Like many of our fellow organizations and institutions who are dedicated to providing invaluable opportunities for artists and the arts alike, on Friday, May 2 Art Omi received notice that the offer of a federal award administered by the National Endowment for the Arts was being rescinded.

While being notified of this four months into a fiscal year is disappointing and disruptive, Art Omi is determined to continue fulfilling its mission of fostering acceptance and respect, inspiring innovation, and igniting positive change by providing meaningful opportunities for a diverse array of creative voices through our arts programming.

Regrettably, in order to ensure we have the necessary resources to realize our mission-based programming, we now have to reallocate funds that were earmarked for local businesses who provide ancillary services to Art Omi. We apologize to these businesses—this is not a decision taken lightly, but our first duty is to the core of our mission.

Of great concern to us is that the current federal FY26 spending proposal calls for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). 

The arts transform education through multisensory engagement, unite communities through cultural storytelling, and drive economic growth—delivering proven, measurable impact across learning, culture, and commerce.

The need to defend artistic expression and inclusion in our country remains as crucial as ever.

We must take action together. Join us in advocating for the arts and supporting our arts institutions:

• Urge your Members of Congress to protect legally awarded funding
• Connect with your elected officials by phone, email, and post using the Americans for the Arts Protect the NEA Action Toolkit 
• Amplify the call to protect the NEA with the Americans for the Arts Social Media Toolkit
• Share your story about how the arts have enriched your life with Americans for the Arts to fuel their advocacy efforts
• Complete the National Pulse Survey before Friday, May 16 if you are an arts or culture organization directly impacted by these cuts to help Americans for the Arts quantify the harm done

Sincerely,

Ruth Adams
Co-Executive Director
Art Omi

Jeremy Adams
Co-Executive Director
Art Omi