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News from the NEA
NEA Grants for Arts Projects guidelines available online
The National Endowment for the Arts is no longer distributing printed
guidelines and application forms.
The new FY 2006 Grants for Arts Projects guidelines are available only on the
NEA Web site at: www.arts.gov/grants/apply.
Bush Budget Proposes Level Funding for NEA in FY06
Despite an overall reduction in federal discretionary spending proposed in the
administration’s fiscal year 2006 budget, the funding proposal President
Bush sent to Capitol Hill on February 7 asks Congress to hold even on spending
for the National Endowment for the Arts at the 2005 level of $121.264 million.
The administration’s budget proposal explains that overall growth in discretionary spending is being held below the projected rate of inflation to 2.1 percent—“even after significant increases in defense and homeland security”—meaning a reduction in real terms for total discretionary spending in the budget proposal. In fact, in nonsecurity discretionary accounts, the president has proposed to cut spending by nearly 1 percent.
Funding for the arts endowment includes support for the American Masterpieces initiative, which, according to the budget document, “continues NEA’s commitment to support programs of indisputable artistic merit that reach communities large and small in all 50 states, as well as to provide substantial and engaging educational programs for the nation’s schools.”
The budget submission also includes funds for the Challenge America program at $14.922 million, down from $21.427 million appropriated by Congress for 2005.
The budget for the National Endowment for the Humanities, like that for the NEA, is held level in the president’s proposal, with $138.054 million. The only significant increase in funding for the cultural agencies goes to the Office of Museum Services, with a requested funding level of $38.915 million for 2006, up from $34.8 million in 2005.
Arts in Education…
The president’s budget again zeroes out funds for the Department of Education’s
Arts in Education program. In FY 2005, Congress approved an appropriation of $35.92
million for the program, slightly more than the $35 million available in 2004.
