DON'T LET THE HUNTER BE THE HERO

As fall settles in with shorter days and stormier skies, I find myself turning inward—and reading more. Recently, I came across a New York Times article that stopped me cold: over 10,000 U.S. museums have lost government grants and contracts this year. That’s nearly one-third of the roughly 35,000 museums in the country—institutions that exist to preserve and share the cultural and scientific story of who we are.

Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), Seattle, WA.

The loss is not just financial—it’s ideological. These cuts disproportionately impact museums committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as current policy shifts threaten to silence the voices that challenge dominant narratives. Museums aren’t just rooms of artifacts; they’re living classrooms. When their funding is stripped, so too is our access to the fuller truth of history.

An old African proverb says, “Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.” That’s what this moment feels like—a struggle over whose history gets told and who gets to tell it.

Artists, curators, and cultural workers are the light-bearers in these times. But light needs support. If you say you love the arts, now is the time to show it—by attending, donating, engaging, and listening. In King County alone, there are over 700 organizations dedicated to arts, science, and heritage. There is no shortage of ways to stand with truth.

This fall, let’s recommit to being active participants in preserving and supporting the cultural spaces that reflect our full, shared story.

With resolve,

Vivian Phillips, Founder + Board President