South Carolina

In the past five years, the National Endowment for the Arts distributed $9,443,852 in federal funding, either directly or through state and regional partners, in South Carolina.

In the most recent information (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, South Carolina…

• Added 2.9 percent or $9.4 billion to the state economy from arts and cultural production
• Employed 67,784 workers in the arts and cultural industries, with workers earning wages and benefits totaling $4.6 billion

Nearly 40 percent of South Carolina’s adults attended live music, theater, or dance performances, while more than 19 percent attended art exhibits, according to the 2022 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 past five years:

The Blue Star Museums program provided free admission to thousands of active military personnel and their families at 59 participating museums in South Carolina. 

More than 1,684 students from 37 high schools in South Carolina participated in Poetry Out Loud. 

The NEA Big Read program generated community events focused on reading outstanding American literature and involving more than 4,859 adults and students in South Carolina.