As the federal government considers and/or implements significant changes to policies and funding, we explore how those could impact the Lowell community.
Last month, the National Endowment for the Arts began canceling grants in anticipation of losing its federal funding. Established in 1965 as part of then-President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society reforms, the NEA is one of 16 small agencies that current President Donald Trump has slated for elimination in his fiscal year 2026 federal budget request. Others include the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
While the NEA reportedly accounts for only 0.004% of the federal budget, its loss could have an outsized effect on Lowell.
Cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities will both directly impact Lowell Arts, which gets 20% of its annual budget from government sources. These federal organizations fund key Michigan programs: the Michigan Arts and Culture Council and Michigan Humanities. They, in turn, pass money along to Lowell Arts. When the faucet is turned off in Washington, the effect will be felt in Lowell for sure.
The Ripple Effect of the Arts in Lowell
We reached out to Janet Teunis, executive director of Lowell Arts, to find out how much the loss of government funding will hurt an organization that has been a valuable member of the Lowell community for almost five decades.
Before we get to her well-considered answers, yours truly wants to offer some personal testimony about the ripple effect that the arts have on local businesses. Because our local arts community has a serious economic impact on our downtown.
As many of you may know, my wife and I opened Chimera Design in 2002. What you may not know is how big a role the existence of Lowell Arts and local artists played in our decision to open a store here and how especially important they were during our early years.
David Davis was a founder of Lowell Arts (formerly known as the Lowell Area Arts Council or LAAC). Davis was tremendously helpful in the launch of Chimera Design.
When we first opened, there was NO place on Main Street selling the work of local artists. Davis helped us realize our initial vision of a jewelry store that also represented artists. With his help, we filled our small store with all manner of art – at one time, we had work from 42 different artists for sale. We had paintings, clothing, sculpture, wood carvings, photography, glass work, pottery, and some pretty fun art pieces that were hard to classify.
Davis taught painting classes upstairs at the store, and Susan Molnar taught glass fusion classes as well once we upgraded the electrical. (She later opened her own gallery down the street.) We represented a wide variety of artists from Lowell, Ionia, Saranac, and all around our area. As time passed and other gallery type stores opened, the sale of art declined, and jewelry took the forefront. This made sense for us since my wife Julie is a metalsmith and I had a strong background in jewelry sales.
My point is that LAAC, and people associated with it, attract shoppers. Teunis puts it this way: “Most people agree that art plays an important role in the economy. The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates significant economic activity. The arts attract tourists, support local businesses, and provide meaningful employment opportunities.”
Summer Concerts and Fall Festival
Since we are coming up on another season of Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts, consider the impact of those 10 Thursday night shows on local businesses. Lowell Arts is a driving force behind the series.
Obviously, restaurants and ice cream shops benefit from the concerts. So too do the non-profits that sell snacks and food on and by the Riverwalk. We could give you a laundry list of who else benefits, but the positive impact of concerts could best be proven by the vast number of communities that now offer their own music series. Twenty-three years ago, Lowell was one of the few places offering free music weekly, and now you can barely count the number of communities with something similar.
Beyond the direct benefit to the communities that host musical events, consider all of the local musicians who make money from them. Before every town and hamlet started hosting music in the summer, Lowell could easily pick and choose bands to perform here. Now, with the intensified demand, we have to start booking acts before the end of the year for the following summer. (Thank you Rick Seese for doing such a great job.)
The impact of the Fallasburg Arts Festival on Lowell is also amazing. Many of our non-profits sell food at the event, gas stations sell fuel and snacks to visitors, area hotels realize guests from the artists who do not live here, restaurants and just about any Main Street business feel the uptick from the crowds that flock to this event each year.
Benefits Beyond the Balance Sheet
Teunis says there are benefits from the arts that might not show up on a balance sheet.
“It is also widely known that the arts have many other important benefits,” she says. “In education, the arts foster critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. For community and social well-being, the arts strengthen community identity and improve overall quality of life.”
Lowell Arts was founded on the passion of community volunteers and the funds raised during a visit from Artrain USA to Lowell in November 1976. The Artrain USA was a train converted into an art gallery and was funded in part through the Michigan Council for the Arts. Funding from private donations helped bring the Artrain USA to the city of Lowell. Soon after that visit, the Lowell Area Arts Council (LAAC) was founded.
Teunis is right to be proud of the history of arts in Lowell. She went on to say:
“Since then, Lowell Arts has continued to bring important arts programming to the region for nearly 50 years. Our community outreach programs include gallery exhibits featuring local and regional artists, theatre performances that engage community members of all ages, music concerts that bring diverse musical styles to our area, the annual Fallasburg Arts Festival which draws thousands of visitors, the Artist Market supporting local creators, and art classes for both children and adults that make arts education accessible to everyone”.
Funding Cuts Could Impact Entire Community
We would like to close with two paragraphs from Teunis:
“The long-term effects of these budget cuts would be substantial. As these resources diminish, our ability to serve our community is increasingly challenged. We may need to reduce programming, adjust staffing levels, and increase ticket prices, potentially making arts less accessible to all community members. We will also need to rely more heavily on private donations from individuals and businesses, creating additional pressure on local supporters who already contribute generously.”
“What readers should understand is that arts funding creates a multiplier effect in our community. For every dollar invested in arts organizations like ours, several more dollars are generated in local economic activity through restaurant visits, shopping, and other spending by arts patrons. Additionally, the cultural enrichment and educational opportunities we provide help make Lowell an attractive place to live, work, and visit. These budget cuts don’t just affect our organization—they affect the cultural vitality and economic health of our entire community.”
Lowell Arts is a foundational pillar of our community. To have that pillar shaken by a 20% reduction to its budget is hard to wrap your head around.
One could argue that government has no place funding arts in the first place and there is merit to that, but the manner in which such a long, established process is handled should be considered. If the reality of life these days is that zero dollars should be spent on the arts, then the humane (sane) way to go about such a drastic change is to do it gradually with a plan that would allow arts organizations to change directions and funding sources over time.
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