Following a major natural disaster, artists, culture bearers, and arts and cultural organizations are some of the most vulnerable populations, often encountering difficulties accessing relief funds and services. The National Endowment for the Arts has a long history of supporting communities following disasters and continues to look for ways the agency can support arts organizations with both preparedness and recovery.

For its recent National Council on the Arts meeting, the Arts Endowment visited Western North Carolina, an area known for being an arts hub. Before Hurricane Helene hit in September 2024, the creative economy in that region generated $3.1 billion in annual sales and supported more than 34,000 jobs (source: Arts AVL). Following the storm, there were widespread impacts, from the destruction of studios and galleries to disruptions in operations (such as access to supplies or loss of artwork ), and a decline in tourism and foot traffic.