OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Governor Jim Pillen's budget proposal would cut $15 million in arts funding, potentially eliminating programs in schools and small communities.
- Governor Jim Pillen's 2026 budget proposal would eliminate the state's share of the endowment to help close a $471 million budget gap.
- The endowment currently has about $20 million from donors and $15 million from the state.
- Pillen's plan would claw back that $15 million from the endowment fund and instead send $600,000 in state money to the arts each year.
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A mural on 33rd and Q Street in South Omaha tells the story of Lithuanian immigrants who settled in the neighborhood. It's part of a larger mural project funded by the Nebraska Arts Council, but potential state budget cuts could prevent future projects like this from happening.
The cuts wouldn't just impact physical art. Programs that engage students through spoken word and slam poetry could also face reductions.
"I love the fact that we're able to engage students with literacy because it's a different way of accessing it," said Zedeka Pointdexter, executive director of the Nebraska Writer's Collective.
The organization creates community and connection through spoken word programs. Two of its programs receive funding through Nebraska's Cultural Preservation Endowment, a donor-supported fund that sends money to the Nebraska Arts Council and Humanities Nebraska. Those agencies then award grants to community groups.
Governor Jim Pillen's 2026 budget proposal would eliminate the state's share of the endowment to help close a $471 million budget gap.
"Cutting off funding to the arts doesn't just mean that we're not in those spaces. It means that you're taking money away from the artists who are working in our schools for programs that can't necessarily afford the arts," Pointdexter said.
The endowment currently has about $20 million from donors and $15 million from the state. Pillen's plan would claw back that $15 million from the endowment fund and instead send $600,000 in state money to the arts each year.
Maggie Smith, executive director of the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, said the plan breaks a promise.
"So if these funds are swept away, we do not have that guaranteed on average, half a million dollars every year that we can disperse. We can still disperse from our private funds, but it's essentially cutting in half what we're able to provide to the state of Nebraska's arts and culture sector," Smith said.
Art advocates worry the deepest impact will be felt in small communities without major philanthropic support.
"Having to cut back even one school out of that program is a huge adjustment, especially in this time where literacy is such a huge focus for school districts across the state," Pointdexter said.
On Wednesday, hundreds of artists, educators and activists will gather in Lincoln for Arts and Culture Day, an opportunity to meet with state leaders to share why they believe these funds make a difference.
