The National Endowment for the Arts has revised its grant guidelines for 2026 to reject applications for projects focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, and has eliminated its Challenge America grants for the upcoming year.
Fairfield Arts and Convention Center Executive Director Lindsay Bauer still waiting for the Challenge America funding it was awarded for this year. “The project that I have Challenge America grant support for technically could be considered a D-E-I project. Was it booked on the basis of it being a DEI project? No, it wasn’t. It was booked on artistic merit. But how do we answer those questions?,” Bauer says.
She is concerned about navigating the new guidelines. “I’m putting together my season for 2025-2026 already. I’m signing contracts now. I’m budgeting now,” she says. “If I can’t count on a level of funding that we’ve been able to rely on in the past, that really is going to affect how we’re able to plan.” The new guidelines also encourage projects tied to the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
The Iowa Arts Council says it’s still working to understand changes at the federal level.
(By Josie Fischels, Iowa Public Radio)