America’s social organisations are failing. They previously had a reputation for being creative and beautiful, but they have since evolved into vehement intellectual rivalries, placing politics before artwork and alienating the very people they are supposed to influence. Offers and awards are distributed based on commitment to socially popular frameworks rather than on merit. When artists deviate from these standards, their entire careers are derailed, and viewers are left with a social landscape that feels uninspired rather than dull.
The incoming Trump administration may appoint officials who value quality and can restore these establishments as guardians of America’s cultural tradition.
The Biden Administration’s Mistakes
Through their funding and programming decisions, organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts ( NEA ), the National Endowment for the Humanities ( NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services ( IMLS), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ( CPB) enforce these contradictory trends. The NEA, for instance, recently spent more than$ 12 million on grants tied to “equity”, sidelining any need for artistic achievements. The IMLS has also spent millions embedding variety, capital, convenience, and inclusion into regional museum standards, shifting social institutions into tools for democratic activism. When the Biden administration replaced directors who had steadfast beliefs about charm with officials who shared its ideological goals, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts underwent a transformation.
For artists who opposition, the consequences can be sharp and serious. For refusing to participate in theatrical political movements during the summertime of 2020, Lincoln Jones, the American Contemporary Ballet’s leader, was subject to specialized ostracism. After adopting a ethical stance against vaccine mandates, Clifton Duncan, a well-known Broadway actor, saw his profession end. These are not isolated instances. They are a sign of an arts habitat that prioritizes compliance over creativity and ideology over superiority.
New Leadership
Leaders like Justin Shubow, Mark Bauerlein, and Alaine Arnott exemplify a better perspective and would realign national arts funding and development to promote beauty, creativity, intellectual rigor, and artistic merit. Shubow, former president of the U. S. Commission of Fine Arts, is one of the country’s leading tones for beauty and history in public places. He has argued that people buildings shape our shared aspirations and our cities as well as its ability to unite Americans as president of the National Civic Art Society. Endorsed by prominent figures such as Victor Davis Hanson and Rusty Reno, Shubow’s management, grounded in amazing principles, demonstrates why he is the right alternative to readjust the National with its primary mission.
Former NEA official and long-term Emory University English professor Mark Bauerlein would bring depth of knowledge and proven resolve to the NEH. appointed by the governor of Florida Ron DeSantis has fought to end ideological conformity and restore intellectual rigor as trustee of New College of Florida. In his New York Times essay” What’s the Point of a Professor”? A return to the source of truth and excellence in education is argued by Bauerlein. These qualities make him the ideal leader for restoring the NEH’s commitment to preserving America’s cultural and intellectual heritage.
The National Liberty Museum’s President and CEO, Alaine Arnott, provides a crucial perspective on the field. She has demonstrated how thoughtful reform can preserve institutional integrity while rejecting political activism with more than 20 years of leadership experience. In Philanthropy Roundtable, Arnott argued for the value of intellectual diversity and liberty in museums, a goal that allows her to restore these institutions as places of inspiration and education.
Reform must also extend to other federal cultural institutions, such as the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, and Library of Congress. These organizations have a significant impact on the nation’s cultural memory. Their leadership must ensure they inspire the public, preserve our national heritage, and elevate standards of beauty and excellence.
The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. America250, the national celebration for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, should reflect the unmatched greatness of our nation. Yet under its current management, it risks becoming a forgettable corporate exercise, complete with lukewarm diversity boards, platitude-filled hashtags, and uninspired nods to “unsung heroes”. This cannot adequately express the nation’s spirit, which established the most remarkable republic in history, tempered its frontiers, and put a man on the moon. What is possible when artists are given the freedom to create works with real meaning and lasting beauty is Sabin Howard’s extraordinary World War I memorial statue. America250 must be a celebration that exalts us in such amazement, honors the extraordinary legacy we share, and inspires admiration for American history and culture.
What Art Does
The arts, at their best, embody the ideals of a society. They reflect the aspirations of a people, the struggles they have overcome, and the beauty they have created.
How we perceive our nation as a whole is influenced by our cultural institutions. They influence how our history is told, how our achievements are celebrated, and how our values are passed on to future generations. When these institutions are ensnared by narrow political objectives, damage extends far beyond the arts. It weakens the bonds that keep us together as a people and weakens our shared identity.
Federal reform would change current patterns, as well as lead to a new model of public arts patronage, which would be different from the ideological frameworks that currently rule the art world. Artists and institutions who are free of political agendas could concentrate on producing lasting, enduring works that inspire and uplift people. Public support could foster a renewed arts ecosystem grounded in excellence and meaningful achievement by restructuring grants and fellowships to reward merit and creativity.
America will start starting constructing monuments to our great heroes and heroines once more, according to President Donald Trump’s recent statement. With leaders like Shubow, Bauerlein, and Arnott, we can do more than build monuments — we can restore the arts to their rightful place as a source of pride, unity, and inspiration for generations to come. America’s cultural renaissance is within reach. Now is the right time to take action.  ,
Fisher Derderian is the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation’s executive director and Orange County, California’s arts commissioner for his city.
