Support for Fellowships and Artists

One common misperception about arts funding is that public support for individual artists disappeared during the culture wars of the 1990s. Although most National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants to individual artists were eliminated in 1994, the NEA does maintain Literature Fellowships, Jazz Master Fellowships and National Heritage Fellowships.

A much larger public-sector contribution to individual artists is achieved through state arts agencies (SAAs). NASAA’s grant-making fact sheet on Support for Individual Artists shows that, in 2012, SAAs distributed nearly $7 million in individual artist grants. Individual artist awards at SAAs have consistently comprised 3% of total SAA dollars awarded and 11% of total SAA grants.

A major portion (27%) of SAA individual artist grants are distributed in the form of artist fellowships. NASAA’s new State Arts Agency Artist Fellowships Strategy Sampler updates data on the 29 SAA fellowship programs and looks at common goals, guidelines and eligibility criteria for states administering these types of awards. For more information on state arts agency support of individual artists and fellowships, contact NASAA Research Director Ryan Stubbs.