Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) requested the immediate reversal of the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) decision to revoke federal grant funding for the Lowell Festival Foundation, which organizes the Lowell Folk Festival, and the Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT).

“Together, the Lowell Folk Festival and MRT represent the heart of the arts in the Third District. They showcase local musicians, actors, and artists while providing residents with meaningful opportunities to engage with culture and creativity. Their loss would be a profound setback for our community,” said Congresswoman Trahan.

Last week, the NEA notified local arts and culture organizations across the nation that their federal grants had been withdrawn. The Lowell Folk Foundation and MRT were both impacted, losing $20,000 in federal grant funding each. In her letter sent to Mary Anne Carter, who currently serves as Senior Advisor and was recently nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacant Chair position, Trahan pointed to the importance of both the festival and the theatre to local residents, the art community, and the region’s economy.

“The Lowell Folk Festival, organized by the Lowell Festival Foundation, is the longest-running and second largest free folk festival in the nation. For more than 40 years, with the exception of a pause during the COVID- 19 pandemic, it has been a cornerstone of the region’s cultural and economic vitality. Drawing over 150,000 attendees annually from across the country, the festival generates approximately $7 million in local economic activity each year, boosting patronage at restaurants, hotels, and institutions such as the Lowell National Historical Park,” Congresswoman Trahan wrote in the letter.

“The Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) is equally essential to the cultural fabric of the Merrimack Valley. Over the past four decades, MRT has served more than two million residents, producing seven plays annually – many of them original or world premieres. Beyond its artistic achievements, MRT is a champion for arts education, providing thousands of young people with access to theater, whether through discounted matinees or immersive youth productions with professional-level staging,” Congresswoman Trahan continued.

Trahan has long been a supporter of both the festival and MRT. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she secured $416,949 for the Lowell Festival Foundation and $544,686 for MRT to ensure they were able to resume operations. The funding came from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, which was created when Trahan voted to pass the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and supplemented later by the American Rescue Plan Act.

A copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE.

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