In a quiet move made on Inauguration Day, US President Donald Trump reversed Joe Biden’s executive order that had revived the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH).
As part of a broader effort to undo Biden-era policies, the dissolution of this nonpartisan advisory committee aimed at boosting support for arts, humanities, and museum services at the federal level has largely gone under the radar. According to The New York Times, this move was included Trump’s first executive order, which overturned more than two dozen policies, including those related to diversity.
The committee was originally established in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan, and over the years, it became a platform for key figures in the arts, humanities, and academic fields to engage with policymakers.
Trump’s stance on the PCAH is not new. During his first term, he disbanded the committee, citing concerns about its fiscal responsibility and arguing that it was “not a responsible way to spend American tax dollars” – after nearly all its members resigned in protest of Trump’s response to the white nationalist rally and deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
ADVERTISEMENT
Following the 2017 dissolution, the committee was re-established by Joe Biden in 2022, and Biden appointed 31 members to the PCAH in 2023, including high-profile figures like Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Jon Batiste, and Shonda Rhimes. Other appointees included museum curators, academics, and leaders from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Smithsonian. It operated with a relatively modest annual budget, which in 2024 was around $335,000, and met only six times since Biden re-established it, The New York Times said.
Steve Israel, a former Democratic US representative and one of Biden’s appointees, expressed his disappointment at the dissolution. “Not only did he fire us all, but he disbanded the actual committee,” Israel told The New York Times. “It suggests a proactive hostility toward the arts and humanities.”
The committee had played an influential role in shaping national cultural policies, with past members including figures like Frank Sinatra and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. It has often served as a bridge between the private, philanthropic sectors and the federal government, aiming to bolster support for arts, humanities, and library services.
While the disbanding of the PCAH has garnered little attention compared to Trump’s other policy reversals, it does reflect ongoing tension over government involvement in the arts. The White House made no formal announcement regarding the dissolution, and at some point the committee’s website was taken offline.
Trump’s decision to dismantle the PCAH is part of a broader pattern of reducing or redirecting resources away from cultural institutions. However, his administration has made no moves to dismantle other key cultural agencies like the NEA or the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), though Trump called for their defunding during his first term.
Trump has also expressed support for a major outdoor sculpture park, which he plans to launch by 2026 to celebrate the US’s semiquincentennial. The park would honour a range of cultural figures, including artists, musicians, and actors such as Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, and Lauren Bacall.
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
