'Air out of the sails': Arts groups scramble to respond to NEA grant terminations
Editor's note: Federal Fallout is a Tribune-Democrat news series addressing the potential local impact of funding cuts.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Steeples Project has worked for years to revitalize historic churches in the Cambria City section of Johnstown, often leveraging grants, with the latest undertaking focused on turning the former St. Columba Catholic Church into a theater for live dramatic arts.
Dave Hurst, project executive director, said the group needs 'every penny' of those dollars to help accomplish its aims, but recent changes to the federally funded National Endowment for the Arts has caused a disruption of its plans.
Hurst said he was alerted by the NEA in early May that a previously awarded $20,000 grant had been terminated effective May 31.
'When I first read it, it was just air out of the sails,' he said.
The funding was allocated for the Columba Theatre Project, and was set to pay for part of the construction documents.
According to an email notification shared with The Tribune-Democrat, The Steeples Project award was terminated because the 'project no longer effectuates agency priorities.'
The NEA, a federal arts group established by Congress in 1965, announced in May that updated grant-making policy priorities will 'focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by (President Donald Trump).'
'Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities,' the notice said. 'The NEA will not prioritize projects that elevate the nation's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and Hispanic-serving institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence, foster (artificial intelligence) competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful and support the economic development of Asian American Communities.'
The Learning Lamp also lost a $10,000 NEA Challenge America grant for the nonprofit's Children's Book Festival. However, that funding gap was bridged by a donation from The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts and the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation.
The National Endowment for the Arts has a 2024 congressional allocation of more than $200 million, roughly half of which was requested for director endowment grants, including arts projects, including the Challenge America and Our Town programs.
'A scary time'
The White House's budget request for the 2026 fiscal year calls for elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
'It's a scary time,' Hurst said of the situation.
Despite his grant being terminated, Hurst said he consulted with the federal arts group, and was told he should be able to draw down the $20,000 and not lose anything.
The theater project is in its final design phase of a multi-year project that will cost several million dollars to complete. That includes development of dressing rooms, seating, a lobby, expanded event space, a box office, lighting, acoustical reflector and several other improvements.
'To do that, we will definitely need federal funding, and that will be an 'open question' now,' Hurst said, 'because at this point, I don't think anybody really knows what the parameters will be.'
He submitted the request for the money May 13 and is waiting for a response.
'A lot of uncertainty'
Matthew Lamb, executive director of the Bottle Works arts center in Cambria City, is also awaiting word regarding an NEA grant application he submitted in April.
That funding would help develop the arts center's public art initiative and match funding from the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts' Creative Communities grant that Bottle Works was awarded. However, Lamb is unsure what the future of his application is now that the NEA has updated its grant-making policies.
He said the momentum Bottle Works has built with public art installations – such as the murals on the Cambria County Library in downtown Johns-town, the Spider-Man mural on Stone Bridge Brewing Co. and the Steve Ditko display on the Tulip Building – feels as if it's stalled, Lamb said.
'There's a lot of uncertainty,' he said.
Bottle Works has earned NEA grants in the past, which have helped support operations and undertakings at the facility in Cambria City, including the murals on the jersey barriers on Power Street.
When he heard the national arts group was terminating grants, he said his reaction was that of 'sheer terror.'
'Defunding at the NEA doesn't just affect our arts organizations, but it affects all the small businesses in our communities,' Lamb said.
He said investments in the arts offer significant returns for communities.
'Hurdle to overcome'
The National Assembly of State Art Agencies notes arts and creative industries generate 'a $36.8 billion trade surplus and add $1.2 trillion in value to the U.S. gross domestic product.'
'The NEA and state arts agencies catalyze cultural production and grow the talent pool for this important American industry that creates 5.4 million jobs on American soil,' the NASAA said.
Lamb said the economic impact apart from the arts centers is also noteworthy.
Attendees at nonprofit arts events spend more than $34 per outing beyond entrance fees, at local retailers and restaurants, according to the NASAA.
'While many industries produce jobs and revenue, only the arts offer a fivefold bottom line that strengthens our nation,' the assembly said. 'Arts activity supported by the NEA and state arts agencies boosts economic productivity, improves education outcomes, fosters civic cohesion, facilitates good health, and preserves cherished traditions that tell our country's story. These are consensus values that all Americans want for their families and communities.'
Although the Community Arts Center of Cambria County does not have an active endowment grant, Executive Director Angela Godin said she was notified that the Challenge America grant her nonprofit has relied on was terminated in the update.
In the past, the arts center has used the Challenge America grant for outreach initiatives for what she called underserved and underrepresented populations.
'This was a shock and a disappointment,' she said. 'Fortunately, the Community Arts Center of Cambria County does not rely on this particular funding stream for annual programmatic needs. Nevertheless, it is still a loss and hurdle to overcome, especially with the uncertainty of other grant programs from the NEA.'
Hurst said he's hopeful the situation will work out, but everyone will have to 'wait and see' what comes next.
Lamb shared a similar note of positivity.
'The arts organizations in the area will find a way to navigate these situations,' Lamb said. 'That's what we do. We're creative.'
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