Ashley Hawkins was under no illusion that future National Endowment For the Arts funding would continue under the Trump administration. After all, the proposed Y2026 budget of the new regime would abolish the NEA.
But the executive director of Studio Two Three didn’t count on losing money that had already been tentatively awarded by the federal arts funding agency under the Joe Biden administration.
“We are definitely in a scrambling mode,” says Hawkins about the loss of a $30,000 NEA grant meant to fund artist residency spaces at the studio, one of hundreds of grants denied to arts groups across the country under Trump. “We were told we could file an appeal within seven days but we don’t have a lot of hope that it will result in anything.”
Kate Fowler, the studio’s director of community partnerships and development, relayed on Instagram that she was “absolutely furious. A grant we spent hours (days?) writing, submitted on time, were selected and approved for by a group of our national peers and received our acceptance letter for, was randomly revoked today. It is WILD that this administration is retroactively pulling funding.”
And it’s only the latest blow to the nonprofit Manchester arts center and studio that offers classes, workshops and much-needed studios to the public and local artists.
“In 110 days, we have lost $230,000 in grant funds,” says Hawkins. In February, the studio was denied another already-awarded $200,000 federal grant to fund energy efficiency improvements on its aged building. “Our operating budget is around $650-700,000 and so that amount of money disappearing into the ether is significant. It’s 36% of our budget.”
What to do? Throw a party, of course.
Hawkins says that a “Dance Party For The End of the World” is planned for Saturday, May 24, a Y2K-styled event with proceeds offsetting the grant loss. This isn’t as frivolous as it sounds. The studio threw a successful “Sad Prom” in March that raised more than $22,000 to help replace its dying HVAC system, a key plank in its energy efficiency plan.
But some supporters aren’t waiting for the party.
“When we posted on Instagram that we lost the NEA grant,” Hawkins says, “people started sharing and making donations, and close to 50 people have contributed $2,300 in small amounts. It’s really touching.”
Dance Party For The End of the World at Studio Two Three on May 24. studiotwothree.org. Tickets: $25 and up. To donate to Studio Two Three, go here.
