A persuasive advocate should be up to date on the key issues affecting the opera sector.

Read the latest news on advocacy efforts prepared by OPERA America's director of government affairs and civic practice — and check back for regular updates.

Review the key issues affecting opera and the arts with resources and downloadable briefs prepared by the Cultural Action Group.

Advocacy Updates

Issued March 27, 2026

Urge Senators to Sign Dear Colleagues Letter for NEA and NEH FY27 Appropriations!

As the FY27 appropriations process progresses, a "Dear Colleagues" letter, similar to the one circulated in the House of Representatives earlier this month, has been released in the Senate. Led by Senator Reed's (RI) office, the letter requests that the Interior Appropriations Committee include at least $213 million each for the NEA and NEH.  Please take a moment to urge your senators to sign onto the letter before April 10th! 

Cultural Preservation Groups sue to enjoin Kennedy Center Renovations 

A group of cultural and historical preservation groups filed a lawsuit against the administration on Monday to block the further closure of the John F. Kennedy Center, which have been cited as necessary for revenue renovations. Plaintiffs include the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States, Society of Architectural Historians, and the Cultural Landscape Foundation. The lawsuit alleges that the recently announced plan to shut the Kennedy Center down for two years to carry out renovations is unnecessary and unlawful. The complaint states that the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees seek “[t]o fundamentally alter this iconic property without complying with bedrock federal historic preservation and environmental laws, and without securing the necessary congressional authorization.” Plaintiffs also say the administration should be enjoined from closing the Kennedy Center until it complies with all of the necessary requirements for conducting a renovation project of this size. Update courtesy of the Jurist NEWS. 

Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report on Ticketing 

The report, “SO CASUALLY CRUEL: How Ticketmaster’s Monopoly Supercharges Price and Fees.”, details " new information on the ways in which Ticketmaster abused its monopoly power to reap huge profits and push concert tickets farther out of reach for fans." Of note, the report suggests the Congress should consider statutory limitations on the prices of resold tickets and enact restrictions on deceptive and abusive ticketing practices. Our coalition partner, NIVA, released a statement. 

Issued March 20, 2026

Kennedy Center Board votes to shut down operations for 2 years and names a new president

The Kennedy Center’s board of directors voted last Monday to shut down operations for two years following this summer’s July 4 celebrations. The board also voted to install Matt Floca as CEO and executive director, replacing Richard Grenell, who oversaw the recent changes at the venue. The Kennedy Center said the vote was unanimous, though Rep. Joyce Beatty didn’t cast a vote. The Ohio Democrat is an ex officio member of the board and sued to preclude the administration from excluding her from last Monday’s meeting. Over two weekends ago, a federal judge ruled she was entitled to participate in the meeting but didn’t require that the board allow her to vote.

Artists From Abroad: Additional Countries Subject to Visa Bond: 50 to Date and New Form I-129 Beginning April 1, 2026

While not presently applicable to O or P nonimmigrant visa holders, Wednesday morning, the Administration expanded its list of countries whose nationals are subject to paying a visa bond in order to enter the United States. The updated list of countries currently totals 50 and newly includes Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, ​Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia. Visa bonds for nationals of these countries go into effect April 2, but the full list should be checked to see the effective dates for the 38 other countries.

Visa bonds may be assessed for up to $15,000 ​for a B1 or B2 visa for business and tourism, with the aim of preventing overstays. Visa holders who post a visa bond are required to enter and exit the U.S. through designated ports of entry, and bonds are to be returned when visa recipients return home in compliance with the terms of the visa and the bond. For complete details and links to additional information, visit the State Department webpage on visa bonds.

Also, the latest version of the Form I-129, dated 02/27/26, goes into effect with petitions received by USCIS April 1 and onward. Given the change in policy that the effective date no longer corresponds to postmark but rather to date received, petitioners should begin using the new version of the form immediately. No substantive changes have been made for O and P petitions, and sample O and P Form I-129s have been posted in our Appendix. Remember to confirm the edition date in the lower left corner of each page - failure to use the proper edition will result in USCIS returning a petition.

As always, items that are not pertinent may be left blank, or petitioners can handwrite "N/A" to indicate a question is not applicable. Update courtesy of Artists from Abroad.

A Collective Vision for Equity in Arts Education – 3/31 Webinar

Join our coalition partner, the Arts Education Alliance, as they release A Collective Vision for Equity in Arts Education, a shared advocacy agenda centered on ensuring every student has access to a high-quality arts education. The agenda outlines their commitment to expand access across all arts disciplines, strengthen systems of support for educators, and elevate the role of the arts in schools and communities nationwide.

During the webinar, they will share their federal policy priorities, which include support for a strong federal role in education; a comprehensive definition of the arts that includes dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts; arts educator recruitment and retention; and equitable access to high-quality arts education. Participants will gain early insight into new data from national surveys on arts education funding, along with the Alliance’s federal funding priorities for FY 2027.

Key Advocacy Issues

Prepare to take action by reviewing the key issues with online resources and downloadable briefs prepared by the Cultural Advocacy Group