of the agency at the moment. And you know, the people that I've spoken to in the arts world are generally favorable about her. They said that the NEA continued to function well during the first Trump administration, continued issuing grants to large numbers of organizations. But obviously, as you know, this second Trump administration has taken a kind of more aggressive posture on lots of issues than they did the first go around. And so there's a fair amount of uncertainty about what that's going to mean for arts funding going forward.

[Unknown Speaker]

Well, let's look back to the future in the first Trump administration. How did the NEA operate under the first administration?

[Michael Paulson]

You know, they continue to issue grants to projects being done for lots of organizations all over the place. The NEA has not been giving grants to individual artists for some decades, since the culture wars of the early 90s to give grants to projects. And things moved smoothly. They were fairly non ideological. The Trump administration, the first Trump administration did propose eliminating all funding for the nea, but that did not go anywhere with Congress. And it's not clear whether the current Trump administration would try to eliminate the agency. Again, obviously there's a big push on reducing the size of the federal government right now, as I'm sure you've noticed.

[Unknown Speaker]

New York Times theater reporter Michael Paulson is my guest. We're speaking about a few pieces of news in the local national art world. Let's talk locally. The Atlantic Theater Company stagehands walked out on strike on January 12. They remain on strike as they're represented by the International alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the otc. What was the reason for the walkout?

[Michael Paulson]

Well, the reason for the walkout was that the workers and the theater's managers could not reach an agreement. But you know, speaking more broadly, iatse, which is this big union that represents stagehands and other people who work on stage crews in Theater and in Film has been embarking on an effort to organize Off Broadway institutions, both for profit and nonprofit over the last year. This is a sector of the entertainment world that has not been unionized previously. And you know, they won votes at five different organizations, three nonprofit theaters and two long running commercial productions. And now they're trying to get contracts. And at the Atlantic, things have been pretty acrimonious. The workers say they need to be paid a living wage and they want the theater to contribute to health and pension funds. And the theater, which is a kind of mid sized nonprofit, says this is an incredibly difficult time for nonprofit theaters in New York and around the country. Many of them are making less work because everything is costing more right now. And they say they face an existential crisis that they and other theaters might not survive if their wages and operational costs get too high.

[Alison Stewart]

How has the strike affected production at the Atlantic?

[Michael Paulson]

I mean, they had two shows, two new plays that had just started previews a few days before the strike began. And those plays are both shut down, the productions are canceled. And it's not clear what's going to happen to the spring season for the Atlantic. But yeah, they're not making work while the strike is going on. And that obviously affects artists and workers on those productions as well as audiences.

[Alison Stewart]

Other than the Atlantic Theater companies, what.

[Unknown Speaker]

Other Off Broadway theaters or performances have.

[Alison Stewart]

Been affected by unionization efforts?

[Michael Paulson]

Well, the other two nonprofits that are unionizing are the Public Theater, which is, you know, a very large nonprofit. It's the birthplace of Hamilton and A Chorus Line, and the Vineyard Theater, which is a much smaller nonprofit. Neither of them has reached a contract yet. Talks are underway at the Public and they have not yet begun at the Vineyard. And then there are two kind of long running for profit productions off Broadway. One is this musical Titanique, that is running in Union Square. It's a kind of musical comedy spoofing the movie Titanic and Celine Dion. And then there's a revival of Little Shop of Horrors, which I'm guessing all of your listeners are familiar with. It's been running since before the pandemic at the west side Theater. And crews at both of those places voted to unionize. And in both of those cases, they have now negotiated contracts with the producers, so things are resolved for them.

[Unknown Speaker]

Michael Paulson is New York Times theater reporter. Thanks for sharing your reporting with us, Michael.

[Michael Paulson]

Of course.

[Verbo Ad]

How do you make an Airbnb, a VRBO picture, a vacation rental with a host who's showing you every room like you've never seen a house before. Now get rid of them. There you go. No host ever. Now it's a verbo. Make it a verbo.

[Walden University Ad]

At Walden University, we get the W. We're not here to have our hands held. We're here to lend ours. Because we want to create positive change on the world around us. And Walden University teaches us the skills to make it happen on our time. Now it's your time. Learn the skills. Make an impact. Get the W. Walden University. Set a course for change. Visit waldenu. Edu to learn more. Certifieds operate by chef.