Federal funding cuts hit the arts community

By Evan Dawson,

Published May 9, 2025 at 4:19 PM EDT

Five people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at foreground left has short grey hair and is wearing a white cardigan, pink turtleneck and purple floral pants; a woman at foreground right has long red hair and is wearing a white t-shirt, denim vest, brown plaid mini skirt and knee high black boots; a man at background left has short dark hair and a grey beard and is wearing a green cardigan over a beige t-shirt; a woman at background right has short brown hair and is wearing glasses and a denim button-down shirt; a man at center has short dark hair and is wearing a bright blue button-down shirt with plaid cuffs, jeans, blue striped socks and brown shoes.

1 of 2 — (foreground) Sherry Vile and Leah Stacy, (background) Chad W. Post and Jessica Johnston on "Connections"

(foreground) Sherry Vile and Leah Stacy, (background) Chad W. Post and Jessica Johnston on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Friday, May 9, 2025

Julie Williams / WXXI News

A smiling blonde man wearing a dark blue button-down shirt, black jeans and black shoes sits on white steps.

2 of 2 — Peter Connors.jpg

Peter Connors

Provided

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

The Trump administration has begun canceling grant funding for arts organizations across the country. As word of the funding cuts hit different communities — Oklahoma City; Pittsburgh; New Orleans; Rochester among the first — a group of senior officials at the National Endowment for the Arts announced their resignations.

For some local organizations, the funding cuts are coming almost immediately, after they had planned for the money.

Evan and co-host Leah Stacy welcome guests to discuss what's cut, and what could be lost as a result.

Our guests:

Peter Conners, publisher and executive director of BOA Editions, Ltd.
Jessica Johnston, executive director of Visual Studies Workshop, Inc.
Chad W. Post, publisher of Open Letter Books
Sherry Vile, executive director of A Magical Journey Thru Stages