What You Didn’t Hear in the Headlines: Arts Funding & the 2025 Session

Minnesota’s legislative session may be over, but the work (and impact) continues. Behind the scenes, major decisions were made that will shape the future of arts funding across the state.

Now it’s time to talk about what really happened.

Join MCA for a behind-the-scenes breakdown of the 2025 Legislative Session on:

WEDNESDAY, July 23 at 11:00 AM

Live Zoom Webinar

This is your chance to go beyond the headlines and get the full story. We’ll unpack not just the “what,” but the “why it matters”—and how to stay ahead of what’s coming.

Federal Arts Update: What’s Happening at the NEA—and What We’re Watching (July 11th Update)

Minnesota Citizens for the Arts continues to closely monitor fast-moving developments in federal arts funding in partnership with our national allies at Americans for the Arts. Together, we’re keeping a close eye on major changes at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) that could impact arts funding across the country, including here in Minnesota.

As Congress continues work on the federal budget, we’re beginning to see movement, especially around arts funding. Earlier this year, President Trump directed the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to cancel or rescind a significant number of grants that had been on hold following his inauguration. On the same day, he proposed eliminating the NEA’s budget entirely for Fiscal Year 2026.

Yesterday, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee released its bill text, allocating just $135 million for the NEA, a devastating 35% cut and one of the largest reductions in the entire bill, despite only a 6% overall budget cut.

With public funding for the arts under serious threat, now is the time to act. Please contact your member of Congress and urge them to support restoring NEA funding to at least $209 million—the same level as Fiscal Year 2025. Your outreach could be critical as the House advances its bill and the Senate prepares its response.

WRITE YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS