The Association of Art Museum Directors made the following statement in response to the release of the proposed federal budget, which eliminates the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services:

The Association of Art Museum Directors and our member museums strongly stand against the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The arts are a shared expression of the human spirit and a hallmark of our humanity. Art touches people throughout their lives—from toddlers first learning about the world, to those with Alzheimer’s disease reconnecting with someone they love. Museums offer art programs to help teachers and homeschoolers prepare lessons, to train medical students to be better doctors, to ease the suffering of veterans with PTSD, and to share with people across the country the best of creative achievement. The NEA, NEH, and IMLS are essential partners in this work, providing grants to many types of nonprofit organizations and helping to bring the arts to every part of America, from rural areas to military bases to urban centers. Although AAMD members receive only a small fraction of their funding from the federal government, we speak out in support of cultural organizations for whom these funds are vital. These organizations, like all arts institutions, are catalysts for employment and increase the quality of life in their communities. AAMD urges the Congress, where there has been strong bipartisan support for the NEA, NEH, and IMLS, to continue funding these agencies, which play such an important role in our vibrant democracy.

The Association of Art Museum Directors—representing 245 art museum directors in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—promotes the vital role of art museums throughout North America and advances the profession by cultivating leadership and communicating standards of excellence in museum practice. Further information about AAMD's professional practice guidelines and position papers is available at www.aamd.org.