As the NEA shifts its mission under Trump, Colorado arts organizations face an uncertain future

Courtesy of Motus Theater ©Van Lo PhotographyMotus Playback Theater Improv Actors (LtR) Shelsea Ochoa, Victor Galvan, Jim Walker, Alejandro Fuentes Mena, Alexis Miles and Deb Wiztel.

The challenges are different for Boulder-based Motus Theater, whose mission centers on creating original theater to facilitate dialogue on critical issues. The organization specializes in bringing silenced histories to the stage through multimedia performances, with autobiographical monologues that explore U.S. history through the lens of race, class and gender. The group received a $35,000 NEA grant last year to support “Youth Behind & Beyond Bars: Stories from the Juvenile Justice System.” 

“Motus is all about community,” Producing Executive Director Rita Valente-Quinn said. “We believe strongly in the community that we’ve been growing through our projects … So my hope is that folks will show up to support the work if we don’t receive these funds through the NEA.”

Christian Solano-Cordova, Motus Theater’s Director of Communications, Outreach and Development also looks to Coloradans. 

“We’re not waiting on federal decisions to determine our future because these stories that Motus shares, they come with, or they focus on, healing and justice. And the need for these stories is too great. So Motus is going to find a way forward,” said Solano-Cordova. “And I hope Coloradans will take a look at our programming and if they’re familiar with it, they’ll support Motus because ultimately we need this work to continue whether the NEA funds our work or not.”

Another NEA grantee, Su Teatro, has evolved from its roots as a student-organized theater group during the Chicano Civil Rights Movement of the early 1970s into a comprehensive cultural arts center in Denver.

For nearly 50 years, the organization has built a national reputation for homegrown productions that speak to the history and experience of Chicanos. Su Teatro, which received a $15,000 NEA grant to present “Yankee Bajan” by Linda Parris Bailey, produces a full season of theater alongside the XicanIndie FilmFest, Chicano Music Festival and educational programming through its Cultural Arts Education Institute.

(Photo: Courtesy of Su Teatro)Su Teatro artistic director Tony Garcia

Executive Artistic Director Tony Garcia has been reflecting on the NEA’s new push for arts groups to focus on America 250 programming, in particular. 

“It’s such a weird twist to have us now defending the structure of this country when we work so hard to append it and to restructure it,” he said.

“Su Teatro has always come from a standpoint of cultural identity… It’s really about going deeper into what our cultural heritage is, which is an American heritage. So I think we would be open to that debate… to challenge to say this event, this activity is about patriotism, is about the sacrifices that our community has made, our people have made for this country,” Garcia said. 

The NEA has clarified that while America 250 projects are encouraged, they are not required for funding. Organizations predominantly serving specific communities can still apply for grants, though they must comply with new federal guidelines regarding DEI activities.

“We will continue to fund excellent arts projects of all kinds,” Huffman said during the webinar. “America 250 is not the only area of interest that we encourage.”

That hasn’t stopped artists nationwide from speaking out against the NEA changes. Hundreds signed a letter calling them a ‘betrayal’ of the Endowment’s mission.

For Colorado arts organizations, the situation highlights the ongoing tension between maintaining artistic independence and adapting to shifting federal priorities. In their responses, arts leaders are walking a line between remaining committed to their core values, while also pragmatically exploring ways to potentially qualify for funding that lets them continue serving their communities under evolving circumstances.

“Our community has always supported us, has built every step of what we’ve achieved,” Garcia said. “And we have never looked at our organization or the work that we’re doing as trying to crash some kind of mainstream bubble.”

The next round of NEA grant applications is due March 11, with another deadline on July 10, 2025. Organizations previously applying to Challenge America must now submit through the consolidated Grants for Arts Projects program.

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Publish date : 2025-02-20 22:00:00

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