Museum Advocacy Alerts and Resources

Over the past 250 years, Virginia has faced a myriad of threats designed to undermine the institutional principles that have helped create and build the museums that stand before you today—but none seem more serious than those we face right now. As your trusted advocate, the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) is committed to representing Virginia’s cultural sector to honor our complex histories while embracing the arts and humanities that speak to the state’s rich stories and traditions. 

Like many, VAM is deeply disturbed by the disruption caused by the termination of legally awarded funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to cultural institutions across the Commonwealth, Washington D.C., and the nation. These sweeping actions from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have not only created confusion and chaos but have also eviscerated the infrastructure of Virginia’s cultural sector.  

We are committed to ensuring that the voices of every individual and institution in the state continue to shape our cultural heritage's future. With over 1000 cultural institutions across the Commonwealth, VAM has many member organizations directly affected by these grant terminations. Twenty-two organizations across Virginia and D.C. have active grant programs through the IMLS that currently amount to well over one million dollars in legally obligated reimbursable funding. Cuts by DOGE to NEH drastically affect our state partners, such as Virginia Humanities, who was awarded $1.35 million in the current fiscal year, or 20% of their operating budget. We condemn these wrongful grant terminations and budget cuts to these federal agencies.  

The recent Executive Order (EO), “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” attacks the fundamental values of the Smithsonian Institution (SI) and Department of the Interior (National Park Service). The EO insinuates that these leading cultural institutions are divisive simply because they include a fuller narrative and multi-cultural perspective. This could not be further from the truth. This intentional censorship to exclude the cultural heritage of fellow Americans undermines our faculties related to critical thinking and self-expression, which are fundamental to our identities and well-being. We stand firmly with the SI, National Park Service and with you in ensuring that we protect the full richness of our history.  

VAM remains committed to serving and representing you, no matter the adversity we may face as the impacts of federal decision-making unfold and come into focus. Together, we will navigate these challenges, support one another, and ensure our museum community remains strong. Our strength is in our shared commitment to museums, history, and the people we serve. As we continue to navigate these uncertain times, our goal is to help build a resilient museum community across the Commonwealth that reflects our steadfast dedication to you and VAM’s values and strategic vision to foster belonging and inclusion. 

We invite you to share how these federal actions have impacted your organization or grant project. But we are asking for more than just your feedback—we are asking for your active participation. This is a time for us to collaborate and shape the solutions we need, together. How can we come together as a community to ensure our collective voice is heard and our future is protected?  

Thank you for your ongoing support. Together, we will continue to ensure that the cultural sector remains a vital, resilient part of Virginia’s future.   

Your Servant Leaders,  

Casey Jenkins 

cjenkins@vamuseums.org 

(804) 358-3170 

Executive Director 

Virginia Association of Museums 

Karen L Daly 

KarenLDalyVAM@gmail.com 

President of the Virginia Association of Museums Council