President Obama announced his budget proposal yesterday. Here are some of the highlights for federal arts funding in 2013: (You can see the full budget document here):

• The budget for the NEA increased to $8 million (from $146M to $154M.) 
• While the NEA’s budget proposal increases several grant categories, it is the Our Town initiative that receives the most significant support: doubled from $5M to $10M. The Our Town Grant was introduced in 2011 with 51 grantees from 34 states receiving a total of $6.5M, one of which was New Orleans.
• Donald Trump and his associates have won a bid to turn the current home of the NEA, the Old Post Office Pavilion into a luxury hotel. The NEA will be asked to relocate and has requested $3M to move to a new home. Seems a little excessive, huh.
• The most competitive NEA grant category: Literature Fellowships with 3 percent of applicants receiving awards.