The Idaho Commission on the Arts is the official state agency for the support and development of the arts in Idaho. The Commission promotes artistic excellence, education in the arts, access to the arts for all and community investment in the arts. Its professional staff administers and develops the programs and services of the agency, assists grant applicants, and provides technical assistance.

Arts administration is no less a community effort than is support of the arts. At the Commission a professional staff provides resources, information, and technical assistance to artists and to arts and cultural organizations in every corner of our state. In addition, the Commission administers grants, Fellowships, and residencies for Idaho artists, schools, traditional artists, and arts organizations; mails a statewide arts newsletter; and maintains an informative Web site. The staff furnishes the commissioners with information about arts issues and grant applications, and implements Commission policies; the commissioners, in turn, approve panel recommendations concerning all grants and awards.

Despite the skein of rules and forms and panels-inconvenient perhaps to artists and arts organizations, but essential to stewardship of public monies-the arts in Idaho are well along the path to being part of every child's education and central to the lives of most Idahoans. Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter invite you to join us in our journey together to grow the arts in Idaho.

The Commission receives a majority of its funding from the state of Idaho and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) annually. The current chairman of the NEA is Dana Gioia, who was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed in 2003.