The $8 Million Blow: How Terminations of Federal Arts Grants Will Harm Westchester
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Kathleen Reckling
Like thousands of organizations across the U.S. that provide access to the arts and opportunities to advance creative free expression, ArtsWestchester recently received termination notices for several federal grants.
Over these last few weeks, the Trump Administration terminated some $2,000,000 in federal grants to the Westchester County arts and cultural community. When we include the match requirements of these grants and outstanding project proposals to these agencies, the total impact of these cuts is in the magnitude of $8 million.
These grant terminations are devastating and disruptive.
The defunded projects include initiatives to document, preserve, and increase access to America’s cultural heritage and history, curriculum development and teacher training, and cultural workforce programs. Federal dollars support our cultural institutions, but they also go directly into the hands of independent artists and small businesses.
Westchester’s non-profit arts sector contributes $183 million to our local economy annually and supports 2,250 cultural jobs. A cut to the arts is a blow to our local economic landscape.
We are especially concerned that the current federal FY2026 spending proposal calls for the elimination of the NEA, IMLS, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. These agencies represent 13 percent of all public monies allocated to Westchester arts and cultural organizations.
As news of the funding cuts spreads, many might wonder how they can help keep the arts alive in their communities. At this critical moment, tell your elected officials the arts matter and to save the NEA; buy a ticket to an arts event and take part in the arts; or donate to your favorite arts group to help fill the gap left by federal grant cuts.
Public funding of the arts is essential because the arts are how we express our culture, our hopes and aspirations, and our identity as individuals and as communities. The arts fundamentally help us advance towards the goal of achieving a “more perfect union.”
To silence artists is to silence us all.
Kathleen Reckling is the CEO of ArtsWestchester.
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