The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art" which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass the visual arts, the literary arts, and the performing arts - music, theatre, dance and film, among others. This list is by no means comprehensive, but only meant to introduce the concept of the arts. ~ Wikipedia
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the US Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. The NEA has its offices in the Old Post Office Building in Washington D.C.