Americans for the Arts

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, empathy, and beauty. The arts also strengthen our communities socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even during a pandemic that has been devastating to the arts. The following 10 reasons show why an investment in artists, creative workers, and arts organizations is vital to the nation’s post-pandemic healing and recovery.

As a Detroiter and a journalist who has covered the city’s urban as well as cultural affairs, Eddie B. Allen, Jr. brings a gentle local eye to surface questions that deserve a hard look as MicroFest traverses its next locations. Allen zeroes in on participants’ examination of the role of arts inside the justice system and in building awareness and fostering dialogue about issues of the justice system, a system he has followed personally and as a concerned citizen and journalist. While the “transformational value” of art for those incarcerated was affirmed and

Largely led by community artists and arts organizations with long-standing commitments to applied arts practice with diverse marginalized populations, arts in corrections assume varied forms and intentions. Arts programs provide expressive and reflective opportunities that enable the incarcerated to examine the trajectory of their lives. Arts and restorative justice programs are taking root in many states and communities, particularly with juvenile justice, providing offenders an opportunity to make restitution to those they have injured while learning the positive values and history of the

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, empathy, and beauty. The arts also strengthen our communities socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even during a pandemic that has been devastating to the arts. The following ten reasons show why an investment in artists and arts organizations is vital to the nation’s post-pandemic healing and recovery. 

A history of National Endowment for the Arts funding from 1966-2021.

History of NEA funding. 

Arts Facts...Government Funding to Arts Agencies
In 2021, local and state government funding to their arts agencies is expected to decrease due to the pandemic’s impact on government budgets. NEA funding increased to $167.5 million.

In 2021, local and state government funding to their arts agencies is expected to decrease due to the pandemic’s impact on government budgets. NEA funding increased to $167.5 million.

The NEA budget has long failed to keep pace with inflation and its share of federal non-defense discretionary spending. When adjusted for inflation, the NEA’s 1992 budget is twice the actual 2020 budget.  

Local arts agencies—arts councils, arts commissions, cultural affairs departments—are an essential tool for community leaders as they rebuild their economies and promote social cohesion. The nation’s 4,500 local arts agencies (LAAs) support, present, and promote the dynamic value of the arts. Through their partnerships and leadership, LAAs are building healthier communities through the arts.

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of a healthy community—strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times.

Government Funding to Arts Agencies, Federal, State, and Local: 1997 - 2017 are highlight in this one page fact sheet.

This Arts Fact one pager shows the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) appropriations history for fiscal years 1966-2018.

This report discusses the history and issues surronding government support for the arts.

"Welcome to the second NCAR Report, in which we share evidence-­‐based insights into the health of US arts and cultural organizations. There is no one-­‐size-­‐fits-­‐all performance measure or objective for such a diverse field, only answers to relevant questions that provide an array of useful measures and vantage points. Some anomalies also point to additional questions to explore. We care about numbers, not for their own sake, but because we believe that healthier arts and cultural organizations will have more resources to invest in artistic and cultural offerings