District of Columbia

In the past five years, the National Endowment for the Arts distributed $109,703,744 in federal funding, either directly or through city and regional partners, in the District of Columbia.

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, DC...

• Added 8.5 percent or $15 billion to the district economy from arts and cultural production
• Employed 50,307 workers in the arts and cultural industries, with workers earning wages and benefits totaling $10 billion

Nearly 53 percent of DC’s adults attended live music, theater, or dance performances, while more than 41 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 last five years:

The Blue Star Museums program provided free admission to thousands of active military personnel and their families at 32 participating museums in the District of Columbia.

More than 3,307 students from 34 high schools in the District of Columbia participated in Poetry Out Loud.

The NEA Big Read program generated community events focused on reading outstanding American literature and involving more than 199 adults and students in the District of Columbia.

The Shakespeare in American Communities program in the District of Columbia enabled schools to offer 2,438 children the opportunity to see live professional performances of Shakespeare, or to engage in educational programs.