Anti-DEI "Cleansing" Program Hits Paramount Funding

National Endowment for the ArtsFunding Cuts Hit Home

A message from the Paramount Hudson Valley Arts

Over the weekend, we received deeply disappointing news here at the Paramount Hudson Valley Arts (PHVA) office.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) notified us that it has withdrawn an important financial grant that would have helped support two vital cultural performances at the Paramount Theater this year: Cirque Zuma Zuma, which celebrated the traditional music, dance, and circus arts of Africa in February during Black History Month, and an Argentine tango performance coming up in September during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The NEA’s notification, sent via email, states that the federal arts agency has updated its priorities to focus on projects “prioritized by the President,” and therefore it is terminating awards that fall outside the Administration’s agenda. According to the email, the NEA’s new arts funding priorities include fostering AI competency, assisting with disaster recovery, and making America healthy again. These may be worthy goals, but this major priority shift comes at the expense of grassroots arts organizations like PHVA.

And PHVA is not alone. Dozens of arts nonprofits, large and small, across the country just received similar emails terminating their NEA grants – part of a wave of budget cuts and a movement to eliminate the NEA entirely. The national press reports that NEA staff are resigning and the agency is now in turmoil. Major advocacy groups like Americans for the Arts are urging every impacted organization to appeal.

PHVA is submitting an appeal. But appeals take time, and there is no guarantee that we will ever get the grant we were awarded months ago and were counting on this year.

That’s why we are turning to our local, loyal community. If the federal government won’t fund inclusive arts programming that celebrates all of us, then it’s up to all of us – patrons and neighbors, business and civic leaders – to do whatever we can to make sure this kind of community-focused programming can survive at the Paramount.

At PHVA, we believe the Paramount is more than a historic theater. It’s a hub for cultural, educational, and economic activity. It’s our gathering space, where we join together to celebrate our humanity, our community, and each other.

Please stand with Paramount Hudson Valley Arts. Your support tells us the arts are important to our community — and that you want PHVA to keep our vibrant, diverse, and inclusive arts programming on the Paramount’s stage. I hope you’ll consider donating to PHVA today.

Help PHVA with a donation today! Thank you for your loyalty and generosity, and for supporting our local and global arts community.