California
Facts and Figures
In the past five years, the National Endowment for the Arts distributed $65,935,504 in federal funding, either directly or through state and regional partners, in California.
In the most recent information (2022) 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, California...
- Added 8 percent or $290.3 billion to the state economy from arts and cultural production
- Employed 847,688 workers in the arts and cultural industries, with workers earning wages and benefits totaling more than $141.3 billion
Almost 47 percent of California’s adults attended live music, theater, or dance performances, while almost 25 percent attended art exhibits, according to the 2017 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau.
In addition to offering direct grants, the NEA supports national initiatives benefiting people across the country. Over the last five years:
Blue Star Museums program provided free admission to thousands of active military personnel and their families at 263 participating museums in California.
An average of 18,499 students from 859 high schools in California participated in Poetry Out Loud annually.
The NEA Big Read initiative generated 1,030 community events in the state, involving more than 87,812 adults and students.
California Fact Sheet
On this page, find information on the arts and culture for California, and how the National Endowment for the Arts has supported the arts in communities throughout the state. Below are highlights of just some of Arts Endowment grantees and artists working in California.
To find a list of grants awarded by the agency to California, go to our Recent Grant Search.
State Highlights
![a middle-aged Black man wearing a shirt and tie sits on a chair smiling at the camera](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/reginaldgreen.png?h=101f6d73&itok=-PCVmK3d)
![Woman wearing black dress and large gold necklace sitting at piano and singing in front of an audience.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/nani.jpg?h=04ec9ced&itok=q-AhfsBY)
![a smiling middle-aged blonde woman with curly hair](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/juliannesterling_img_4558.jpg?h=558695f1&itok=BKyVSAjG)
![Woman with long braided hair and purple flower over her ear dancing on stage with a long orange scarf](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/Courtesy%20of%20Jacob%27s%20Pillow%2C%20Photo%20by%20Danica%20Paulos%20August%202022-300CMYK.jpg?h=4403964b&itok=dturROeg)
![Mia Ronn's sheer excitement at being declared 2022 POL winner](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/Mia-wins.jpg?h=9b087389&itok=sWj-uTyk)
![While a male-appearing dancer executes a move in the background, in the foreground a female-appearing dancer executes a leap.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/JazzAntiqua%201_leapingwoman.jpg?h=4c1af2a7&itok=7MEsXxqc)
![Portrait of Asian man wearing a white shirt and gray sports jacket in front of brick wall.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/snehal-headshot%20%281%29%20%281%29%20%281%29%20%281%29.jpg?h=3cd06fc8&itok=7NJL3Aod)
![Headshot of a man](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/LosLobos_LouiePerez--Credit-Hypothetical.png?h=fa4e78a6&itok=s2lonO_2)
![Indian American woman in purple outfit dancing.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/Leela%20Dance%20Collective%20-%20Rina%20Mehta%20Kathak%20Solo%20-%20Photo%20Credit%20Travis%20Broxton.jpg?h=8f0b2d98&itok=RREp7bHM)
![dancers from AXIS Dance company, two of whom are seated in wheelchairs](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/AXISDanceCompany_DavidDeSilva_Alice_resized.jpeg?h=d94b188e&itok=_jC2cYre)
![A man sits smiling on a porch step while a man plays guitar into a microphone while sitting behind him](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/BigJoeChrisArhoolie_0.jpg?h=52605a11&itok=RjAAl48h)
![Two dancers suspended against a side of a building with video projections in the background](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/Bandaloop1.jpg?h=ad59b4d0&itok=lPUkXNNI)
![Musician with white beard in white suit and hat holding small guitar.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/NA-Posadas1web.jpg?h=52605a11&itok=7EJFlMwG)
![Man in hat holding saxophone.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/Lloyd-Photo%20by%20D.%20Darr.jpg?h=7567caac&itok=sdfWHQKQ)
![Headshot of a woman.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/Ofelia-Esparza-bio.png?h=04d92ac6&itok=_SHgRF0i)
![Headshot of a man.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/Ramon-Chunky-Sanchez.jpg?h=ffe06cd8&itok=svZMr2TJ)
![California Arts Council Director Craig Watson](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/CraigWatsonRESIZED.jpg?h=52605a11&itok=cw_8PbRU)
![Headshot of a man.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/Michael-Fields-Podcast.png?h=52605a11&itok=-pvDauUA)
![Headshot of a man.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/Randall-Kline-pod.jpg?h=12d66d66&itok=QWq9q-ry)
![Portrait of woman.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/Portrait%204bsmall.jpg?h=52605a11&itok=t5Io-OQm)
![portrait of poet David Tomas Martinez](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/DavidTomasMartinez_NEALitFellow_Dec2016_byRachelElizaGriffiths_resized.jpeg?h=52605a11&itok=ld4NYUaX)
![US Map](/sites/default/files/styles/medium_square_scale_250x250_/public/images/US-Arts-SD.png?h=bd9181e9&itok=TS8seMGS)
State & Regional Contacts
California Arts Council
1300 I Street, #930
Sacramento, CA 95814
916/322-6555
TT: 916/322-6569
info@caartscouncil.com
Western States Arts Federation (Regional Arts Organization)
1743 Wazee Street, suite 300
Denver, CO 80202
303/629-1166
staff@westaf.org