Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) was established in 1967. It provides grants, technical assistance and support to artists, arts organizations, schools, community centers, social service organizations, and local governments to bring the arts into the lives of Rhode Islanders. RISCA employs a variety of methods to carry out its work, including grant-making, strategic partnerships, outreach and facilitation.

RISCA is involved in a series of strategic partnerships with major institutions and entities from the public and private sectors to broaden support for the arts in Rhode Island. A few current partners include: the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Rhode Island Foundation, the Rhode Island Alliance for Arts Education, the Rhode Island Teaching Artists Center (RITAC), VSA arts of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMoCA), among others.