Trump’s War on the Arts: Southern California Creatives Slam NEA Cuts as ‘Cultural Sabotage’

A production still from ‘Walking Water’, a site-specific performance by Cornerstone Theater Company in September 2024. The Los Angeles-based arts organization was among the hundreds of groups that lost funding from the National Endowment for the Arts this week.

May 5, 2025

By Brian Hews

LOS ANGELES — The Trump administration’s latest budget bombshell landed squarely on the nation’s cultural soul, proposing a total elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Humanities (NEH) — a move that has sent shockwaves through Southern California’s vibrant creative community.

“This isn’t just a funding cut,” Kate Fowler of Richmond-based Studio Two Three told NPR, “this is a scalpel to the throat of the American arts ecosystem.” 

Following the budget proposal, the NEA swiftly canceled numerous grants nationwide. Recipients, including theaters, publishers, and community arts groups, received sudden notifications of funding withdrawal, leaving many projects in limbo.

Trump’s cuts follow his overall goal of affecting organizations serving marginalized groups. According to the SF Chronicle, groups like the New Conservatory Theatre Center and Frameline, which focus on LGBTQ+ narratives, had their grants rescinded. These organizations are now grappling with financial shortfalls right in the middle of projects.

Here in SoCal, the impact is immediate and brutal. Los Angeles’ Cornerstone Theater Company had its NEA-funded performances abruptly defunded. 

A Political Ploy Disguised as Budget Reform

According to news articles, the Trump administration placed the NEA and NEH on a chopping block labeled “small agency eliminations,” under the guise of fiscal conservatism. Yet critics say the savings are negligible, and the message unmistakable.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) had an annual budget of approximately $180 million, which accounts for about 0.003% of the federal budget, or roughly 55 cents per American per year.

To put that in perspective, the NEA’s budget is about the cost of three F-35 fighter jets; Trump’s proposed birthday parade will cost well over $100 million.

Erin Harkey, CEO of Americans for the Arts, in a statement to NPR wrote, “Any attempt to dismantle the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) – by eliminating funding, reducing staff, or canceling grants – is deeply concerning, shortsighted, and detrimental to our nation. NEA grants have touched every American, supporting projects in every Congressional district and helping the arts reach parts of the country, including often overlooked rural communities. From supporting our nation’s service members and their families experiencing trauma to funding inspiring performances and engaging arts education programs, the NEA plays a vital role in the lives of millions of Americans and the thousands of nonprofit and governmental arts and cultural organizations that bring America’s story to life.

“America’s strength lies in its cultural richness, creativity, and innovation. Now more than ever, Congress must defend and restore the NEA to ensure the arts remain accessible to all Americans. Americans for the Arts will continue to work with Members of Congress to share how these proposed cuts would harm their constituents and weaken the fabric of our nation.”

Southern California’s iconic creative institutions — from the Broad Stage in Santa Monica to community organizations in East LA — are now scrambling during mid-season and mid-production.

“We’re staring at layoffs, canceled programs, and shuttered community projects,” said one executive director at a mid-sized nonprofit in Long Beach, speaking on background to Los Cerritos Community News. “Trump pulled the rug and then threw it out the window.”

A lawsuit recently filed by Rhode Island Latino Arts and The Theater Offensive, backed by the ACLU, challenges the new funding restrictions as unconstitutional. 

Southern California Fights Back

The proposed NEA elimination hits especially hard in Southern California, where arts generate billions in economic activity annually.

Al Vincent, Jr., executive director of Actors’ Equity Association, said: “Federal arts funding survived the last Trump Administration with bipartisan support because Congress understands that the live arts are a huge economic job creator across the country.”

“We will fight to protect this critical funding that generates a huge return on investment in local communities,” he added.

According to online research, arts and culture are a $234 billion industry supporting over 700,000 jobs in California alone.

Cities like Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Long Beach rely heavily on NEA-backed programs to fund community theater, school partnerships, and neighborhood art projects. Many small organizations operate on budgets where a $10,000 NEA grant can be the difference between survival and shutdown.

Local leaders, including Los Angeles City Council members, have vowed to fight back. Emergency town halls, grant-patching coalitions, and fundraisers have surged across the region.

According to the Associated Press, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council have appealed to state and federal authorities for additional funding to mitigate the impact of the NEA cuts. This includes seeking disaster recovery aid to address the broader budget shortfall affecting various city services, including arts programs.

Los Angeles city officials are working closely with the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, which has announced over $31 million in awards to arts, cultural, and equity-building organizations. This partnership ensures that local arts organizations continue to receive support despite federal funding challenges.

Trump’s proposed defunding of the NEA isn’t just a budget line. To artists, educators, and cultural workers across Southern California, it’s a loud, clear message: your stories don’t matter.

And the response? Just as loud.

“We’re not just resisting,” said one East LA muralist in a community meeting. “We’re painting our protest on every wall, stage, and screen we can find.”

The elimination of NEA funding represents a significant challenge to the sustainability of Southern California’s arts ecosystem, with far-reaching consequences for employment, education, and cultural enrichment in the region.

Those hit the hardest by the cuts were Cornerstone Theater, LA – “Walking Water,” $45,000; $22,000 taken from the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica; $35,000 from the Watts Village Theater Company, and $50,000 from LA Opera educational outreach.

In a statement, California Senator Adam Schiff criticized the abrupt termination of the funding, emphasizing its importance to various institutions: “Supporting the NEH is not merely an investment in cultural preservation; it is also a crucial investment in community health, education, social development, and economic vitality.”