FilmScene loses National Endowment for the Arts grant

Just three days after receiving the Governor’s Arts Award at the State Capitol, Iowa City-based FilmScene received word regarding another source of funding — but there was no rejoicing with this news. An email notified the nonprofit that its grant from the National Endowment for the Arts was terminated. “It’s a big, important piece of the puzzle,” said Andrew Sherburne, FilmScene’s executive director and cofounder, of the funding. Next to the City of Iowa City, the NEA is the nonprofit’s largest single supporter at $30,000, accounting for 1.5% of its annual budget. FilmScene, located in downtown Iowa City at 404 E. College St., is Iowa’s largest nonprofit cinema, with a goal to “challenge, inspire, educate, and entertain our diverse communities through the shared discovery of film.” The grant was responsible for funding several projects, among them Refocus Film Festival, Iowa Disability Film Festival, approximately 30 Community Collaborations screenings, filmmaker visits, FilmScene in the Park, The Picture Show family and children's series, and “other elements of accessible community cinema,” Mr. Sherburne wrote the CBJ in an email. The grant was reimbursable, meaning an arts organization can invoice the NEA after spending the allotted money. “We hope that we can recoup a significant amount of the funds because we've already done dozens of screenings, but we think it unlikely we will receive the full amount,” he wrote. The email notifying FilmScene of the termination stated that its work was no longer “prioritized by the president,” citing the nonprofit’s mission “to support year-round curated film screenings, public engagement activities, and educational programs.” “It’s difficult to say what exactly is ‘not a priority,’” Mr. Sherburne said, questioning if there was something specific in their grant that was flagged or if it was terminated sight unseen. Nationwide, many other arts organizations have received similar missives. NPR published a copy of one such email, which stated, in part, "The NEA is 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." The article continued, stating that President Trump's priorities were "Projects that elevate the Nation's HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities."

NEA facing elimination

On Friday, the president proposed eliminating the NEA altogether, a suggestion Mr. Sherburne called “alarming” and “discouraging.” “It reflects a shift in our value of the arts,” he said, expressing hope that public officials can intervene. “Elected officials have a chance to push back and I hope they do…I hope people will use their voice to advocate for the arts,” he said. FilmScene should be “fine” for the short-term, Mr. Sherburne said, and there’s no plans to change the group's programming. “There’s been a tremendous outpouring of support from the community” since the news, Mr. Sherburne said, and FilmScene has received donations, new memberships and an increase in ticket sales. Thinking of the long-term impact, Mr. Sherburne questioned how the nonprofit will continue to carry out its mission, saying that the effects of the funding loss will feel more substantial in the following year. If cuts to the arts continue, the ramifications could extend beyond the affected organizations, Mr. Sherburne said. The local economy is built around the arts, and from a business standpoint, it has a significant return on investment. For now, he is tentatively expressing hope: “As long as people keep funding the arts, we’ll be OK.”