Donald Trump Cutting Down Endowment For The Arts To Be Opposed By Maine Artists Arts Group

As reported by the Portland Press Herald, several art groups from Maine are already expressing dismay even as the Trump administration has yet to finalize the reported cuts in the budget. According to Julie Richard, executive director of the Maine Arts Commission, their group is ready to stage a formal protest if the much-feared budget amendment was put through.

"It's not a call to action yet because there isn't anything out there to act upon. But we want to be mindful of the situation in case we do need to mobilize the field," said Richard. To note, the Maine Arts Commission distributes around $500,000 from the NEA funding per year to several artists and arts organizations based in the US northeastern state. If Trump decides to remove the endowment, all the funded projects for the arts in Maine would suffer.

Aside from the NEA, the Trump administration is reportedly proposing to cut the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as giving the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to the private sector. These changes are said to reduce the US government's annual expenses.

According to the Hill, the possible budget cut amounts to $4.5 million of federal funds in Maine alone. The region is able to raise different programs related to the arts such as Poetry Out Loud with the help of NEA's $1.2 million yearly funding. The Main Arts Commission gives away grants ranging from $500 to $50,000, for the benefit of those individuals or groups vying for the endowment.

All in all, the funding for the NEA, NEH, and CPB is said to comprise only 0.02 percent of the United States federal budget. Nonetheless, any move to cut down the funding for the artists and scholars is unacceptable, according to PEN America executive director Suzzane Nossel.

"Even apart from the essential resources at stake, the signal sent by this gesture is a slap in the face to artists, writers, researchers, and scholars who are learning that the administration seems to consider their work worthless," Nossel stated. Meanwhile, Memphis congressman Steve Cohen said that cutting down the endowment for the arts and humanities is a huge blow to the people that he represents. According to the Democrat house member, this move will only cause "cultural and societal deterioration," ultimately leading to a "new Dark Ages."