If you care about art, you know that the current president poses a threat to it that goes well beyond his horrendous taste in decor. Donald Trump, who lost the popular vote by 2,864,974 votes, on Thursday proposed a budget that includes gutting the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He also wants to kill the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS and National Public Radio—it's about on brand for a man who seems to be spending the salad days of his presidency making life harder for the poor.
The Portland Art Museum has released a statement in response to the proposed cuts. Here it is:
The Portland Art Museum joins museums and cultural institutions across the country in opposition to the proposed elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The arts are essential to our shared humanity and provide unparalleled opportunities for reflection, creative expression, and most importantly, connection to each other.
Art impacts people of all ages and from all backgrounds, and the Museum provides the space and resources that make that impact felt even more deeply—from focused programs for children and people living with dementia, to tours for visitors who are blind or partially sighted, and lectures for all. Our education and public programs inspire as well as offer tools that turn art into powerful lessons on history and empathy. School field trip tours open up new horizons to students and give them a broader sense of their place in the world. Each new exhibition and program offers a new opportunity to form lasting community partnerships that further extend the impact that the Museum is able to make.
The NEA, NEH, and IMLS have been vital partners in our ability to serve our community—locally and nationally. Funding has supported increased access to the Native American and Northwest art collections, as well as Northwest Film Center education and exhibition programs, among many other projects. The NEA’s crucial indemnity program for exhibitions and loans of artwork has made it possible to present many masterworks in Portland. Additionally, through the Oregon Arts Commission, the NEA provides operating support to the Museum.
The support that the Museum and other local and regional organizations have received from the NEA, NEH, and IMLS has helped to shape the dynamic cultural and civic environment that we hold dear. The Portland Art Museum strongly urges Congress to continue funding these agencies, whose work sustains our quality of life and provides real economic value across the country. Our experiences with art create a shared sense of community, nationality, and ultimately humanity—something more important now than ever.
If you're an arts organization strategizing in the face of this anti-art presidency and have a statement you'd like to share, please email arts@portlandmercury.com.
