By Tom McClimon
July 13, 2009

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $15 million increase on June 26 for both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for FY 2010. Currently funded at $155 million each, this increase would bring both agencies’ budgets to $170 million.

Due to the leadership of House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks and Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chair Louise Slaughter, this House-approved funding increase for the NEA exceeds President Obama’s budget request by $8.7 million. It is the highest proposed appropriation for the NEA since its $176 million peak in FY 1992.

The action now turns to the Senate where legislation proposed in the Senate Appropriations Committee sets the NEA and NEH funding at only $161.3 million each.

The National Endowment for the Arts announced on July 7 direct grants to 631 nonprofit arts groups totaling $29.7 million as part of the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These grants are in addition to the 63 state and regional sub-grants previously awarded in April, totaling $19.8 million. Both of these funds are part of a $50 million federal stimulus package allocated by the NEA in support of job recovery programs for nonprofit and local and state public arts agencies. The list of grants can be accessed at NEA’s website: nea.gov/grants.