The Kansas Arts Commission is a state arts agency governed by a 12-member panel of commissioners appointed for four-year rotating terms by the governor. The commission's annual budget is made up of funds appropriated by the Kansas legislature and grants awarded to the agency by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). In 2003, the Kansas Arts Commission and other Kansas arts organizations received grants totaling $677,300 from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Arts Commission is also in partnership with the regional Mid-America Arts Alliance. The Kansas Humanities Council, founded in 1972, sponsors programs involving over 500,000 people each year. In 2000, the state received $913,929 in grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The largest and most active arts organizations in the state is the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, established in 1944. The Topeka Performing Arts Center presents concerts and shows of a variety of music. Topeka also hosts a symphony and a ballet company.