This is a press release sent to Battle Born Media from Christina Barr, Executive Director, Nevada Humanities:
RENO, NV — On April 2, 2025, Michael McDonald, Acting Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in conjunction with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sent a letter to Nevada Humanities and 55 other state and jurisdictional humanities councils stating that their five-year general operating support grant funding has been terminated effective immediately.
This funding from the NEH is the primary source of operating support for Nevada Humanities. NEH is also being targeted with the aim of terminating more than 600 other grant awards, substantially reducing its staff and eliminating many of the agency’s previously announced grant programs. The termination of Nevada Humanities grant funding will have a disastrous effect on the people of Nevada and, likewise, the loss of NEH funding will affect people in every congressional district across the country.
Founded in 1971, Nevada Humanities is among the oldest humanities councils in the nation, and has provided vital cultural programming and funding support to local nonprofits in Nevada for over 56 years. Nevada Humanities programs reinforce civic participation, community engagement, historic preservation, tourism infrastructure, and economic development, and articulate a deep sense of place essential for cultivating belonging and community cohesion in Nevada.
“Congress established the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1965 knowing that ‘democracy demands wisdom’ and to provide all Americans with equal access to civic engagement, education, scholarship, and rich and meaningful lives imbued with the cultural wealth of our nation. Until yesterday, the NEH provided funding to Nevada Humanities to support humanities programming that reaches every corner of the Silver State—creating a critical web of inspiration and connection for Nevadans. Today, Nevada Humanities is fighting for its survival. The loss of funding from the NEH will not only severely hinder our work, it will also reduce the tremendous amount of economic activity that arts and culture programming brings to the state of Nevada,” says Christina Barr, Executive Director of Nevada Humanities.
Barr continues, “it is a fundamental right for each of us to live lives rich with creativity and cultural heritage. Not only is this loss of funding and support for Nevada Humanities devastating for Nevada, but the loss or severe reduction of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Kennedy Center, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Smithsonian Institution — and all of the thousands of local, grassroots organizations that these agencies inspire and support — amounts to an attack on the very heart of the vibrant cultural fabric of Nevada and our nation. Every American will feel this loss when they try to visit the places that mean the most to our wellbeing. Think of your visit to a library, museum, historic house, national and local parks, theater, art gallery, or school — all of these places receive public support that is currently under threat. It is the duty of our nation to support and foster healthy communities. Public funding for the arts and humanities is key to this effort. This is a heartbreaking loss.”
“Nevada Humanities is the lifeblood of our cultural community — how we know our lives belong in the larger context and understanding what makes us human. The humanities belong to all of us — they engage our minds, promote and sustain our cultures, and connect Nevadans across the state. The elimination of funding from the NEH is equal to a dismantling of the public humanities in Nevada. Our national conversation today needs to be about how we continue and build upon this work — not tearing it down for those who need it most,” says Shaun Griffin, Chair of the Nevada Humanities Board of Trustees.
Nevada Humanities has issued an action alert (www.nevadahumanities.org/advocate) with information about how members of the public can contact their federal and local elected officials and urge them to protect Nevada Humanities and the NEH.
Visit www.nevadahumanities.org to learn more about the work of Nevada Humanities, and visit www.statehumanities.org/about-humanities-councils/ to learn more about the work of all 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils that will be severely curtailed by the decision to terminate NEH grants.
