Latest news with #TrulyMatthews
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Federal cuts hit Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art as lost grant sparks lasting worries
Federal funding cuts to arts and humanities institutions are hitting home in Hampton Roads. A federal grant awarded to the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art last year to fund a two-year educational project for Virginia Beach public school students was unexpectedly terminated in April, only months away from the project's conclusion. Museum Deputy Director Truly Matthews said the money was already spent and now MOCA will end its fiscal year $32,399 in debt. The termination was a direct result of a presidential executive order, and if the White House continues to slash arts funding, the MOCA may not be the last Hampton Roads institution to feel the sting. 'There are many museums in Virginia, many museums across the nation, whose grants have been terminated — hundreds of thousands of dollars,' Matthews said. 'So, we're chump change compared to how this affects other organizations.' In 2023, the MOCA embarked on a two-year, peer-to-peer learning project, Nature's Witness, with three fourth-grade classrooms at An Achievable Dream Academy at Seatack Elementary in Virginia Beach, located in one of the oldest historic Black neighborhoods in the nation. The program took elementary students out of the classroom, on field trips into nature, and had them work with their teachers, museum staff, two artists and high school students from the school district's environmental studies program to create a series of nature journals. The students observed the natural world, took field notes and made drawings for their books. The museum contracted filmmakers to document the children's work and their growing self esteem and knowledge of the environment. Nature's Witness culminated in their creation of a statue built from materials found in nature that presently is displayed on the museum's front lawn, close to its main doors. The MOCA had received a grant in August from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services to help fund the project. Based on the terms, the museum was to be reimbursed a predetermined sum — in this case, $32,399 — for the cost of the project upon its completion. The grant defined its completion date as August this year. On March 14, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating IMLS eliminate all non-statutorily required activities and functions. In April, MOCA received two written notices that its grant had been terminated. The second notice, dated April 28, said: 'Upon further review, IMLS has determined that your grant is unfortunately no longer consistent with the agency's priorities and no longer serves the interest of the United States and the IMLS Program. IMLS is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President's agenda.' The news comes amid the museum's big move. The MOCA is scheduled to relocate from its longtime home at 2200 Parks Ave. near the Virginia Beach Convention Center to a new custom facility at the Virginia Wesleyan University campus by early 2026. Matthews said she and other museum administrators do not expect the recent grant loss to affect the move or result in staff layoffs. However, the future of some planned exhibits could be affected due to the budget shortfall. The museum announced its loss of the grant over the weekend via social media hoping to garner financial support and raise awareness about the larger issue. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is not the only arts funding source targeted by the administration. The National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities have also been hit with executive orders limiting their ability to distribute grants. And all three agencies have helped fund major art institutions in Hampton Roads, such as the Chrysler Museum of Art. Erik Neil, director and president at the Chrysler, in an interview expressed concern about decreased federal funding, noting such cuts won't ever cause the museum to close its doors but said they could affect programming. As will arts and related organizations, Neil said he suspects other industries will also have to retool and find new resources to replace federal dollars. Colin Warren-Hicks, 919-818-8139,
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Virginia MOCA loses federal education grant
VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) — A local museum is worried about its future after it lost nearly $33,000 in federal funds, which says could have impacts from the top down. This all comes after they received a grant termination letter April 28. The letter from the , or IMLS, says the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art's grant is no longer consistent with the agency's priorities, and that the IMLS is repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of President Trump's agenda. 'It's not just about Virginia Beach MOCA and its $33,000, there's greater uncertainty here,' said Truly Matthews, deputy director and director of education and engagement for the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art lost the federally-awarded grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for an education program that has already been completed, leaving the museum with a $32,399 funding gap. Previously: Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art moving to campus of Virginia Wesleyan The terminated grant supported Nature's Witness, a project that began in 2023 and was a two-year educational partnership with Seatack Elementary and the Environmental Studies Program with Virginia Beach City Public Schools. The program connected elementary and high school students through environmental exploration, mentorship and collaborative artmaking, guided throughout by professional teaching artists. The resulting student-created sculpture is now installed outside the museum. 'Over the course of these two years, MOCA staff along with teaching artists, visited these students in their classrooms,' Matthews said. 'One reason for sharing this with the public is because of how well received this project was.' Although the grant was legally awarded last August and spent in full compliance with federal guidelines, the museum was notified April 28 that it had been retroactively terminated following a shift in federal priorities and a new executive order affecting IMLS operations. Now, Matthews is faced with the harsh reality that the program won't be returning. Residents said it puts everyone at a disadvantage. 'Students like me who are trying to learn things, if it doesn't have funding, it won't exist,' resident Kjirsten Flanders said. Said resident Josea Ransburg: 'So many programs that are being cut with school education, museums, just anything that's of an educational purpose, these kids are gonna miss out on a whole lot.' Museum staff now wonder about the reliability of funding from other national agencies, as the and the N have come under increasing threat. 'They are a reliable source of funding for museums and libraries, and the recent executive orders calling for the disbanding of the IMLS as we know it, it's shocking.' Museum staff says they plan to reprioritize their budget in the coming weeks. If you'd like to donate, you can find information on how to do so, by clicking . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
