We Need You - Arts Funding Is At Risk!

Dear VSC Supporters,

In the late evening of May 2, 2025, Virginia
Stage Company received word that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) was withdrawing a $15,000 grant that had been awarded to us to support performances of the mental health-focused play, Every Brilliant Thing, for high school audiences. The NEA’s email explained that our program does not align with new funding priorities, intended to “reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President.” Arts organizations across the country woke up to similar emails, finding that funding for their performing and visual arts projects had been abruptly canceled, including programs currently underway.

The greatest concern for VSC, and for arts organizations nationwide, is what will happen if this essential independent
agency of the federal government loses funding altogether. The current 2026 Discretionary Budget calls for the elimination of the NEA.

Losing the NEA would be devastating to the arts in the United States as we know it. Founded in 1965 by a bipartisan act of congress, the NEA is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing the arts and arts education to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. In addition to smaller project grants from the NEA, organizations like VSC depend upon support from our cities and states whose capacity for arts funding is directly tied to federal support from the NEA.

This is a critical moment for the arts. More than ever, VSC needs your support to ensure that we can continue to tell stories that inspire, challenge, and reflect the experiences of this community.