They’ve Decimated the Arts. What Are We Going to Do About It?

Christine Merser, July 9, 2025

OK, they’ve decimated the arts by cutting funding that the federal government has done for decades.

John F. Kennedy understood the importance of the arts in terms of the cultural foundation of what makes a country great. Oh, you mean it’s not red hats and big gas-guzzling trucks with flags flying off them and horns honking? Nope, it’s not.

I’ve started getting emails already from places like the Cape Cod Council of the Arts and other organizations that I’ve enjoyed and supported over the years. They’re saying they’re in trouble. That their funding is going to be drastically cut, and so then will their ability to survive. Can I help?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this moment. Not just this week, not just this month, but for a while now. I knew it was coming. I’ve felt it like a storm moving in. And I’ve asked myself over and over, what are we supposed to do when the government walks away from the things that give our lives color, culture, and connection?

But here’s the thing. If people like you and me start giving them money, then things will get worse, not better. We are going to need our money. I’m not going to depress you today by diving into all the reasons, but healthcare comes to mind. Food. Safety. Clean water. Survival.

And I can’t help but think about how Mitch McConnell, after stripping something away from the American people, once said, “They’ll get over it.” I think about how Republicans are counting on the fact that some of the slack will be picked up, not by billionaires or hedge fund millionaires, but by people like you and me. People who will feel guilty, who will give more, who will try to keep community centers open and libraries running and children’s music programs afloat. And that really pisses me off. It fills me with the kind of rage I don’t want to have to carry. So our taxes go up, and we have to ante up in the arts as well?!

So what do we do?

We begin right now. Not quietly. Not politely. We begin collectively, collaboratively, and with great force and headlines. We demand that the mass media pick this up. And we stop wasting our time writing letters to Congress, which has proven itself to be an institutional failure.

We start writing letters to corporations and billionaires.

To the people who were just handed savings in the form of tax breaks. To the brands we’ve supported with our money and loyalty for years. We ask them, no, we tell them, to replace the public dollars they’re now pocketing. To fund the organizations our government has now abandoned. To do it publicly, transparently, and urgently.

The people reelected to protect us just saved corporations billions. We all know that wealth isn’t going to trickle down. So I’m no longer going to trickle my dollars up. If Jeff Bezos isn’t going to fund the arts, I’m done with Amazon. If the brands I wear aren’t replacing the dollars they just saved, I’m done with them too.

That might sound bitter. But this is the moment. We must demand that the corporations and billionaires who gained from these tax shifts step up and fund the things we care about. Our theaters. Our arts programs. Our kids’ music classes. Our libraries. All the things that hold the soul of our country together.

Instead, the government is pouring money into what amounts to a domestic gestapo, agencies that will pick people off the street who disagree with the administration. This isn’t about immigration enforcement. This is about silencing dissent and shifting priorities away from culture and expression toward control.

So I’m starting now. I’ll be sending a few letters and emails a day. And I’ll be tagging corporations and individuals who make their money off people like me and asking them to publish where they’re putting the money they just saved.

Let’s make this a national campaign. Let’s grow this.

If you’re not going to hit the streets with a bow and arrow, you can still act. Use your voice. Use your dollar. And above all, use your outrage.

Where am I starting? J.Crew. I’ve spent a lot of money at J.Crew. Their clothes fit comfortably into my Maine lifestyle. But now I’m asking them—what are you doing with the dollars you saved from that tax cut? What are you giving back?

Who’s with me?

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Sample Letters You Can Use

LETTER 1: TO A CORPORATION YOU FREQUENT

Subject: You Got the Tax Break. Now What Are You Giving?

Dear [Company Name or CEO],

I’ve been a loyal customer for years. I’ve supported your brand, spent money in your stores, and recommended you to friends. But with recent federal funding cuts to the arts, the organizations I rely on for joy, inspiration, and connection are now in crisis.

While many of us are bracing for economic uncertainty—loss of healthcare, education programs, and local arts funding—corporations like yours are benefiting from significant tax breaks.

So I’m asking you directly, Where are you redirecting the dollars you saved?

Will you publicly commit to funding the arts and cultural organizations this country has abandoned?

This is not a moment for silence. This is a moment for leadership.

Until I see a public commitment to replacing those lost dollars, I’ll be redirecting my spending to companies that step up.

Sincerely,

Christine Merser

Edgecomb, Maine

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LETTER 2: TO A BILLIONAIRE

Subject: Public Wealth Requires Public Responsibility

Dear [Mr. Bezos, Mr. Musk, etc.],

As federal arts funding disappears, your wealth—and your tax advantage—continues to grow.

We are watching the slow erosion of this country’s soul: its culture, its voices, its creative lifeblood. And we are watching you.

What are you doing with the tax savings you just received? More importantly, what are you willing to say publicly that you are doing?

I want to see you invest in the arts. I want to see you fund community theaters, music programs, public arts councils—the kinds of organizations that once relied on federal support.

Until I see that, I’m done. Done supporting the brands that enrich you. Done believing you’re part of the solution.

Time to lead.

Christine Merser

Edgecomb, Maine

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LETTER 3: TO A LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATION

Subject: Let’s Mobilize—Together

Dear [Organization Name],

I received your message about the devastating cuts to your funding. I’m angry. But I’m not helpless.

Rather than sending a quiet check, I’d like to help organize a public pressure campaign—one that targets the corporations and billionaires who just received massive tax breaks and asks them to fund the very organizations the government has just abandoned.

Would you be open to partnering on a campaign like this? We could send joint letters, publish public asks, and invite your supporters to pressure the private sector with us.

Let’s turn outrage into organized action.

Warmly,

Christine Merser

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Social Media Posts to Share and Use

POST 1: CALLING OUT CORPORATE SILENCE

The federal government slashed arts funding—and corporations got a massive windfall. We want every company who benefited to replace those tax dollars by investing directly in the arts.

Not quietly. Publicly.

Start funding the theaters, museums, and community programs your tax breaks helped gut.

We’re watching. We’re asking. We’re spending accordingly.

#ReplaceTheTaxCut #FundTheArtsNow #PublicWealthPublicGood

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POST 2: TAGGING J.CREW

J.Crew, I’ve loved your clothes for years. But you, like many brands, just got a major tax break—while arts funding across America was cut.

What are you doing with the dollars you saved?

We want a public commitment to fund the arts. If you got the break, you should help fill the gap.

Until then, I’ll shop elsewhere.

#ReplaceTheTaxCut #FundTheArts #JCREWaccountability

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POST 3: CAMPAIGN LAUNCH

We’re launching a national campaign:

Every corporation that got a tax break must replace the lost public dollars by publicly funding the arts.

This isn’t a donation. It’s a moral obligation.

Let’s see the receipts. Let’s tag the brands. Let’s demand action.

Start with the brands you love. Ask them:

Where’s your arts commitment?

#ReplaceTheTaxCut #CorporateArtsPledge #SaveOurCulture