The Arizona Commission on the Arts was established as a permanent state agency in 1967. The Arizona Humanities Council was established in 1973. In 2003, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awarded grants totaling $924,600 to Arizona art organizations. In 2000, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded grants totaling $1,611,571 to 12 organizations. State arts programs are also supported by the Arizona Arts Endowment Fund (also called Arizona ArtShare), which was established in 1996. Arizona is also a member state of the Western States Art Federation. Contributions from the state to arts-related institutions have reached over 85,000 artists. Arts education programs have been provided for 77,600 children. In 1996, Arizona's arts associations numbered 350.
Arizona has traditionally been a center for Indian folk arts and crafts. The Arizona State Museum (Tucson), Colorado River Indian Tribes Museum (Parker), Heard Museum of Anthropology and Primitive Art (Phoenix), Mohave Museum of History and Arts (Kingman), Navaho Tribal Museum (Window Rock), and Pueblo Grande Museum (Phoenix) all display Indian creations, both historic and contemporary. Modern Arizona artists are featured at the Tucson Museum of Art and the Yuma Art Center.
Musical and dramatic performances are presented in Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, and other major cities. There are two major orchestras, the Phoenix Symphony and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. The Arizona Opera Company and the Arizona Theatre Company perform in both Tucson and Phoenix. Ballet Arizona is based in Phoenix. The annual Grand Canyon Music Festival (est. 1984) features the finest in both classical and folk music.