The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) eliminated its “Challenge America” grant program one year ago, redirecting $21 million from projects focused on “diversity, equity and inclusion.” This decisive shift prioritized works celebrating national pride, marking a clear departure from previous cultural fragmentation policies. The move came as the Trump Administration rescinded grants that failed to meet its funding objectives.
Last month, the New West Symphony performed “The Ronald Reagan Overture” at his presidential library and museum in Simi Valley, California. This orchestral and video work, part of a larger concert for the country's 250th anniversary, included excerpts from Reagan's 1942 movie “King's Row” and his 1987 “tear down” the Berlin Wall speech. The performance took place under an enormous American flag, with Reagan's Air Force One hanging above the 600-person audience.
Many attendees wore red, white, and blue, expressing clear national sentiment. Michael Christie, the New West Symphony's music director, affirmed the message, stating, “Stirring patriotism on America's birthday: That is a solid message.” Audience member Theresa Brunasso described the experience, saying, “It reaches out to your heart. It touches you inside and out. And it makes you so proud to be an American.”
This overture received a $25,000 grant from the NEA, one of 50 such grants supporting artworks celebrating figures for the “National Garden of American Heroes.” President Donald Trump first proposed this sculpture park six years ago, envisioning 250 life-size statues of notable American figures like Muhammad Ali, Susan B. Anthony, and Elvis Presley. The project remains in its proposal phase.
Reclaiming National Identity
The NEA, while previously funding a broad range of programs, placed a particular emphasis on national pride for this anniversary year. The agency stated the anniversary offers “an opportunity to celebrate our nation's rich artistic heritage and cultural legacy” through “many artistic disciplines and perspectives.” This marked a direct reversal of the previous administration's cultural priorities.
One year ago, the Trump Administration rescinded $21 million in NEA grants, specifically targeting projects deemed “too focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.” The “Challenge America” grant program, which supported organizations focusing on “historically underserved communities that have limited access to the arts relative to geography, ethnicity, economics, and/or disability,” was eliminated entirely.
Grant applications now prioritize “more patriotic works,” such as military band performances. This policy shift directly impacted hundreds of arts groups that had relied on previous funding streams.
Some groups, like the Chicago-based Sones de México Ensemble, adapted to the new guidelines. Co-founder Juan Díes initially lost a $20,000 grant for Mexican folk music concerts. He re-pitched his project to the NEA, focusing on Trump Administration-approved subjects like aviator Amelia Earhart and baseball star Roberto Clemente, and the grant was approved. Díes stated, “I don't feel like we're compromising our goals or mission,” adding, “By playing with the rules, we are able to give our perspective on the lives of these American heroes.”
Elite Discomfort with National Focus
David Lubin, a retired Wake Forest University professor known for writing on American art, politics, and cultural propaganda, offered a critical view of patriotic art. He suggested that in a politically divided nation, such art often reinforces existing rifts, effectively “preaching to the converted.” Lubin distinguished between a “My country, right or wrong” patriotism and one focused on striving “to keep hewing to the ideals of the origins of the country.”
Melissa Giller, spokesperson for the Reagan Foundation, maintained that the 40th president believed patriotism could coexist with diverse perspectives. She said, “He really believed in bipartisanship, always believed in reaching across the aisle.” The foundation now promotes Reagan's worldview through its new “Center on Civility and Democracy,” even distributing “Civility Handbooks” to visitors.