Kansas Senate proposes $1 million cut to arts funding, and arts advocates are asking for help
The future of the Kansas Arts Commission is in doubt as Kansas legislators negotiate over the state budget.
Alex Freund, a Wichita artist, writer and designer, is speaking out after the Kansas State Senate approved a bill on March 18 that cuts $1 million from the Kansas Arts Commission budget. Arts advocates say the cut would effectively dismantle the KAC and make the state ineligible for future federal arts funding, typically an additional $1 million per year.
“As a newer artist trying to get involved with the local scene,” Freund said, “having this sort of potential hit to that community is anxiety-inducing.”
In a blog post, Freund lays out the details: Kansas already ranks 47th in state arts funding per capita. A cut like this could be devastating to artists, arts organizations, galleries, and other arts-based businesses, he wrote.
Issuing a plea on his blog, Freund asked others to join him in standing up for the state's arts community.
“Share this post, spread the word, and encourage others to take action,” he wrote on the blog. “Because every voice counts, and every piece of art created in resistance is a testament to the importance of creative freedom.”
He’s not the only one sounding the alarm. Harvester Arts, a Wichita-based arts advocacy group, emailed its supporters, saying many of the same things. Kristin Beal, co-founder and executive director of Harvester Arts, asked that people contact their state lawmakers.
“We need your help to urge legislators to reinstate KAC funding,” she said in her email.
The state arts commission offers support to many projects in the state. For the 2024-25 fiscal year, it gave out over $1.2 million in grants to recipients in 42 Kansas counties; Sedgwick County received $252,000. A cut of $1 million to its budget would effectively dismantle the commission, advocates like Beal say.
Is there still time to call?
In Kansas, the state budget process begins with the governor presenting a recommended budget to the House and Senate in January. From there, the House and Senate each craft their own budgets in their respective budget committees.
The House and the Senate will need to reconcile the differences in their two budgets in the next few weeks. The Senate’s budget bill includes the $1 million cut, while the House version recommends leaving the KAC’s budget unchanged.
Sarah Vanlanduyt is the president of the Kansas Arts Network, the only statewide arts advocacy group in Kansas. She said now is the time to call representatives and share why you want funding for the KAC.
“Tell them what arts project you have enjoyed, tell them why you want more art in Kansas, tell them that you don’t want it to go away,” Vanlanduyt said.
Supporters of the arts commission budget cut
J.R. Claeys, a state senator from Salina and vice chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, helped push for the arts funding cut. He told the community news blog Salina311 why: “Taxpayers deserve accountability for every dollar spent in state government. No one gets a free pass with taxpayer money just because they scream the loudest.”
Kansas Republicans have sought cuts across the board. In January, GOP leaders asked state agencies what they would eliminate if their budgets were reduced by 7.5%. Many Republican lawmakers say cutting back can make the state government more efficient.
"We've been able to see some areas where we really have a lot of work to do. And we also think there's areas where maybe money is not being spent appropriately," House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, told The Topeka Capital-Journal in January.
What does the Kansas Arts Commission do?
Kansas Arts Commission’s main mission is to improve access and resources for artists and art organizations in Kansas. This is done through grants that fund cultural projects, programs, public murals, exhibitions, art series and arts education.
KAC hires contractors to promote their grants across the state. These contract workers, who are usually artists familiar with the local arts scene in Kansas, were the first to come under scrutiny, said Melissa Long, an artist in Wichita and a member of KAN.
“If these contract workers are lost, many rural artists will lose an advocate to help them get grant money,” she said.
The commission also runs several initiatives such as the Governor’s Arts Awards and the Poet Laureate program, and sponsors touring artists to promote and celebrate artists around the state. It provides arts education resources and promotes diversity in Kansas art.
The arts are a $4.6 billion industry, making up 2.2% of Kansas' economy, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The sector employs 42,000 people statewide. Wichita’s nonprofit arts industry alone generates $32.3 million in local, state and federal tax revenue, and supports about 2,900 jobs. KAC’s goal is to make sure this economic sector continues to grow and flourish in the state.
And it does it with a relatively small budget. The state of Kansas currently spends 38 cents per resident on the arts when the average spent across the United States is $2.31. Only three states spend less.
Losing state money means losing federal money
The KAC receives part of its budget from the National Endowment for the Arts. However, the NEA requires states to match federal funding for arts programs.
In 2011, Governor Sam Brownback's administration eliminated the KAC — it would later be reinstated a year later. As a result, Kansas arts programs lost approximately $778,200 in federal NEA funding in 2012.
The NEA has given over $7.5 million to Kansas over the past five years. This proposed budget cut from the Senate bill would jeopardize future federal funding, usually worth another $1 million to $1.5 million a year.
“The more lawmakers hear from people who have been affected by the arts,” Vanlanduyt said, “that makes a difference.”
Trace Salzbrenner is a freelance journalist born and raised in the Midwest. He got his start writing for small newspapers and radio stations as a student at Kansas State. He’s written for the Wichita Beacon, Kansas Leadership Center’s The Journal, the Harper Advocate, and the Kingman Leader-Courier, among others. Now based in Boston, Trace writes stories focused on LGBTQ issues, government, and inequity.
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