National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is an independent agency of the federal government. The foundation develops and promotes a national policy of support for the humanities and the arts.
The foundation is administered by a National Endowment for the Arts and a National Endowment for the Humanities. Each endowment is guided by a council composed of 26 private citizens distinguished for their knowledge and experience in the two allied cultural areas, the arts and the humanities. A Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities coordinates the foundation’s activities with related federal agencies. In 1996, the Institute of Museum and Library Services was established within the foundation. The institute is the primary source of federal support for libraries and museums in the United States.
The Arts Endowment is authorized to assist individuals and nonprofit organizations in a wide range of artistic endeavors. Additional funds are authorized to aid activities in the arts that are sponsored by the states. The Humanities Endowment also makes grants to its state councils. It directly supports projects in education, public programs, preservation, research, and scholarship in the humanities. The Foundation awards the National Medal of Arts annually to no more than 12 individuals or groups in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States.
Each endowment is headed by a chairperson, who serves on the federal council, along with representatives of federal agencies whose programs are related to the arts and humanities. The foundation was established in 1965. It is in Washington, D.C.
