World Art Day Report: California #2 in Arts Friendliness

With World Art Day coming up on April 15, and approximately 5.2 million Americans employed in the arts, the non-profit organization SmileHub today released new reports on the Best Charities for the Arts and the Best States for the Arts in 2025.

To highlight the states that provide the best environment for the arts and the ones that need to improve the most, SmileHub compared each of the 50 states based on 16 key metrics. The data set ranges from the share of adults who create art to the average salary of fine artists to the quality of graduate art programs. 

California ranked 2nd in overall art friendliness, only to New York. However, The Golden State ranks a bit lower when it comes to adults creating art and also the quality of graduate arts programs. You can view the full report and find out various state’s rank’s here.

Art-Friendliness of California (1=Best, 25=Avg.):

• Overall Rank: 2nd
• 7th – Share of Population with a Degree in Visual Arts
• 1st – Arts Charities per Capita
• 2nd – Average Salary for Fine Artists
• 1st – Artists per Capita
• 7th – Quality of Graduate Art Programs

World Art Day is an international celebration of the fine arts which was declared by the International Association of Art in order to promote awareness of creative activity worldwide. It is generally celebrated each year, on 15 April, the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most famous artists in history. World Art Day helps to reinforce the links between artistic creations and society, encourage greater awareness of the diversity of artistic expressions and highlight the contribution of artists to sustainable development.

According to UNESCO, World Art Day 2025 is a timely reminder that art can unite and connect us even in the most difficult of circumstances.