Here's who would feel the cuts in Alaska if the NEA is axed

Anchorage arts leaders say the Trump administration's proposed end of the National Endowment for the Arts could pose a threat to community outreach programs, opportunities for Alaska Native artists, artistic and technological experimentation, and negatively reverberate through the economy.

Alaska is one of the NEA's biggest beneficiaries. Vermont is the only state that receives more NEA dollars per capita than Alaska, according to NEA census statistics. From 1995 to 2015, Alaska received $18 million in NEA funds.

The elimination of the NEA could be damaging in the long term for the arts in Alaska, according to Benjamin Brown, chairman of the Alaska State Council on the Arts. The council distributes NEA funds to state arts organizations. Organizations can also apply directly to the NEA.

"In a few years what would happen is our grants to local arts agencies would probably cease. Then there wouldn't be a Kodiak Arts Council or a Juneau Arts Council or a Fairbanks Arts Council," Brown said. "And once those local organizations go away the activities that they support would go away as well unless we could backfill the funding. I simply don't see that happening very easily. Some communities could do it better than others."

In Washington, D.C., Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is lobbying for the arts and fighting the current administration's efforts to eliminate the NEA.

"Over the years, I have consistently supported funding for the arts and humanities and have seen the direct benefits of these programs in communities across Alaska," Murkowski said.

"One of many examples is Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson's selection as an expansion site for the NEA's Healing Arts Program, which treats our wounded warriors for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorders. … I believe we can find a way to commit to fiscal responsibility while continuing to support the important benefits that NEA provides."

The NEA provided $705,500 in Partnership Agreement funds to the Alaska State Council on the Arts in the fiscal year 2016, according to an NEA fact sheet. Those funds, combined with state funds, allowed the council to award 198 grants totaling $1,430,592. 

Andrea Noble-Pelant, Executive Director of the Alaska State Council on the Arts, said the vast majority of the Council's grants are a mixture of NEA, state and private foundation funds.

"For every dollar invested in the NEA, seven dollars come back in from private or other public contributions," Noble-Pelant said.

In fiscal year 2016 the NEA also made 14 direct grants totaling $380,500 to Alaska organizations and artists.

The money is widely spread among the state's organizations and most often provides a small percentage of each group's budget. For instance, the Anchorage Concert Association has a yearly budget of about $4.5 million and receives an average of $20,000-$30,000 per year from the NEA, according to Anchorage Concert Association Executive Director Jason Hodges.

Even if it is a small percentage, Hodges said it is still very important in maintaining quality community outreach programs.

Hodges said part of NEA funds secured for this year were used to help bring the Portland Cello Project to town earlier this month.

While here, the group performed for inmates at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center and premiered their album "Songs for Alaska: Spring Breakup" alongside a performance by Anchorage's Momentum Dance Collective.

"That's the kind of stuff the NEA funded this year, this amalgam of (national) and local talent performing for the community," Hodges said.

Noble-Pelant is concerned about the effect the loss might have on a partially NEA-funded program designed for the professional development of Alaska Native artists.

"We would lose the ability to get that information to artists in rural communities and help them advance their careers," said Noble-Pelant. The program includes workshops that teach artists about best business practices, finding appropriate markets for their work, and more methods and advice to help them supplement their income or make a living from their work.

"When you think about artists as small-business people (ending the NEA) is going to hurt the economy," Noble-Pelant said.

Noble-Pelant also noted that if the NEA disappears, so will the NEA National Heritage Fellowships for master folk and traditional artists. These fellowships have been awarded to artists including the late Tlingit weaver and basket maker Teri Rofkar and Tlingit ceremonial regalia maker Clarissa Rizal.

Anchorage's museums may also have to make cutbacks.

Anchorage Museum Executive Director and CEO Julie Decker said the museum has received about $389,000 in NEA funds since 2014.

"One of our major grants was for indigenous artists," Decker said.  If the NEA ceases to exist, "we'd have to let go and scale back many programs the community finds valuable."

She added that another NEA grant for this year is aimed at mixing new technologies with art to creative innovative work. The museum would not be able to do as many experimental projects without the agency's assistance.

Smaller organizations, like The Alaska Design Forum, will also need to make some adjustments if NEA grants cease.

The Alaska Design Forum, which brings architecture and design pros from around the world to deliver lectures, is operating without an NEA grant this year due to changes in grant application deadlines.

"We are somewhat dependent on the NEA for funding. We got a grant last year for our lecture series," said Design Forum board member Evelyn Rousso. "It's not all of our funding or even half of our funding, but it's a significant portion."

If the NEA is eliminated it will be a challenge, but not a death blow for the organization, Rousso said. They may have to host fewer speakers and charge more for events as a result, she said.

"It's hard to know at this point," Rousso said. "We would try and find other sources and rely more on our local sponsors."

The Fairbanks Concert Association will feel the sting if the NEA goes away.

"We benefit from the NEA directly but we also benefit from them indirectly," said Fairbanks Concert Association Executive Director Anne Biberman. In addition to Alaska NEA funds, the Fairbanks Concert Association also depends upon a partially NEA-funded regional organization called Westaf (Western States Arts Foundation.)

Westaf is a regional nonprofit arts services organization that provides resources and grants and  produces conferences where participants can network.

Biberman said Westaf grants the Fairbanks Concert Association about $5,000 a year to offset fees for two touring artists performing at multiple venues while in Alaska.

"They are small grants, but for a small organization like ours, a small grant can make all the difference in the world," Biberman said.

The Anchorage Opera is also connected to a larger NEA-funded organization that provides services and resources, called Opera America.

This year, the Opera used an NEA grant to help produce "Glory Denied," a contemporary opera about a prisoner of war in Vietnam.  The grant and support from the community enabled Anchorage Opera to add an additional free performance for veterans.

"If the possibility of getting an NEA grant goes completely away, yes it will have an effect on us. We would have to cut back and probably produce less," said Anchorage Opera General Director Reed Smith.

Smith is concerned about how the end of the NEA may affect access to the fine arts.

"This will push the fine arts back into an elitist position where only those with significant wealth will be able to attend and support organizations like Anchorage Opera," he said.

Even Alaskans who don't support the NEA or have an interest in the arts could suffer if the agency closes. The economic reverberations could negatively impact businesses, tourism and more.

Noble-Pelant said that when people go downtown or to another area to see an exhibition or a performance they're likely to have a meal at a nearby restaurant, pay for parking and even do some shopping.

"It's all part of what we call the creative economy," Noble-Pelant said.

Hodges, with the Anchorage Concert Association, saw that economic chain reaction in action when John Cleese appeared at Atwood Concert Hall on Thursday, March 16.

"Thursday is an off night for restaurants, but downtown restaurants were packed," he said.  "It's not just (about) funding some artistic endeavor of some organization. It affects an entire ecosystem of businesses and jobs. There is such a multiplier effect."

As for the budget approval timeline, President Trump has until the end of April to convince Congress. If he is unsuccessful, a partial government shutdown could take place.

The new budget will take effect on Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year.