The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded $75.1 million to 84 projects across the United States, marking the first grants since the Trump administration dismissed most members of the National Council on the Humanities. Major recipients include the University of Texas at Austin and the Foundation for Excellence in Higher Education, each receiving $10 million for programs focused on civics, strategy, and "Great Books." Other notable grants include $2.2 million for Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution and $2 million for Grand Central Atelier, a small art school in Queens that teaches classical realist techniques.
This funding round matters because it reflects the NEH's priorities under political pressure, with many grants supporting conservative-leaning institutions and curricula centered on Western civilization and civics. The $2 million grant to Grand Central Atelier, which explicitly rejects modernism, signals a shift toward traditionalist art education. The awards also highlight ongoing debates about federal funding for the humanities, the role of art in public life, and the influence of political ideology on cultural grants.