National Humanities announced on Thursday a grant program to support American heroes in President Trump's National Gardens, the first concrete step to realizing one of his central priorities for the 250th anniversary of America's independence.
Announced during Trump's first term, the garden features life-size renderings of “250 great American individuals from the past who contributed to our cultural, scientific and political heritage,” according to a news release. The donation now calls for “preliminary concepts” on individual statues from artists who must be American citizens. The chosen one will receive an award of up to $200,000 for each statue that must be made of marble, granite, bronze, copper or brass.
All submissions should portray the numbers on a long eclectic list issued in previous executive orders, including traditional heroes such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Sakagawea, Pastor Martin Luther King Jr., and Wright Brothers. Trump also directed that subjects be portrayed in a “realistic” way, with no modernism or abstract design allowed.
The garden site has not been decided, but it said it will be a “public space where Americans gather to learn about American heroes and pay respect.” According to previous executive orders, the responsibility for setting the final list of 250 people is Vince Haley, the chairman of the president's National Policy Council, who also oversees the broader White House efforts related to the 250th anniversary.
The agency's release confirmed previous reports that part of the program will be paid in part to a joint commitment between NEH and the National Fund for the Arts.
The announcement comes weeks after major reforms at the Humanities Foundation. This is now led by Michael McDonald, a longtime employee who became interim director after former director Shelly Low left at Trump's direction.
After a visit from Elon Musk's government efficiency employees, the donation fired almost two-thirds of the approximately 180 staff and canceled most existing grants that supported museums, historic sites and community projects around the country. (The future of grants at the Fund for the Arts remains unknown.)
The move has sparked widespread protest among humanities advocates. It also spurred fears that some states' humanities councils, especially in rural areas where private charity foundations are not important, would be forced to be shut down for good.
Shortly before Thursday's announcement on the Garden of American Heroes, the National Fund for the Humanities issued another update on fundraising priorities, saying it would “try to return to being a responsible steward for taxpayers.” All future awards were awarded “on a merit base that would be awarded to projects that do not promote extreme ideology based on race or gender, and that helps instill an understanding of the founding principles and ideals that make America an exceptional country.”
