Chicago’s former cultural commissioner, who now runs the nation’s main arts advocacy group, says she stays “unusually optimistic” whilst President Donald Trump’s administration strikes to zero out the funds for the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts, claw again grants from cultural organizations throughout the nation and commandeer programming on the Kennedy Heart.
Erin Harkey was tapped to steer Individuals for the Arts simply weeks into Trump’s second time period. Now, she’s been catapulted into the middle of a nationwide dialog as she leads the trouble to withstand the administration’s assaults on the sector.
The nationwide advocacy place is one Harkey says she has wished her whole skilled profession, even when she couldn’t have foreseen it coming at this turbulent second.
Harkey minimize her tooth as an arts administrator in California, then rose within the ranks at Chicago’s Division of Cultural Affairs and Particular Occasions, finally being appointed commissioner by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. She was ousted from the gig by Mayor Brandon Johnson in early 2024, who later appointed Clinée Hedspeth to the position.
Harkey, who not too long ago gave the keynote deal with at a convention of Chicago arts leaders, spoke to WBEZ arts reporter Courtney Kueppers about how she’s advocating for the humanities with Congress and what position Chicago can play on this unsure second. This interview was evenly edited for size and readability.
What’s your purpose on this place, as you get settled in?
Individuals for the Arts (AFTA) is definitely one of many leaders within the arts advocacy area on this nation and is exclusive in the truth that it isn’t discipline- or geographic-specific. So, we’re in a position to join on a number of ranges to a number of completely different individuals which can be advocating for various issues which have an effect on the humanities group.
I believe my purpose is basically to assist convey AFTA into the second and to have us emerge as an actual collaborator and thought companion within the area. We like to speak about how our work regionally helps to tell federal and nationwide coverage, and that’s what I’m keen on strengthening, is that community of advocacy assist within the nation.
How hopeful are you that Congress will embrace funding within the 2026 funds for the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts and Nationwide Endowment for the Humanities after Trump proposed eliminating these funds?
I’m very hopeful. That’s what we’re engaged on. We’re engaged on ensuring that in fiscal 12 months 2026, that full funding to those federal businesses is restored. You already know, it’s a tough time, however I do know that we’ve a whole lot of assist for the humanities. And I’m optimistic that that assist, that bipartisan assist that has actually protected and in some methods uplifted the humanities in powerful moments, I believe will nonetheless be there.
Individuals perceive that that is necessary. And other people, I believe, acknowledge that it’s a difficult and completely different time, however I believe of us’ perception that these establishments are necessary, and other people see the impression that these NEA, NEH and [Institute of Museum and Library Services] grants have on their direct constituents. I believe that assist remains to be there, and I believe it’s our job as advocates to make sure that it’s nonetheless there.
Because the Trump administration takes intention at federal arts funding, Harkey instructed WBEZ that state and native management is “extremely necessary… Particularly in Chicago, the place arts and tradition are so deeply tied to the well being and vitality of town.”
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Chicago Solar-Instances
You led Chicago’s arts sector by means of the disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic. What did you study then that you’re making use of to this position and this second?
I believe the ability of group and your skill to convey of us collectively, to get inventive and to seek out options. The best way the inventive group — and it wasn’t simply me, proper? It was me and many different those that have been rolling up their sleeves to ensure that of us had what they wanted or to seek out the sources that we would have liked to outlive. So, there’s that.
I additionally suppose there’s one thing to remaining nimble and responsive, since you actually need to be listening, proper? You need to be listening to what the wants are so as to have the ability to design the response that’s going to deal with the necessity. And should you’re not in some dialog, you then’re going to overlook each the necessity and the chance. So, I believe that was an necessary a part of it for me too.
Public assist for the humanities is extremely necessary, and it has a singular skill to get into elements of the ecosystem that non-public philanthropy can’t attain. The {dollars} are extra nimble in that approach.
What position do you suppose town of Chicago, a blue metropolis, has to play on this second by way of setting an instance for supporting the humanities and artists?
Properly, as federal assist for the humanities turns into unstable or unsure, it’s much more necessary that we fortify the opposite areas of public assist that we get. So, state and native management is extremely necessary, as a result of we have to ensure that that infrastructure is powerful. So, not simply Chicago, however particularly in Chicago, the place arts and tradition are so deeply tied to the well being and vitality of town, there must be a plan in place to ensure that organizations usually are not struggling by means of this.
And that’s the identical for any metropolis, small or giant — however definitely in Chicago, the place there’s lots to think about, individuals must be pondering thoughtfully.
How involved are you concerning the state of arts management proper now in Chicago? [Editor’s note: Hedspeth, Harkey’s successor, has been under public scrutiny prompted by a wave of staff departures and allegations of bullying.]
It’s disappointing. I believe particularly in a time like now, when native assist for the humanities is extremely necessary to assist individuals navigate by means of challenges, native management is basically, actually necessary. Like everyone, I simply need to see Chicago win and Chicago be the perfect that it may be. I believe everyone simply has that because the purpose.
The workers at DCASE are extremely proficient. I believe those who stay are additionally extremely proficient individuals, and I imagine of their skill to proceed to do good issues. I believe some turnover is anticipated, and I’m excited to see that a whole lot of my colleagues which have left DCASE at the moment are doing extraordinary issues for the sphere in different areas. I believe institutional information is a crucial factor, however I do actually imagine within the DCASE workers, and I do know that they’re doing their very, best to ship high quality outcomes to the general public.
One factor you stated final week is that typical advocacy instruments, like signing petitions, are perhaps not working in the identical approach proper now. What methods do you suppose arts advocates ought to perhaps be trying to as an alternative?
It’s slightly little bit of a pie. So, there’s quite a lot of methods that must be employed all of sudden. Petitions definitely have a sure degree of effectiveness, however I believe in isolation, we must be pondering slightly bit extra creatively.
I believe that the direct appeals to our elected officers and the connectivity that we will make to show to them, not solely simply of their places of work on [Capitol] Hill however of their precise communities, that this is a matter that’s necessary to their constituents, I believe, is crucial factor that we have to do.
Courtney Kueppers is an arts and tradition reporter at WBEZ.
