When we invest in arts and culture, we protect small businesses, tourism dollars, education pipelines, community pride, and Oklahoma’s unique story. We protect the people and places that make Oklahoma somewhere worth living — and visiting. No other investment benefits as many priority areas for our state as arts and culture.

Suddenly, these investments are at risk. Federal funding for the arts, humanities, museums, libraries, and more is disappearing. These represent the essence of who we are — our identity and heritage, our creative endeavors and history — and they could vanish in parts of our state if we don’t act swiftly. The consequences on quality of life, education, and economic growth in our communities will be severe.

Funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has been eliminated, and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) — which just canceled hundreds of grants for nonprofit organizations nationwide — could be next, based on the president’s federal budget proposal. Cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the National Park Service (NPS) are also looming.

More: Oklahoma arts organizations have NEA grants canceled just months after they were announced

Oklahoma stands to lose:

• $4.4 million from IMLS, threatening museums, libraries, and cultural organizations across the state
• $1 million from the NEH, undermining programs that promote history, critical thinking, and lifelong learning
• $1.1 million from the NEA, funds that fuel arts education, small-town theaters, public art, and cultural access in every corner of Oklahoma
• Support for historic preservation through the NPS, including critical efforts to prepare for Route 66’s 100th anniversary — a major economic and tourism opportunity for rural Oklahoma

The impact is not abstract — it’s direct and devastating. Here’s what these cuts would mean on the ground:

• $2.5 million in IMLS formula funding to the Oklahoma Department of Libraries would disappear — ending access to statewide research databases (used over 90 million times), summer reading programs, professional development for library workers, failing technology replacements, and shared e-book collections that serve small and rural libraries.
• $659,000 in direct grants to three Oklahoma museums — including the Philbrook Museum, and Citizen Potawatomi Nation — would be lost, halting efforts to digitize and preserve priceless cultural collections.
• $1.2 million in direct support for core library services in 13 tribal nations — including the Choctaw, Osage, Modoc, and Kiowa tribes — has already begun to vanish, following confirmation that one key grant was terminated.
• NEH funding to support thousands of Oklahoma students across 40 counties who participate in the National History Day competition every year — researching, writing, and presenting stories from our past. An opportunity lost.

This is not just an arts issue. It’s a broad, compounding threat to Oklahoma’s identity, economy, and future.

Museums that teach our children. Libraries that anchor small towns. Historic sites that drive tourism. Arts education programs that fuel creativity and workforce skills. All are now at risk.

Fortunately, Oklahoma has proven we can rise to the moment. In 2023, state lawmakers made a visionary $10 million investment through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to Recharge the Arts. That funding kept doors open, preserved jobs, and demonstrated that strategic investment in arts and culture delivers real results for communities statewide.

Now we must go further. We urge Oklahoma’s leaders to safeguard and protect funding for the Oklahoma Arts Council — and for the broader cultural infrastructure that strengthens our state.

The Oklahoma Arts Council’s funding is a rounding error in the state budget — less than one dollar per resident — but it drives massive returns: $50 million in local economic impact annually, 80% of funds flowing directly to communities, and measurable gains in education, tourism, and quality of life.

We call on Oklahoma’s lawmakers to act with courage and vision.

Preserve our states history. Safeguard our cultural heritage. Protect the future prosperity of Oklahoma.

This op-ed is written by Kym Koch, board chair of Oklahomans for the Arts, with support from Tulsa Arts Alliance, Allied Arts, Oklahoma Museums Association, Oklahoma Historical Society and on behalf of Oklahoma Arts Council.