"A gallery in North Portland has found itself of the front lines of the Trump Administration's war on art and history. The National Endowment for the Arts cancelled a previously approved $30,000 grant to Oregon Contemporary in late October for its upcoming 2026 Artists' Biennial exhibition. Scheduled during the 250 th anniversary of the founding of the country, the exhibition that opens on April 1, 2026 intentionally includes perspectives that were suppressed for centuries, including those of Indigenous and Black people."
""We know that our artists are diverse and some of them are focused on political work. I think the arts are under attack very clearly because of their political power," Oregon Contemporary Executive Director Blake Shell told Oregon ArtsWatch. The cancelation followed earlier efforts by the Trump Administration to dismantle the NEA, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the largest federal funder of museums and historical societies. The agencies have been temporarily saved by rulings in a federal lawsuit filed by the Attorneys General in Democrat controlled states, including Oregon, but many of their previously-approved grants are in limbo."
A North Portland gallery faced a canceled National Endowment for the Arts grant of $30,000 for its 2026 Artists' Biennial, slated during the country’s 250th anniversary. The exhibition intentionally centers Indigenous and Black perspectives that were suppressed for centuries. Oregon Contemporary Executive Director Blake Shell said diverse artists produce political work and that the arts face attacks because of political power. The cancellation follows Trump Administration efforts to dismantle the NEA, NEH, and IMLS and an executive order restricting funding for initiatives labeled as promoting "gender ideology," "racial preferences," or "anti-American values." Many previously approved grants remain in limbo despite temporary court rulings.
#national-endowment-for-the-arts #federal-arts-funding #censorship #indigenous-and-black-perspectives
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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