On a stage, musicians in military dress play musical instruments. In the foreground is a seated audience.

Musicians of the United States Military, recipients of the 2019 Medal of Arts, perform at the White House ceremony. Photo by Daniel Swartz

On a dramatically lit stage, a young man speaks into a microphone. Behind him, the logo for Poetry Out Loud is projected on a large screen.

2026 Poetry Out Loud second-place winner Damien Deen from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Photo by James Kegley

A boy looks at the camera, standing at a table where a man and little girl are seated with papers, crayons and colored pencils.

Military families engage in art-making activities at the Dayton Art Institute during a Blue Star Museums event. This summer’s Blue Star Museums kicks off on May 16. Photo by Carrs & Co Photography House

Dancers in traditional Cambodian costumes and crowns dance outside a temple.

Performers wear the costumes and crowns of 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellow Sochietah Ung at the Cambodian Buddhist Society in Maryland. Photo by Aaron Tucker, courtesy of Hypothetical

On a dramatically lit stage, a young woman speaks into a microphone.

2026 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Jayda Dawn from Carmel, Indiana. Photo by James Kegley

Three women work on pottery wheels in an outside porch-like workspace.

Supported through the NEA’s Creative Forces initiative, Clay & Camaraderie provided arts programming to promote healing and reduce stress for veterans affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Photo by Sara Kass

On a dramatically lit stage, two men smile and play music together- one on an accordion and the other, a guitar.

2015 National Heritage Fellows Flaco Jimenez and Andy Statman perform at the Heritage Fellowships Concert. Photo by Michael G Stewart 

On a dramatically lit stage, a young man speaks into a microphone. Behind him, the logo for Poetry Out Loud is projected on a large screen.

2026 Poetry Out Loud third-place winner Jaden Conley from Skokie, Illinois. Photo by James Kegley

Three people sit on the floor, smiling. One has a binder open in front of her, her hands clasped together. They are surrounded by music stands and chairs.

2024 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge Finalist Tabitha Moore with her mentors, Tim Huang (L) and Teresa Lotz (R), during rehearsals for the Musical Theatre Songwriting Challenge concert. Photo by Rebecca J. Michelson

A man in an 18th century coat stands triumphantly on top of a table with one arm raised, surrounded by other actors in period costumes who look up toward him. The dramatic lighting and grand colonial style set heighten the intensity of the scene.

Jonathan Atkinson as John Adams and the cast of the 2026 Ford's Theatre production of 1776, in Washington, DC. Photo by Scott Suchman

What’s Happening at the NEA

A young woman stands on stage smiling and holding a trophy. Behind her is a screen with the Poetry Out Loud logo
Congrats to 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Jayda Dawn from Indiana!
Watch the finals on demand at arts.gov/Poetry-Out-Loud
Sculpture of a globe made from license plates from around the world
Announcing Grants for Arts Projects Spotlighting the Spirit of Sports
Projects Take Place in Communities Hosting FIFA World Cup 2026™
outline of the state of North Carolina with a photo of mountains within. Text reads: NCA in NC. National Council on the Arts Public Meeting
National Council on the Arts Meeting in Asheville, NC
Join in person or online Wednesday, May 6 at 11:00am ET.

Stories

See All Stories
A group of men together before signing Declaration of Independence
Read
Staging a Nation: 1776 and the Shared Story of America at 250
Instructor helping student at a pottery wheel
Watch & Read
Clay and Camaraderie: Supporting Veterans’ Healing after Hurricane Helene
A man holds an open old book in an archival space while two women look down at its contents
Read
Celebrating America's 250th Grant Spotlight: People's Light & Theatre Company

News

See All News
A series of eight photos featuring the 2026 National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellows
National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2026 NEA National Heritage Fellows
A woman works on a printmaking project. Other older adults are working at tables in the background
National Endowment for the Arts Awards New Round of Grants Celebrating America’s Birthday
Mary Anne Carter Profile Picture page
Mary Anne Carter Confirmed as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts

Grants

The National Endowment for the Arts awards grants to nonprofit organizations, state arts agencies, and regional arts organizations in support of arts projects across the country.
Go to the Grants section »
Volunteer to be an NEA panelist »

Impact

See the impact of the Arts Endowment on your state, and how the agency's work in research, accessibility, and other areas has had a major impact in the arts and culture of the country.
Go to the Impact section »

Some Facts about the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with opportunities for arts participation.

Approximately 2,400 Grants

Recommended for grant awards annually in all 50 states, DC, and U.S. territories.

More than 60 Percent

Percentage of Arts Endowment grants that go to small and medium-sized organizations (budgets up to $2 million).

Approximately 34 Percent

Percentage of Arts Endowment-funded activities in high-poverty communities.

Some Facts from the National Endowment for the Arts

These facts are based on the most recent data (2023) from the Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA), which is produced jointly by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Office of Research & Analysis and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Commerce Department. The ACPSA tracks the annual economic impact of arts and cultural production from 35 industries, both commercial and nonprofit.

$1.2 trillion

Amount the arts and cultural industries contribute to the U.S. economy.

4.2 Percent

Percentage of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product is accounted for by arts and cultural industries.

Nearly 5.4 Million

Americans work in the arts and cultural industries on payroll.

Some Facts about the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation.

62 Cents

The Arts Endowment’s annual cost to each American.

0.003 Percent

The Arts Endowment’s percentage of the federal budget.

Nearly $6 Billion

Amount awarded by the Arts Endowment since its beginning in 1965.

Some Facts from the National Endowment for the Arts

These facts are based on the most recent data (2022) from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), a national survey conducted in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau that has allowed cultural policymakers, arts managers, scholars, and journalists to obtain reliable statistics about American patterns of arts engagement.

Utah

The state’s percentage of adults who attended a live performing arts event (62 percent) exceeded that of the national percentage of U.S. adults (38 percent).

Vermont

The percentage of the state’s adults who read a literary work (60 percent) far exceeded the national average (38 percent).

Wisconsin

The state’s adult population created or performed any type of art at a higher percentage (73 percent) than the national average for U.S. adults (52 percent).

Some Facts about the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with opportunities for arts participation.

Approximately $8 million

Amount of arts education funding for lifelong learning projects annually.

More than 24 million

Estimated number of people who attend a live arts event annually.

42

Percentage of NEA grants awarded to localities of less than a million people.