State Arts Agency Fact Sheet: Support for Individual Artists

Ryan Stubbs

GIA is pleased to republish this State Arts Agency Fact Sheet: Support for Individual Artists, originally developed by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA.) We look forward to the day when we’ll have this kind of data on support for individual artists from private philanthropy as well.

Artists form the foundation of a state’s creative environment. They act as creators and individual entrepreneurs who provide many of the products and designs that drive innovation and shape a state’s cultural character. Many artists also work as educators, providing training in creative skills and passing on cultural traditions from one generation to the next. State arts agencies (SAAs) support artists through a variety of grants and services.

Grant funding: State arts agencies currently invest almost $7 million in grants to individual artists. Total dollar amounts and grants to individual artists declined during the past two recessions. However, in the last two years, states have increased grant dollars going to individual artists. Additionally, as a proportion of all SAA grants, artists’ grants have held steady, making up about 3 percent of all grants and between 11 percent and 13 percent of all grant dollars during the last ten years.

Fellowships (awards that honor the achievements of artists and encourage the development of new creative works) are a common type of grant support. These make up nearly 30 percent of SAAs’ individual artist grants in terms of dollar amounts. SAAs also provide grants for commissions, as well as project support for performances, exhibits, apprenticeships, professional development, instruction, and residencies.

Programs and services: In addition to direct financial support, state arts agencies provide services and information to assist artists. One important SAA goal is to broaden opportunities for artists to showcase their work. To this end, numerous SAAs maintain artist rosters, which promote performing artists and encourage their booking for residencies and touring. Many SAAs offer galleries (both physical and virtual) and statewide art collections that encourage the display of art in public spaces. SAAs also offer training and networking services through conferences, workshops, and web seminars that assist artists with business development and connect them with peers. Information on topics such as health insurance, resource development, and technology constitutes other important SAA services.

The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is the membership organization that unites, represents, and serves the nation’s state and jurisdictional arts agencies. NASAA serves as a clearinghouse for data and research about public funding and the arts. This report draws on data from state arts agencies’ final descriptive reports of grantmaking activity submitted annually to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and NASAA. NASAA’s collection of grantmaking statistics is supported in part through a cooperative agreement with the NEA. For more information on the work of state arts agencies, call 202-347-6352, email nasaa@nasaa-arts.org, or visit www.nasaa-arts.org.
Chart: State Arts Agency Grants to Individual Artists. Click to enlarge.Click/tap to enlarge
Chart: State Arts Agency Grants to Individual Artists: Fiscal Years 2003-2012. Click to enlarge.Click/tap to enlarge
Chart: Indiviual Artists Grants by State, fiscal year 2012. Click to enlarge.Click/tap to enlarge
Chart: State Arts Agency Grants to Individual Artists by Artistic Discipline, Fiscal Year 2012. Click to enlarge.Click/tap to enlarge
Chart: Individual Artists Activities Funded by State Arts Agencies, Fiscal Year 2012. Click to enlarge.Click/tap to enlarge