States Cutting Arts Funding

With America’s struggling economy, arts institutions have had are hard time with fundraising and keeping afloat. Now, it seems the waters have become even more dangerous. In addition to the private sector falling on financially hard times, state governments have widely decided that cultural funding is the thing to cut.

According to The New York Times, 31 states have cut their arts budgets for the 2012 fiscal year, some drastically. Kansa governor, Sam Brownback, vetoed the entire proposed arts budget, and without any state support, Kansas will lose their matching funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. While not every state is in such dire straits, none are well off. Texas cut its aid by 50 percent, New Jersey by 23 percent and Wisconsin by 67 percent.

This lack of state aid will not be felt in large, well-established places (think Metropolitan Opera) that rely on donors and ticket revenue, but it will cause major problems for smaller cultural attractions. Community-based arts groups are usually the ones who receive state grants, but now they will have to turn to donations and fundraisers: something that is particularly hard given the economic climate.

And this is not strictly an American issue. Back Stage reported in June that the government funding of arts was being cut worldwide.