Brooklyn Art Song Society Announces National Endowment for the Arts Grant has Been Terminated
By Francisco SalazarThe Brooklyn Art Song Society has announced that its National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant has been terminated.
The company sent out a letter signed by Artistic Director Michael Brofman stating, “Late Friday night, Brooklyn Art Song Society learned that our grant from the National Endowment for the Arts is being terminated. This action was part of a purge of grants across the country, affecting vitally important arts organizations large and small, creating a crisis for the arts in our nation. We offer our support and partnership to all other affected organizations. We also want to express our gratitude to the dedicated staff of the NEA- consummate professionals doing superb work to enrich the cultural life of this nation. It is shocking to see the programs and institutions that they have nurtured over many years be abruptly cut off.”
The letter added, “In times of crisis, BASS has always doubled down on the core belief that the experience of sharing something expressive face-to-face with others is not a luxury but a fiercely urgent necessity. It is deeply troubling that our government sees the connective fabric of art as a political tool. Brooklyn Art Song Society serves our community. We serve the music that we love and the values it represents. We will not be silenced and we will not slow down.”
The news comes a few days after Trump proposed to cut funding from the NEA. As a result, the NEA sent out an email stating that it would be “updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President. Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities.”
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