Garrett Lee Curtis, Staff Photography

For artists in New Haven, two major funding streams — the “Challenge America” grant for underserved communities and Connecticut’s Tourism Fund — are no longer guaranteed.

The National Endowment for the Arts has scrapped its upcoming $2.8 million “Challenge America” small grants round. Instead, the endowment is directing applicants to its general grant program, which will favor projects that celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence in July 2026. 

Within Connecticut, the governor’s new budget plan includes a 17.5 percent cut in funding grants in the Tourism Fund, which encompasses various arts organizations, among other entities.

“It is highly unusual that those project-specific grants would have a prioritization around which type of content will actually receive funding,” said Hope Chavez, executive director of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. “It’s decentering the community’s needs and it’s something that feels like censorship.”

Chavez stressed that while museums and humanities programs get funding from the Office of Communities, many independent artists rely on grants from the Office of the Arts. According to Chavez, among these important initiatives are career development programs and the Percent for Art in Public Spaces Program.

The Percent for Art in Public Spaces Program mandates that one percent of the construction costs for new or renovated municipal buildings in the city be designated for the acquisition of commissioned artwork. 

Under the proposed governor’s budget, organizations such as the Amistad Center for Arts and Culture, the Connecticut Science Center and the New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas will lose over $185,000 in total.

The NEA’s initial funding freeze from January has been lifted; since then, some larger organizations in Connecticut have received the funds they expected but are cautiously planning their next steps. 

Eric Gershman SOM ’15 DRA ’15, the interim managing director of Long Wharf Theater, said the theater has now received their $110,000 in grant money, which is not part of the Challenge America Program. Still, he emphasized that the program is essential for smaller arts organizations in the state.

“Public funding for the arts is crucial and the last few weeks have shown us how volatile the situation is,” he said. “Organizations who used to rely on these grants clearly no longer can.” 

Some organizations at Yale University also receive funding from NEA grants. Notably, the Yale Repertory Theatre received $30,000 dollar grants in 2020 and 2023, both for productions of shows focusing on marginalized experiences in the United States. 

When the News asked about how these developments may affect The Rep, the theater declined to comment. 

Keqing Tan ’27, a New Haven native and undergraduate who leads the arts group Indigo @ Yale, said she never realized how involved the NEA is in funding local organizations. Tan said it was “jarring” to discover that the Long Wharf Theater and the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, where she attended many performances growing up, are impacted by the cuts. 

“I participated in a playwriting camp at Long Wharf in 2015,” said Tan. “It’s really disheartening to imagine that this opportunity might be taken away for younger people who could’ve really benefited from it like I did.”

Kim Weston, a photographer and arts educator from Connecticut, echoed calls for more state funding in response to the elimination of the Challenge America Program. She said that President Trump’s cuts to programs must be met with efforts from states, cities and towns to increase their investment in the arts. 

Describing the arts as a “vulnerable” sector, she urged Americans to use these cuts as a “wake-up call” and take action.

“A new system for visual arts funding has to be developed,” said Weston.

Through the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, Chavez is working to create that system. The organization recently sent out an “Advocacy Alert” email about the state budget cuts, encouraging individuals to offer verbal or written testimony to the Appropriations Committee of the CT State Legislature. 

Complete with a “toolkit,” including a template and comprehensive instructions, the email outlines ways in which community members can get involved. It came in advance of a hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 26 about housing and arts funding held by the Appropriations Committee of the CT State Legislature. 

Chavez said that state funding would mitigate the damage caused by the potential loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the federal government. She emphasized the significance of one of the two proposed Connecticut bills that would help fund the arts through an income stream from the state. 

These bills suggest allocating a portion of the increased meals and beverage tax to fund statewide arts, culture and tourism programs.

According to Chavez, all programs in the state department are valuable and said it was  “unethical” to behave “as if arts and culture funding is more important than the many other emergencies our legislators are fighting for right now.” 

She said she often considers how arts advocacy might also place support behind issues like immigration and LGBTQ protections. Arts and culture, Chavez said, are integrated with everything.

“If we’re not being good citizens and good neighbors, then it won’t matter when we’re asking for funding,” said Chavez. 

Long Wharf Theater is located at 70 Audubon St.