Trump Can Make The Arts Great Again With The Right Appointees

America’s cultural institutions are failing. Once bastions of creativity and beauty, they have become overt ideological battlegrounds, prioritizing politics over art and alienating the very audiences they are meant to inspire. Grants and awards are doled out not based on merit but on adherence to politically fashionable frameworks. Entire careers are derailed when artists dissent from these norms, and audiences are left with a cultural landscape that feels hollow rather than inspiring.

The incoming Trump administration must replace entrenched ideologues and appoint leaders who value excellence and can restore these institutions as guardians of America’s cultural legacy.

The Biden Administration’s Failures

Agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) enforce these negative trends through their funding and programming decisions. The NEA, for instance, recently spent more than $12 million on grants tied to “equity,” sidelining any need for artistic achievements. The IMLS has similarly spent millions embedding diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion into national museum standards, transforming cultural institutions into tools for political activism. Even the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts was reshaped when the Biden administration fired commissioners committed to traditional principles of beauty and replaced them with appointees aligned with its ideological goals.

For artists who dissent, the consequences can be swift and severe. Lincoln Jones, founder of the American Contemporary Ballet, faced professional ostracism for refusing to participate in performative political gestures during the summer of 2020. Clifton Duncan, a celebrated Broadway actor, saw his career vanish after taking a principled stance against vaccine mandates. These are not isolated incidents. They are symptomatic of an arts ecosystem that increasingly prioritizes conformity over creativity and ideology over excellence.

New Leadership

Leaders like Justin Shubow, Mark Bauerlein, and Alaine Arnott exemplify a better vision and would realign federal arts funding and programming to prioritize beauty, creativity, intellectual rigor, and artistic merit. Shubow, former chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, is one of the country’s leading voices for beauty and tradition in public spaces. As president of the National Civic Art Society, he has championed classical architecture and its capacity to unite Americans, arguing that public buildings shape not only our cities but also our shared ideals. Endorsed by prominent figures such as Victor Davis Hanson and Rusty Reno, Shubow’s leadership, grounded in timeless principles, demonstrates why he is the right choice to realign the NEA with its core mission.

Mark Bauerlein, a former NEA official and longtime English professor at Emory University, would bring deep knowledge and proven resolve to the NEH. Appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a trustee of New College of Florida, he has fought to dismantle ideological conformity and restore intellectual rigor. In his New York Times essay “What’s the Point of a Professor?” Bauerlein argues for a return to truth and excellence in education. These values make him an ideal leader to restore the NEH’s focus on preserving America’s cultural and intellectual heritage.

Alaine Arnott, President and CEO of the National Liberty Museum, brings a necessary perspective to the museum world. With more than two decades of leadership experience, she has shown how thoughtful reform can preserve institutional integrity while rejecting political activism. In Philanthropy Roundtable, Arnott argued for the importance of liberty and intellectual diversity in museums, a vision that positions her to restore these institutions as spaces of inspiration and education.

Reform must also extend to other federal cultural institutions, such as the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, and Library of Congress. These bodies hold immense influence over the nation’s cultural memory. Their leadership must ensure they inspire the public, preserve our national heritage, and elevate standards of beauty and excellence.

The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. America250, the national celebration for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, should reflect the unmatched greatness of our nation. Yet under its current management, it risks becoming a forgettable corporate exercise, complete with lukewarm diversity boards, platitude-filled hashtags, and uninspired nods to “unsung heroes.” This cannot capture the spirit of a nation that built the most exceptional republic in history, tamed frontiers, and put a man on the moon. Sabin Howard’s extraordinary World War I memorial statue stands as an example of what is possible when artists are empowered to create works of true meaning and enduring beauty. America250 must be a celebration that inspires such awe, reminding us of the extraordinary legacy we share and making Americans proud of their history and culture.

What Art Does

The arts, at their best, embody the ideals of a society. They reflect the aspirations of a people, the struggles they have overcome, and the beauty they have created.

Cultural institutions shape how we see ourselves as a nation. They influence how our history is told, how our achievements are celebrated, and how our values are passed on to future generations. When these institutions are captured by narrow political interests, the damage goes far beyond the arts. It erodes our shared identity and weakens the bonds that hold us together as a people.

Federal reform would not only reverse current trends but also create a new model of public arts patronage, distinct from the ideological structures that dominate the art world today. Freed from political agendas, artists and institutions could focus on creating real, enduring works that inspire and uplift. By restructuring grants and fellowships to reward merit and creativity, public support could foster a renewed arts ecosystem grounded in excellence and meaningful achievement.

As President Donald Trump recently said, “America is going to start building monuments to our great heroes and heroines again!” With leaders like Shubow, Bauerlein, and Arnott, we can do more than build monuments — we can restore the arts to their rightful place as a source of pride, unity, and inspiration for generations to come. America’s cultural renaissance is within reach. The time to act is now.  

Fisher Derderian is the executive director of the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation and an arts commissioner for his city in Orange County, California.