NEH Seeks Proposals for National Garden of American Heroes Sculpture Project
Title: NEH Cuts Grants, Redirects Funds to Trump’s “National Garden of American Heroes”
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), a crucial federal agency long known for supporting libraries, museums, research, and educational initiatives, has come under fire for dramatically shifting its focus and funding. In recent weeks, the agency has slashed 85% of its grant programs for cultural institutions and redirected those funds to support former President Donald Trump’s pet project: the “National Garden of American Heroes.”
This massive redirection of public funds has left cultural leaders, historians, and NEH staff deeply concerned—and with good reason.
From Preservation to Promotion
Established in 1965, the NEH has played a vital role in preserving American history, promoting literacy and education, and supporting fine arts and humanities-based research and programming. However, in a controversial move initiated by an executive order reinstated by President Trump upon his return to office in January 2025, the NEH is now being utilized to help construct a new sculptural park reportedly worth $34 million.
The “National Garden of American Heroes,” a project initially launched in Trump’s first term in 2020 before being shelved during the Biden administration, is designed to be a large-scale monument park commemorating American figures the former president has deemed historically significant.
The statue commission opportunity is currently open on the NEH website. According to the official call for artists, the agency is seeking submissions for sculptures of “famous American statesmen, visionaries, and innovators.” Statues selected will each be eligible for compensation of up to $200,000 and must be rendered in traditional materials like marble, bronze, granite, copper, or brass. Artists may be commissioned to produce up to three statues.
The Monumental Shift in Priorities
Among the 250 names chosen for inclusion in the Garden are luminaries such as Martin Luther King Jr., Helen Keller, and Steve Jobs—alongside more polarizing figures like conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and firearms manufacturer Samuel Colt. Critics point out that the list appears hastily compiled and ideologically motivated, lacking input from historians or multicultural representatives.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3403, the union representing NEH employees, has condemned the agency’s funding decisions. A union spokesperson decried the move as “using NEH funding to build a vapid tribute,” accusing the Trump administration of converting a respected cultural institution into a political tool.
“This agency is being transformed into a propaganda pipeline to promote the president’s brand of patriotism,” the spokesperson told Hyperallergic. “Americans deserve much better.”
According to the union, more than 60% of NEH staff have been furloughed, and over 1,000 previously approved grants have been canceled. Projects impacted range from the publication of George Washington’s writings to museum exhibitions, youth education initiatives, and the restoration of Mark Twain artifacts.
Political Motivation and Cultural Cost
The controversy has wider implications for the future of arts funding in the United States, as priorities shift from inclusive and educational programming to glorified nationalism. While $30 million of the redirected budget will go toward statue construction, the NEH has also launched a new “Celebrate America!” grant program offering $25,000 grants to projects that underscore the “exceptional achievements of the United States.”
Critics argue the overtly patriotic tone of the language being used in these programs sidelines the multi-faceted and at times painful complexity of American history. Furthermore, scholars and artists caution that honoring such achievements without contextual nuance risks erasing marginalized voices.
The reallocation of NEH and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funds stems from Trump’s 2020 executive order requiring both agencies to devote one-twelfth of their discretionary budgets to the “Garden of Heroes.” Though this directive was paused during the Biden administration, Trump reinstated it immediately upon taking office in 2025.
A Cultural Crossroads
The developments surrounding the National Garden of American Heroes reflect a broader struggle over public memory and the role of federal institutions in shaping cultural narratives. While statues are potent symbols, critics argue that the focus on monumentalism comes at a high cost to the humanities’ broader mission: preserving a diverse, inclusive, and truthful account of American history.
As artists begin submitting designs for towering figures meant to represent our collective story, thousands of cultural institutions once upheld by NEH support face a much quieter future—one where public access to history, literature, and critical discourse may diminish in favor of image-building and spectacle.
For now, the fate of countless educational and preservation projects hangs in the balance, as America reckons with what and who deserves to stand in marble.
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