Chicago – April 24, 2025
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is inviting artists to apply for a grant to create statues for President Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes.
The NEH says the project is part of the preparation for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The garden will feature life-size statues of 250 important people from American history who have made significant contributions to the country’s culture, science, economy, and politics. Some of the figures on the list include presidents like Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, scientists like Albert Einstein, and cultural icons like Amelia Earhart, Babe Ruth, and Kobe Bryant.
The grant offers up to $600,000, with a limit of $200,000 per statue, and applicants can submit proposals for up to three statues. The total cost of the garden is expected to be $34 million, with $30 million set aside for the statues alone.
Since taking office, President Trump has made changes to cultural institutions, including taking control of the Kennedy Center and issuing an executive order about the Smithsonian Institution. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has also canceled many National Endowment for the Humanities grants and put staff at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on paid leave, which has delayed many grants for museums and libraries across the country.
