10 Practical Reasons We Need to Defend the National Endowment for the Arts

10 practical reasons need fund defend national endowment arts

President Donald Trump's administration has renewed efforts to defund the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), proposing for the fourth consecutive year a budget that would zero out the agency. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that has staffed the current administration, continues to promote its 1997 report 'Ten Good Reasons to Eliminate Funding for the National Endowment for the Arts' as a key reference in debates. This article, originally published in 2020 and republished in response to these developments, systematically rebuts each of the Heritage Foundation's arguments against the NEA, beginning with the claim that private support alone is sufficient.

flemish government eliminates m hka smak museum controversy

The Flemish government has announced a plan to close the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA), Belgium's oldest contemporary art museum, and transfer its collection of around 8,000 objects to the S.M.A.K. in Ghent, which will be rebranded as the Flemish Museum of Contemporary and Current Art by 2028. The decision, part of a broader reform of Flanders' museum landscape, has sparked outrage: M HKA's board chairman Herman De Bode resigned, and staff published an open letter and launched a petition that gathered over 2,600 signatures, accusing the government of acting without transparency or consultation.

The Politics of Russia’s Return to the Venice Biennale

Russia has announced its intention to return to the Venice Biennale in 2026, marking its first participation since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The proposed pavilion, titled "The Tree is Rooted in the Sky," plans to feature 38 participants from Russia and several Global South nations. The announcement has sparked intense backlash from the European Commission and culture ministers across 22 countries, who argue that Russia’s presence undermines democratic values and serves as a tool for "dark cultural diplomacy."

Metropolitan Museum receives $23m to endow internship programme

On 30 April, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced a $23m pledge from the Rubio Butterfield Foundation, led by newly elected trustee Jennifer Rubio and her husband Stewart Butterfield, to permanently endow the museum's internship program. The internships, offered for nearly 30 years with 100 participants annually, have only been paid since 2021. The article also explores broader trends in museum philanthropy, featuring insights from former directors Gary Vikan, Gary Tinterow, and Maxwell Anderson on how donors are often guided to fund endowments for curatorial positions, operations, or awards rather than art acquisitions.

Teiger Foundation gives grants totalling $7m to 85 curators

The Teiger Foundation, a US-based nonprofit supporting art curators, has announced its 2025 grantees, awarding a total of $7 million to 85 curators at institutions across the country. This nearly doubles last year’s grants as the foundation transitions to a biennial model, with individual grants ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 for exhibitions, research, touring shows, and three years of programming. Notable projects include a major survey of the late artist L.V. Hull organized by curators Ryan N. Dennis, Annalise Flynn, and Yaphet Smith, and a Theresa Hak Kyung Cha retrospective curated by Victoria Sung and Tausif Noor.

south africa venice pavilion court

South Africa will not participate in the 61st Venice Biennale following a High Court ruling that dismissed an urgent application by artist Gabrielle Goliath. The dispute began in January when Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie canceled the planned exhibition, "Elegy," citing concerns over its references to Gaza and the killing of Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada. The court's decision, delivered just hours before the biennial's submission deadline, effectively leaves the South African pavilion empty for the 2024 edition.

south africa officially cancels venice biennale pavilion

South Africa has officially withdrawn from the 2024 Venice Biennale following a legal battle over the cancellation of its national pavilion. The controversy began when Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie pulled the plug on artist Gabrielle Goliath’s planned exhibition, which referenced the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza. Goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo challenged the decision in court, alleging censorship and a violation of freedom of expression, but a South African judge recently dismissed their case without providing a specific reasoning.

Dismantling Orbán's 16-Year Grip on Hungary's Art World

Following the recent electoral defeat of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition by the opposition party Tisza, the Hungarian art world faces a monumental task of institutional restoration. For 16 years, the regime’s 'System of National Cooperation' (NER) systematically co-opted cultural institutions, installing loyalists in leadership roles at major venues like the Kunsthalle and Ludwig Museum to promote an ethno-nationalist agenda. This period was marked by the exodus of independent curators, the occupation of museums by activists, and a fractured ecosystem where state funding was tied to political compliance.

The Biennale Must Remain Open – Also for Russia

Die Biennale muss offen bleiben – auch für Russland

The article argues against calls to exclude Russia from the Venice Biennale, focusing on the controversy surrounding the Russian pavilion's planned exhibition titled "Der Baum ist im Himmel verwurzelt" (The Tree Is Rooted in Heaven). The pavilion is set to feature musicians from Russia, Argentina, Mali, and Mexico, and its theme revolves around the idea that politics is time-bound. The author contends that while the demand to exclude Russia is understandable given the geopolitical context, it is dangerous because once a biennial begins disinviting states, it undermines the very concept of the international exhibition.

Venice Biennale jury excludes Russia and Israel from artist awards as EU threatens funding cut

The Venice Biennale jury has excluded Russia and Israel from eligibility for artist awards, following the EU's threat to cut funding over geopolitical concerns. The decision bars artists from these countries from being considered for official prizes at the prestigious international art exhibition.

The church, the village, the park. FAI's 'Places of the Heart' returns to save ruins

La chiesa, il borgo, il parco. Tornano i Luoghi del Cuore del FAI per salvare i beni in rovina

The Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano (FAI) has launched the 13th edition of its "Luoghi del Cuore" (Places of the Heart) initiative, a biennial census that invites Italians to vote for cultural heritage sites most in need of restoration. Since 2003, the campaign has collected over 13.5 million votes, with the 2024 edition alone receiving more than 2.3 million votes for over 41,000 sites across 6,508 municipalities. The initiative has funded 180 recovery projects, 40% of which involve churches, followed by environmental, architectural, and archaeological assets. Notable successes include the Church of San Pietro dei Samari in Gallipoli, the Oratorio del Sasso in Orasso, and the Complesso di Sant’Angelo Magno in Ascoli Piceno.