(Regarding the Kennedy Center fiasco, but also just the Whole Bit Of Insanity at the moment.)

Please read this, from composer Shawn E. Okpebholo

Today has been a tough day for many artists, both in morale and in more tangible ways, as we watch our president do what authoritarian leaders do—this time, dismantling the entire board of the Kennedy Center and having the new board appoint him as chairman. It’s the kind of move straight out of Stalin’s playbook—seizing control of a major cultural institution to use it for propaganda or for his own idea of what art should be (yes, channeling Shostakovich hard right now). Yes, we saw this coming. We warned. We voted.
But there are still things we can do as artists and supporters of the arts:
Artists: Keep creating. Keep performing, composing, writing, acting, painting—whatever your art may be. Keep making work that inspires you and challenges others. Don’t shy away from justice, diversity, or faith just because federal funding might demand ideological conformity. Art has survived worse.
Benefactors: Keep donating—but be intentional. Support private and state-level arts organizations that protect creative freedom rather than stifle it. The government may funnel resources into politically curated projects or use people like Elon to support thier artistic agenda, but real impact comes from those who believe in the arts as a space for diverse voices, not propaganda. Y’all can support individuals and other organizations that are not bound to these ideological demands.
Audiences: Show up. Go to concerts, plays, exhibitions. Your presence matters more than you know. For many of us, simply seeing faces in the audience is a reminder of why we do this.
I’m incredibly thankful and grateful to have received Kennedy Center and NEA support for my work—to tell stories that matter, stories that need to be heard. I hope that continues to be possible. But if it isn’t, I take comfort in knowing that much of my and others like me support comes from everyday generous people who love and believe in the arts.
The arts will persist. They existed before the NEA and the Kennedy Center, and they will continue even if these institutions are reshaped to serve political vanity rather than cultural excellence. But when our most prestigious national institutions are used as tools for control rather than platforms for freedom, diversity, and creativity, it speaks volumes about the state of our country. That’s why we must continue to create, to support, and to show up. Because the arts don’t just reflect culture—they shape it.
Feel free to share.