Iowa

In the past five years, the National Endowment for the Arts distributed $12,273,933 in federal funding, either directly or through state and regional partners, in Iowa.

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, Iowa...

• Added 2 percent or $5 billion to the state economy from arts and cultural production
• Employed 48,290 workers in the arts and cultural industries, with workers earning wages and benefits totaling $3 billion

Nearly 29 percent of Iowa’s adults attended live music, theater, or dance performances, while nearly 11 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 111 participating museums in Iowa.

More than 418 students in Iowa participated in Poetry Out Loud, a dynamic poetry recitation competition.

The Shakespeare in American Communities program in Iowa enabled 375 students the opportunity to see live professional performances of Shakespeare or to engage in educational programs.

The NEA Big Read program generated community events focused on reading  outstanding American literature and involving more than 944 students and adults in Iowa.