Action Alerts and Updates
Emergency Action
May 7, 2025:
The creative sector is under genuine, nearly unparalleled threat. President Trump’s proposed budget would entirely eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
These aren’t abstract cuts; they are direct hits to Iowa’s schools, festivals, museums, theaters, libraries, and local economies.
At Iowa Cultural Coalition, we’re fighting back. We’re actively seeking meetings with Iowa’s congressional delegation to demand continued federal investment in our communities, but we need your voice alongside ours.
If you or your organization are looking for meaningful action right now, here are practical, doable examples of how you can help:
ACTION 1. Sign on to our letter to Congress.
Fill our this short form
We’ll hand-deliver this message the week of May 19 in meetings with our elected officials. If you can sign on behalf of an Iowa organization, fill out the short form above. The more voices and regions represented, the harder we’ll be to ignore.
ACTION 2: Contact your members of Congress.
Find talking points and resources here.
Tell them how federal funding has shaped your work or your community. Ask them to fully fund the NEA, NEH, and IMLS. This is a great time to activate your board members, artists, and program participants to speak up too.
ACTION 3: Share your story nationally.
Fill out the impact survey here.
Our partners at Americans for the Arts are collecting stories that make these threats real to lawmakers. Did federal funding support a mural, a youth performance, a rural arts residency? You can also share your story to American for the Arts.
Federal Advocacy
Arts advocates need to take action now to demand that Congress restore approved federal funding and safeguard critical investments in Iowa arts organizations, libraries, museums, and humanities organizations.
Follow this step-by-step process to advocate for public investment in the arts in your community and within the state of Iowa.
WANT MORE INFORMATION TO COMMUNICATE IMPACT?
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Click here to look up the amount of State Investment in the arts, culture and history projects in your district. Include this figure in your letter or email.
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Click here to browse ICC’s Resource Page to get more information to share.
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Click here to go to the Create In Iowa Report, with a comprehensive look at the power and value of the creative economy.
