Hundreds of nonprofit arts groups across the country, including those in Hawaii, received notice in May that their funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, previously granted, had now been withdrawn or terminated due to a shift in priorities.
The cuts run deep, amounting to tens of millions of dollars.
For the Asia Pacific Dance Festival, news of the withdrawal of $25,000, about a quarter of its total budget, came just two weeks before it was scheduled to begin, according to Associate Director SheenRu Yong.
She decided to move forward, as the two-week festival, which wraps up today, had been planned for the past year and a half. Attendees from all over the world had already registered, she said, and their plane tickets booked.
“The show absolutely must go on,” Yong said. “We know that as artists and as producers, but also more than anything it really strengthens our resolve to show that this is what the community wants and needs. Without the ability to share our story, our song, our dance, we lose a complete sense of who we are.”
What stunned Yong is that the funds had already been offered after criteria were met through a competitive application process.
The festival, hosted by the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Outreach College, has been held every two years since 2011. It brings together artists and dance traditions from across Asia, the Pacific and Hawaii through immersive workshops, lectures, performances and a three-day conference.
The letter Yong received said the NEA was updating its grant-making policy priorities “to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President.”
“Consequently,” the letter said, “we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities.”
Priority shift
What are the new priorities?
The NEA offered a list, including projects that elevate the nation’s historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions.
It also is prioritizing works that “celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, and make America healthy again.”
Additionally, it is prioritizing projects that “support the military and veterans, support tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities.”
The longstanding Hawaii International Film Festival also received notice in early May that its NEA funding had been canceled.
HIFF has for years received between $25,000 and $30,000 annually from the NEA, according to Executive Director Beckie Stocchetti, but lost other federal funding as well, along with support from foundations and corporate sponsors also struggling with cuts.
One after another, the losses have rolled in “like a domino effect,” she said, and HIFF this year is facing a budget deficit of 20%, or about $200,000.
But HIFF, too, is committed to moving forward with its 45th Fall Festival in October and November.
“There are lots of contracts already signed,” Stocchetti said, “and ultimately, it’s also about supporting the creatives we have here in Hawaii. It’s about being in service to the community.”
Stocchetti said she appealed the NEA decision but has yet to hear back and doesn’t know when that will be.
This year, HIFF also is launching an industry conference as part of the festival to support creative entrepreneurs and people in the film industry in Hawaii. The nonprofit additionally wants to continue free educational programs for students in Hawaii and free community screenings, along with initiatives to support emerging creatives and underrepresented voices.
The reality, Stocchetti said, is that HIFF will have to restructure due to the NEA cuts, which is heartbreaking.
“It’s even more reason why it’s so important to show support for the film industry in Hawaii,” she said.
Both HIFF and the Asia Pacific Dance Festival are putting out a call for public support through tax-deductible donations. Stocchetti said the best way to do that is by becoming a HIFF member or joining the Producer’s Circle.
NEA in Hawaii
The NEA’s Grants for Arts program provides $10,000 to $100,000 to applicants twice a year. The application process is highly competitive, with less than 10% of total applicants awarded.
In the past five years, the NEA distributed about $10.8 million in federal funding, directly or through state and regional partners, in Hawaii.
The termination notices have had a chilling effect on the arts community across the U.S., said Christian Gaines, president and CEO of Creative West, a nonprofit regional arts group that represents Hawaii.
“These terminations impact community nonprofits of all sizes, from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars,” Gaines said. “Institutions build their budgets around these grants months and sometimes years in advance.”
Some groups may have already spent money they thought was guaranteed, and while projects may not necessarily be canceled, he expects many organizations will face significant financial challenges ahead.
It is unknown exactly how many organizations in Hawaii have been affected by NEA terminations so far. Hawaii’s major museums, including the Honolulu Museum of Art and Bishop Museum, and the Maui Arts &Cultural Center, the island’s premier performing arts venue, are all recipients of NEA funding.
Some nonprofits that received NEA Grants for Arts funding in recent years include Honolulu Theatre for Youth, the Hawaii Youth Symphony Association and Maui’s Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center, which received funding to support an arts program for elementary school students.
Other NEA grantees include the Moanalua Gardens Foundation, which puts on the annual Prince Lot Hula Festival.
State of the arts
The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, which disburses funds to dozens of local arts groups and underserved communities, has received the largest amount, with $912,500 awarded this fiscal year.
By law, SFCA is mandated to receive 40% of federal grant dollars Congress provides to the NEA for Hawaii.
Foundation Executive Director Karen Ewald said she normally would have received an NEA partnership agreement for fiscal year 2026 by now, but is still waiting for it.
“As of now we’re hopeful that because it’s a congressional mandate, that we will be receiving these funds,” she said. “But we haven’t gotten that yet. We’re cautiously optimistic but also just devastated over the arts and cultural organizations in the state that have had funds withdrawn or terminated.”
At the same time, Ewald said SFCA is bracing for cuts in state funding for core programs if a legislative bill — House Bill 1378 — is signed by Gov. Josh Green. The SFCA and Hawaii Arts Alliance are urging the governor to veto it.
Besides providing grants to local arts groups, the SFCA runs the Artists in Schools program that pairs an artist with a public or charter school to bring creative learning experiences to kindergarten through 12th grade classes.
It also runs the Art in Public Places program, which acquires and displays artwork in state-owned buildings and other public spaces.
Bipartisan support
The NEA was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent federal agency, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities.
President Donald Trump called for eliminating the NEA in a discretionary budget request for fiscal year 2026, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities and Institute of Museum and Library Services.
During his first term, Trump also wanted to eliminate the NEA but Congress pushed back and it did not happen.
NEA funds have historically had bipartisan support, according to Gaines, and boost economic production by attracting private investment.
“They improve economic outcomes, foster cohesion, facilitate good health, and advance cherished heritages and traditions for future generations,” he said.
The U.S. Regional Arts Organizations in a joint statement urged Congress to restore the canceled funds.
“Since its inception, the NEA has played a critical role in broadening access to the cultural, educational, and economic benefits of the arts in every Congressional District,” the statement said. “In fact, federal arts funds support thousands of communities across the nation, including 678 counties that private foundations do not reach.”
This work, RAO said, is funded by just 0.004% of the federal budget— less than 62 cents per American per year.
In Hawaii, HIFF brings in hundreds of guests and filmmakers from all over the world, Stocchetti said, including Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Los Angeles, New York, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The Asia Pacific Dance Festival fosters cross-cultural dialogue, human connection and creative expression, according to Yong.
This year, the festival invited the Arzoo Dance Theatre from Canada, specializing in kathak, or classical Indian dance, along with Rako Pasefika, a collective from Fiji.
The host halau is Pua Ali‘i ‘Ilima under the direction of Gish Prize winner and kumu hula Vicky Holt Takamine.
“By bringing together these three different resident artists, we’re able to create this amazing exchange of storytelling and co-learning,” Yong said. “Artists all take each other’s classes, as well, so the artists are in classes with the students. So it’s this amazing coming together of culture and expertise and traditions.”
Seeing that magic over the past two weeks, Yong said she is even more determined to keep the festival going.
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