A close up of a woman playing drums.

2021 Jazz Master Terri Lyne CarringtonWatch her perform at the 2026 Jazz Masters Tribute Concert on September 15 at arts.gov/Jazz. Photo courtesy of Elephant Quilt

Three young girls in matching T-shirts and brightly colored sunglasses sit outside with musical instruments. In the foreground, two of the girls are turned and smiling at each other.

Michigan’s Accent Pontiac is the recipient of Arts Endowment grants to support an instrumental music education program for students. Photo courtesy of Jeff Dunn Photography 

On an outdoor stage four women sing, while wearing white tops and matching blue and white skirts. A drummer and two guitarists play behind them. The stage is decorated with large banners emblazoned with the logo for the National Endowment for the Arts.

Gospel artists and 2022 National Heritage Fellows the Legendary Ingramettes perform at the National Endowment for the Arts' Legacy Stage at the Great American State Fair. Watch the 2026 Heritage Fellowships ceremony on September 30 at arts.gov/Heritage. Photo by Mike Morgan Photography

On a stage, a man plays the cello, while in front of him a line of four people dance and walk off the stage.

NEA Jazz Masters Marshall Allen, Chucho Valdés, Marilyn Crispell, and Gary Giddins during the finale of the 2025 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert. Watch the 2026 concert on September 15 at arts.gov/Jazz.  Photo by Jati Lindsay

A woman dances with a paper fan.

2025 National Heritage Fellow Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga carries forward the tradition of Bon Odori, a Japanese community dance rooted in remembrance. Visit arts.gov/Heritage to learn about the 2026 Heritage Fellows events, taking place September 29-30. Photo by Hypothetical

A man plays trumpet onstage, a guitarist in the background.

2024 Jazz Masters Terence Blanchard performs at the Jazz Masters Tribute Concert. Watch the 2026 concert on September 15 at arts.gov/Jazz. Watch the 2026 concert on September 15th, streaming on arts.gov. Photo by Jati Lindsay

Men in traditional Ukrainian dress sing and play the bandura, a large lute-harp hybrid.

2025 National Heritage Fellows the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America. Watch the 2026 Heritage Fellowships ceremony on September 30 at arts.gov/Heritage. Photo by Stefan Iwaskewycz

Onstage, three children in brightly colored clothes face the audience. A young girl is dressed as a witch, pointing to the distance, flanked on each side by a boy and girl who shield their eyes and look off in that direction.

Students in the Missoula Children's Theatre production of Hansel and Gretel, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Photo by the Missoula Children’s Theatre

A woman plays an organ on a dramatically lit stage, other musicians playing in the background.

2024 Jazz Master Amina Claudine Myers performs at the Jazz Masters Tribute Concert. Watch the 2026 concert on September 15 at arts.gov/Jazz. Photo by Jati Lindsay

A woman in elegant Mexican folk dress dances in front of a banner displaying the logo for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Heritage Fellowships medal. A guitarist and an accordionist accompany her in the background.

Mexican folk costume maker and dancer Carmen Baron, a 2025 National Heritage Fellow, dances at the 2025 awards ceremony. Watch the 2026 Heritage Fellowships ceremony on September 30 at arts.gov/Heritage. Photo by Tom Pich

What’s Happening at the NEA

Three people stand in front of a painting of Denali
Travels with the Chairman
Highlights from Chairman Carter's visits to arts communities across the nation
Photos of Jazz Masters with Jazz Masters logo and text on the concert date, location, and time
2026 Jazz Masters Tribute Concert—Tues. Sept. 15 in Los Angeles, CA
Reserve your free tickets or watch the webcast!
Young woman recites at a microphone
2026-2027 Poetry Out Loud Recitation Competition for High School Students Launches
Schools and Organizations Can Register to Host Their Own Poetry Out Loud Competition

News

See All News
A group of intergenerational people are pictured on a dance floor. An older couple ducks and walks beneath that outstretched arched hands of younger participants
Creative Forces Expands Arts Engagement Opportunities for Military Nationwide
cover of the Great American State Fair Passport with a graphic of one of the interior state pages
National Endowment for the Arts Highlights the Importance of Arts and Culture at the Great American State Fair
A packed auditorium of community members seated in wooden pews faces a small stage where two people are seated in conversation.
Announcing the 2026-2027 National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Communities
Blonde woman at White House with Military Band Heads to her left and right
National Endowment for the Arts Awards "Celebrating the Nation’s 250th Birthday with Music from U.S. Military Bands” Grants

Stories

See All Stories
Three people stand in front of a painting of Denali
Watch
Travels with the Chairman: Anchorage, Wasilla, and Palmer, Alaska
Group of people in front of a stone building
Read
Travels with the Chairman: Rexburg, Pocatello, and Shelley, Idaho
A young man with black jacket and long hair on staging singing
Watch
2026 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge Winner: Rett Bush (Georgia)
A colorfully painted vase and high top shoes
Read
Travels with the Chairman: Portland, Oregon

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 70 Percent

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

Approximately 33 Percent

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

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 opportunities for arts participation.

61 Cents

The Arts Endowment’s annual cost to each American.

0.003 Percent

The Arts Endowment’s percentage of the federal budget.

More Than $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).