The $18.3 billion bipartisan budget passed by the state legislature and signed earlier this month by Governor Katie Hobbs repeats an annual investment of $2 million in arts and culture. This one-time appropriation from the State’s General Fund will fund statewide grantmaking in support of nonprofit arts organizations, community arts festivals, and arts learning programs.
“On behalf of the Commission, I extend our sincere thanks to the Legislature and Governor Hobbs for their continued investment in the arts,” said Dawn Wallace, Board Chair of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. “This funding reflects a strong, shared belief that arts and culture are not just expressions of creativity—they are vital to Arizona’s economic strength, education, and community well-being.”
The agency’s legislative appropriation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027, which begins on July 1, 2026, repeats the $2 million one-time appropriation included in the state’s FY2025 and FY2026 budgets. In FY2026, the Arizona Commission on the Arts delivered its full $2 million appropriation back to Arizona communities through grants awarded to 259 nonprofit arts organizations ranging from volunteer-led community choirs, orchestras, and theatre companies, to world-class museums and performing arts spaces.
In addition to offering funding support for nonprofit arts organizations, the Arts Commission also grants to arts festivals, arts learning programs, and in support of professional development opportunities for artists and creative sector workers. All told, the agency delivered 589 grants totaling over $2.8 million in FY2026.
This renewed investment for FY2027 comes as the Arizona Commission on the Arts celebrates its 60th year as an agency of the State of Arizona. Since its establishment in 1967, the Arts Commission has administered federal and state funds dedicated to the arts by statute and legislative appropriation.
According to Arts Commission Executive Director Christina You-sun Park, “Arizona’s arts sector is vibrant, diverse, and interconnected. Organizations large and small, artists, cultural workers, and administrators all contribute to a shared ecosystem that strengthens communities, enriches lives, and drives economic growth for all Arizonans.”
The agency’s strategic plan for 2027-2031 is the culmination of a year-long public input and planning process that engaged more than 1,300 Arizonans from communities across the state. The plan can be found at https://azarts.gov/strategic-plan/.
