North Carolina

In the past five years, the National Endowment for the Arts distributed $21,075,845 in federal funding, either directly or through state and regional partners, in North 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, North Carolina…

• Added 3 percent or $25 billion to the state economy from arts and cultural production
• Employed 167,254 workers in the arts and cultural industries, with workers earning wages and benefits totaling $13 billion

More than 39 percent of North Carolina’s adults attended live music, theater, or dance performances, while more than 18 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 132 participating museums in North Carolina.

More than 2,054 students in North Carolina participated in Poetry Out Loud, a dynamic poetry recitation competition.

The NEA Big Read program generated community events focused on reading outstanding American literature and involving more than 8,757 students and adults in North Carolina. 

The Shakespeare in American Communities program in North Carolina enabled 1,284 students the opportunity to see live professional performances of Shakespeare or to engage in educational programs.