CAH selects arts, humanities, subject matter experts, and/or other professionals independent of CAH, such as project partners, to serve as Selection Panelists for each grant program. The role of a panelist is to review and score an eligible application's content based on the established grant program review criteria.
The panel may determine the qualifications of each application by using the criteria below and reviewing the résumé/s, work samples, request details, and support materials of each artist (or of each team member, if an Artist Team).
Artistic Merit – 30%
The following application documents are mandatory for all submissions:
As an agency of the Government of the District of Columbia, CAH ensures that its grantmaking funds are expended in a fiscally responsible manner. CAH grant-related “allowable costs” are those costs that the District Government (through its subordinate agency, CAH) has determined, in its sole discretion, to be valid expenditures.
Examples of “Allowable Costs”:
More information regarding CAH’s grant programs, and clarification about related accessibility requirements, work sample submissions, and grant-making processes can be found in CAH’s Guide to Grants. Specific questions about the FY27 Fresh Paint: CAH Mural Program application may be referred to Deirdre Darden, Public Art Coordinator at [email protected].
| Date | Activity & Deliverables |
| Monday, October 26, 2026 | FY27 Fresh Paint: CAH Mural Program RFA launched |
| Monday, December 7, 2026 | Application submission deadline |
| December 2026 | Selection Panel convenes |
| February 2027 |
Stage One:
Stage Two:
CAH conducts free workshops for prospective applicants on how to submit a grant application. Workshop dates, times and locations listed on CAH’s website are subject to change.. Participants are strongly encouraged to RSVP. More information about the dates and times of these workshops may be found at www.dcarts.dc.gov under Grant Writing Assistance, or by calling CAH at 202-724-5613.
This is a Request for Applications (RFA) for mural artists and mural Artist Teams with experience in exterior mural design and installation. An individual may submit one application for a funding opportunity on their own behalf; a Lead Artist may apply for an Artist Team in which they are included. All applicants must meet all eligibility requirements at the time the application is submitted. Failure to meet any requirement may make the application ineligible for further review and award.