On May 14, California Humanities President and CEO Rick Noguchi provided testimony to the State of California Joint Committee on the Arts and the Assembly Committee on Arts, Sports, Entertainment, and Tourism highlighting the impact of federal cuts on the culture of California. Along with other federal state partners including Greg Lucas, State Librarian, California State Library, and Danielle Brazell, Executive Director of the California Arts Council, the three cultural leaders discussed how terminated grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and the National Endowment for Arts (NEA) will have devastating effects on the nonprofit cultural sector. Organized by California Senator Ben Allen (Chair) and Assemblymember Christopher Ward (Vice Chair) of the Joint Committee the hearing was more than a policy discussion—it was a profoundly human call to protect what connect us as Californians: Our stories, our creativity, and our culture.
From the first speaker to the last public comment, one truth was clear: California’s arts, culture, and humanities are not just “nice to have”—they are central to our identity, our economy, and our shared future.
Erin Harkey, CEO of Americans for the Arts, opened with a striking data point: arts and culture contribute to 7.5% of California’s GDP. That’s not just impressive—that’s essential. And when Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-28) added that the arts-related tourism sector in California is so significant it would rank as the 11th-largest economy in the world, the urgency of the moment crystallized. Her district alone welcomed 21 million tourists last year for arts and culture. She pressed the committee to consider the ripple effects on hotels, restaurants, transportation, and other business sectors that haven’t yet been looped into this conversation. “Have we notified them?” she asked. “Because when the arts suffer, so do they.”
Noguchi delivered powerful testimony affirming that the humanities are nonpartisan and essential to civic life while also pointing out that the culture is under attack. He highlighted how diversity, equity, and inclusion are strengths of California culture that need to be preserved, protected, and advanced.
You can watch the full hearing by clicking here.
