Federal and state funding cuts could impact the arts in St. Joseph.
The White House has unveiled its budget which includes eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts.
“The elimination of that agency will definitely impact all of us,” said Teresa Fankhauser, Ex. Dir. with the Allied Arts Council. “Monetarily the Missouri Arts Council for example gives grant money to agencies in the non-profit arts industry in Missouri who apply for funds to support their programs. Part of that money actually comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.”
Fankhauser said all agencies who apply for assistance from the Missouri Art Council benefit from the National Endowment for the Arts
“When you look at that you’re talking about Allied Arts, the Symphony, Performing Arts Association, Creative Arts Production, The St. Joseph Community Chorus, RiverSong, Albrecht-Kemper Musuem of Art and I’m sure I’m missing some others,” said Fankhauser.
The proposed federal cuts to the arts would come on top of state cutbacks.
“We’ve already received dramatic cuts this year from the Missouri Arts Council due to the Missouri budget shortfall,” Fankhauser said. “Governor Greitens has drastically cut the amount of funds available to the arts this year to try to balance the budget. So we’re already feeling the pinch.”
Recently, Fankhauser said NEA grant funding aided in the Sculpture Walk program in downtown St. Joseph. Fankhauser urges people to contact legislators at the state and federal level to let them know the arts are important to their community.
“The benefits of the arts are long and many from the importance of art education to economic development, to tourism and simply quality of life issues,” Fankhauser said. “So if those are things that people find important then it’s important that they let our elected officials know that they value the arts and want to keep them here and vibrant.”
The Allied Arts Council will kick off its Arts Fund campaign at the end of March to try to raise $225,000 to benefit seven different organizations which provides 25 to 75 percent of funding for the organization budgets.
“With these cutbacks it’s going to be really important that we meet if not exceed this year’s campaign goal,” Fankhauser said. “It will kick off March 31 and then the official campaign begins April 1. We encourage people to contribute to the Arts Fund.”