Pandemic relief funding for the arts was 'staggering'

Ballet Hispánico was one of 25 companies that performed at the American Dance Festival in Durham, N.C. in 2023. The pandemic forced the Festival to cancel the event two years in a row. (Ben McKeown/American Dance Festival)

Government funding for the arts has, historically, been a political football. But a new study finds that the government had a rare moment of generosity toward the entertainment sector during the pandemic.

Out of the $4.6 trillion in federal relief funds, $53 billion went to arts and entertainment, according to a new study by SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research at Southern Methodist University that was commissioned by Bloomberg Associates.