Copyright The New York Times
In the years since the pandemic, American museums have been working hard to restore their attendance and financial health. But a new survey of museum directors reveals that the glimmer of progress is reversing, in part due to targeted executive orders and federal cutbacks for the arts. One-third of American museums have lost government grants or contracts since President Trump took office, according to the survey released Tuesday by the American Alliance of Museums, which represents 35,000 museums and museum professionals across the country. The losses have forced museums to make difficult choices, including deferring construction projects, reducing or canceling programming and laying off employees. The alliance sent its survey to 6,712 museum directors by email over the summer. Although the sample size is relatively small — 511 museum directors responded, or about eight percent — the report paints the clearest picture yet of the widespread impact of grant cancellations from federal organizations, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (I.M.L.S.), the National Endowment for the Humanities (N.E.H.), and the National Endowment for the Arts (N.E.A.).
