The arts in America are more accessible to the public now than at any time in the nation's history. This is due, in large part, to the remarkable growth and impact of the nation's local arts agencies' community-based organizations that integrate the arts into the daily fabric of their communities and ensure cultural vitality. In just the past 50 years, the number of local arts agencies (LAAs) has blossomed from 400 to 5,000. Once primarily nonprofit, volunteer-driven organizations that presented programming, they are now are a mix of public and private agencies that leverage billions of dollars in support to advance the arts, ensuring broad access to the arts and improving the quality of their community. This Monograph features the findings from our 2010 Census on Local Arts Agencies, offering a glimpse at the state of the field nationwide.

Americans for the Arts’ Monograph series featured in-depth issue papers on topics that were of the greatest interest to our members and arts professionals at the time. They often still serve as excellent resources for best practices and historic reference for today’s issues. Monographs were produced from 1993–2010. Monographs from 2001-2010 are available for downloadable in PDF format our online store at a nominal fee for nonmembers but free to members. All monographs from 1993-2000 are available for free download via the National Arts Administration and Policy Publications Database.

This Monograph features the findings from our 2010 Census on Local Arts Agencies, offering a glimpse at the state of the field nationwide.