LA County invests in arts and culture through large institutions, grants to community-based organizations, arts education programs in schools and communities, construction of public art, and through professional development programs. Many other County departments, agencies, and offices use arts and culture to achieve their missions. 

How much money does LA County government invest in arts and culture? What communities do those investments reach? Where are the equity gaps in arts and culture investments? This Needs Assessment study begins to answer those important questions.  

When the LA County Board of Supervisors passed the Cultural Policy in 2020, they asked the Department of Arts and Culture to measure all County investments in the arts, across all divisions of County government, and to assess the equity of those investments. This establishes a baseline of knowledge of where county arts and culture resources were currently allocated. The Board of Supervisors can use the findings to set priorities for future investments in the arts. The Department of Arts and Culture can use it to address equity concerns. We have made the data available to the public so that anyone can use it to understand County investments in the arts and take action on what they learn.

Data presented on the Needs Assessment website tell a story of significant investments in arts and culture by LA County government, from large museums and performing arts venues, to community-based activities led by small and midsize arts nonprofits and individual artists, to government agencies using the arts to achieve a wide range of missions. Collectively, these investments constitute one of the many vital services LA County government provides to its residents.

While LA County’s major cultural institutions receive the largest share of arts and culture investment (and their community programs reach zip codes where more than 99 percent of all residents live), one surprising finding to emerge was that LA County’s largest number of arts and culture investments take place in County libraries. Both are investments in institutions with fixed facilities.

Investments in community-based arts and culture programming and artists are made primarily through the Department of Arts and Culture, and they reach nearly every zip code in the county. It is this multifaceted approach to investing in institutions, communities, and people that is a hallmark of LA County’s approach as we strive to ensure all residents have access to the benefits of the arts.

These findings also show gaps in investments and opportunities for improvement. LA County's Cultural Policy Strategic Plan offers 18 different strategies that, if funded, can improve equity, inclusion, and access to arts and culture. The data collected in this study show that LA County has a strong foundation to build on.

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