NIVA Responds To White House’s Proposal To Eliminate NEA Funding

The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) has released a statement from Executive Director Stephen Parker in response to the White House’s budget proposal which is calling for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), as well as the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

In his statement Parker warns how eliminating the NEA would affect local performance spaces and economies – and urged the White House to reinstate grants that are essential for venues, presenters, and festivals.

Today’s statement follows news that on Friday hundreds of arts groups were notified via email that NEA grant offers had been rescinded, just hours after President Trump released the budget proposal. As previously reported (initially by NPR), SummerStage in New York and the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California, were among the groups affected.

See Parker’s statement below:

“The cancellation of National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants and proposed funding cuts in the President’s budget undermine the billions of dollars in economic activity that nonprofit live performance stages help generate in every state. These institutions support jobs, strengthen local economies, and serve as the cultural heartbeat of thousands of communities across the country. 

“Particularly concerning are reports that grants awarded months or years ago for projects already completed by organizations may not be paid out. If true, this is unacceptable and will jeopardize the ability of some of these organizations to keep their doors open and put real jobs at risk.

“We urge Congress to prioritize robust NEA funding, particularly for venues, presenters, and festivals, and call on the White House to restore the grants nonprofit stages rely on to continue operating and serving communities nationwide.”

NPR pointed out on Friday that the NEA “is the largest arts funder in the U.S. — yet one of the smallest federal agencies,” and is currently funded at $207 million, amounting to 0.003% of the total federal budget (according to an NEA fact sheet from 2022). Since being founded by Congress in 1965, the NEA awarded $5.5 billion in grants.

Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is New York’s largest free outdoor performing arts festival. From May through October the 2025 edition will feature more than 70 shows in 13 parks across all five boroughs, including benefit shows in Central Park. The lineup features The Roots, Big Freedia, Marcus Miller, Jessica Pratt, Soccer Mommy and Hurray For The Riff Raff, Rhiannon Giddens and more.