Philadelphia museum sues Trump administration over funding cut
A museum in Philadelphia is suing the Donald Trump administration after he signed an executive order that revoked a $750,000 federal grant that the institution had previously been awarded.
The Woodmere Art Museum filed the lawsuit on August 27th. The suit asked for the remainder of an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant that Congress had already agreed to pay in full.
The museum originally appealed as soon as they were made aware that the $750,000 was being revoked. They even recruited elected officials to help. When nothing would reverse the order, they filed an official lawsuit against the Trump administration.
The organisation has thus far received around $195,000 of the original sum, but is seeking the rest, plus additional expenses. The lawsuit is hopeful that the money will be restored, as their work aligns with “the President’s desire to encourage collections that exemplified America’s extraordinary heritage,” as per the lawsuit.
The cancellation of the grant “caught Woodmere in midair, and it has been scrambling ever since to keep our SAT project alive,” as per The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The only official comment from the museum’s team, coming from Woodmere’s director and CEO, William R. Valerio, was one of quiet determination: “We had exhausted all polite options.”
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) quickly became one of Trump’s key targets early in his new term. In March, all staff were placed on leave. Subsequently, all grants were cancelled. Some organisations have had their grants restored, such as the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel University.
The funding cut has thrown a spanner in the work of future events. “Woodmere planned to showcase its collection of works by Philadelphia artists for use in future exhibitions, most immediately its America 250th celebration to be titled ‘the Arc of Promise,’ beginning in 2026,” the lawsuit states. The museum, amid filing the new lawsuit, has been attempting to raise enough money to make up, in part, for the lost funds.
