Trump’s arts cuts save .002 percent. We lose much more in community building

The National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, while based in Washington, D.C., are present in and a very vital part of the local cultural and educational ecosystem in Washington state. Humanities Washington, our state’s National Endowment for the Humanities affiliate, and ArtsWA, its National Endowment for the Arts affiliate, served over 22,000 people in Whatcom county in 2016. These programs were created by people in our state, for people in our state and local communities. Many Bellingham organizations have benefited from this support, including the Firehouse Performance Center, the Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham Community College, the Bellingham Public Library and more.