The Trump administration has threatened to shake things up in Washington. Speculation abounds that entire government agencies could be on the chopping block, including the National Endowment for the Arts.
Delaware Public Media’s Mark Arehart talked with Delaware Arts Alliance Executive Director Guillermina Gonzalez about what that could mean for the arts in the First State.
There has been no official word that the Trump administration is axing the NEA, or other agencies like the National Endowment for the Humanities.
But last month The Hill reported the White House could be considering it, causing rampant speculation that states like Delaware could lose a big chunk of arts funding.
Guillermina Gonzalez, with the arts advocacy group Delaware Arts Alliance, said that while the report is worrying, it’s too early to panic.
"It’s important to always have a plan B. So we began having discussions, but nothing has materialized yet," Gonzalez said.
In a release, Delaware Division of the Arts reiterated there has been no official talk of defunding the NEA by any verified source within the Trump Administration.
The DDOA receives the bulk of its funding from the state legislature, but does receive a big chunk, just under 20 percent, from the NEA.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from theDelaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
