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DC Arts

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FY26 ABP Application and Submission Information

All applications must be submitted online by 9 PM ET on Monday, May 19, 2025

A. Application Submission Portal

CAH utilizes an online grant portal to receive grant applications. The ABP application may be found online in the CAH Grant Application Portal. Incomplete, incorrect, or late applications may be deemed ineligible for review and funding.

B. Written Application Requirements

CAH utilizes an online portal to receive grant applications. Each application shall:

  1. Answer narrative questions in the application portal.
  2. Include an Artist Statement:
    1. Please briefly describe (250 words or less) the art-making process and how it relates to the artwork(s) presented in the application.
    2. District nonprofit art galleries and arts organizations that are submitting more than one artist must include a statement for each artist with all the statements in one document.
  3. Include an Impact Statement:
    1. Please briefly describe (250 words or less) how the artist represents and commits to the growth of the arts in Washington, DC. Explain how a grant to acquire the artwork will support the artist’s practice and the DC arts community if included in the Art Bank Collection.
    2. District nonprofit art galleries and arts organizations that are submitting more than one impact statement must include the statements in one document.

C. Artwork Submission Requirements

  1. Submit Images of artwork for consideration:
    1. Individual applicants (metropolitan area artists) can include up to three (3) artworks.
    2. District nonprofit art galleries or arts organizations can include up to ten (10) artworks from any combination of two (2) or more metropolitan area artists.
    3. Please submit one image per artwork showing the full artwork. No detail shots will be accepted.
    4. All applicants are allowed to submit multi-part artwork(s), including diptychs or triptychs. These artworks will count as one artwork within the allowable maximum for portfolio submission from individual artists (three) and nonprofit organizations (ten). Works in a series will not be accepted.
  2. Submitted artworks must follow the below eligibility requirements for acquisition:
    1. Artwork must be a recent body of artwork within ten (10) years of submission and/or significant to the history of visual art in the District (for example, significance may be in relation to depictions of historical moments, places and spaces, and figures) and/or significant to the full representation of the artist’s career currently not in the collection;
    2. Artwork must be in excellent condition, with no damage or conservation requirements;
    3. Artwork must be composed of archival materials and considered sustainable for a permanent collection (archival means materials conform to industry standards and production for durable and permanent work(s) of art);
    4. Artworks must not be part of a site-specific installation or require ceiling hanging for display;
    5. Artwork must not exceed seventy-two (72) inches in any direction. Wall sculpture may only extend six (6) inches from the wall;
    6. Sculptures must not to exceed thirty-six (36) inches in height or twenty-four inches (24) inches in width or depth;
    7. The overall weight of any single wall-mounted artwork must not exceed sixty (60) pounds; the overall weight of any sculpture that stands on a pedestal must not exceed one hundred (100) pounds. Any sculpture must be displayable on the wall or a pedestal, covered with plexiglass.
    8. All artwork submitted must be available for acquisition at the time of submission; applicants may not substitute works not included in the original application;
    9. Artwork submitted for consideration by nonprofit District art galleries or arts organizations must be from artists who meet all individual eligibility requirements above; and,
    10. Each artwork must be priced at $15,000 or lower. Pricing for this grant must match prices offered at galleries, at auction, in studios, and/or on artists websites). The total grant awarded to a single applicant will not exceed $15,000 (individuals) or $25,000 (nonprofit art galleries or organizations).
  3. Selected List of Prohibited Materials
    1. Bound books;
    2. Living plant materials, including soil;
    3. Preserved or live insects and animals,
    4. Raw food items, including but not limited to fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried beans, herbs, spices, and grains;
    5. Liquids, including but not limited to water, in unsealed or sealed containers;
    6. Requires electricity, batteries, or has lighting components;
    7. Materials that produce vapor, smoke, mists, and/or odors;
    8. Flammable, toxic, volatile, and/or explosive materials;
    9. Weapons or firearms.

CAH hopes to celebrate all artistic cultural forms through the Art Bank Collection and is sensitive to the diversity of materials that express cultural, ethnic, and national history. Due to preservation and conservation capacity of this municipal collection, all materials are reviewed for archival longevity. For consultation on whether materials used in your artwork fall under the above prohibited categories, please contact the grant manager for clarification.

D. Mandatory Document Requirements

In addition to the required narrative questions within the online application, applicants must submit additional documents with the ABP application. Documents must be uploaded in PDF form through the CAH Grants Application Portal prior to the application deadline. Templates and instructions for compliance documents are available in Resources for Grant Applicants.

Mandatory Documents For All Individuals and Organizations

1

Artist Resume(s)

Provide a current list of exhibitions publications, commissions, collections, and education.

  • For organizations, a permanent address must be on each resume identifying the legal residence of each artist.

District nonprofit art galleries and arts organizations that are submitting more than one artist resume must include the resumes in one document.

2

Image Identification List

Submit a pdf document listing the details of each uploaded artwork.

  • Price should be for the entire work even if the work is a diptych or triptych. Works in a series will not be considered.

Example Identification Image List:

1.        Artist Name
           Title, Year
           Medium
           Dimensions
           Single Artwork total cost:

2.        Artist Name
           Title, Year
           Medium
           Dimensions
           Single Artwork total cost:

3

Artwork Files

Up to three (3) High-quality JPEG files. Files should not exceed 5MB each.

Uploading – Applicants must use the Media Viewer to upload each image file of artwork for consideration.

  • ·For each image uploaded, please complete all required media file fields: Title, Media Type, Media Sub-type, Date, Edition number (optional), Retail price, Dimensions and Description (up to 200 words). The Description will be reviewed by the panel and, if the artwork is acquired, may be used by CAH staff.
  • After uploading images to the media viewer, the applicant must individually attach the file to their Art Bank application.
  • Individual artists are allowed to submit up to three artworks.
  • Only one image may be submitted for each artwork.
  • District nonprofit galleries or arts organizations are allowed to submit up to ten artworks.

Artwork File Labeling – Identify image files by the Identification Image List number, artist’s last name followed by the artwork title.

Example of File Labeling:
1_ Artwork Title;
2_ Artwork Title;
3_ Artwork Title; and so on.

4

Certificate of Clean Hands

Issued within thirty (30) days before the application deadline. Applicants may visit the following site to obtain more information: mytax.dc.gov

5

Statement of Certification

Ensures applicant has met and will maintain all qualifying criteria for certification for duration of award.

Link to download Statement of Certification form

Date must match ABP application submission

6

Signed IRS Form W-9

The applicant’s address must match the address in the grants portal, the address on file with the District’s Integrated Financial System (DIFS) and the address on file in the DC Government’s vendor registration system (PASS). The March 2024 version of IRS Form W-9 must be used and have the same date as the ABP application submission. Post office boxes are prohibited.

7

Artwork Relationship and Copyright Warranty Form

Indicates applicant’s right to submit the artwork for consideration for acquisition into the Art Bank Collection.

Link to download Copyright Warranty form

8

Proof of Residency

The applicant must submit a copy of a government-issued identification or tax return address page as proof of residence within a 50-mile radius of the District of Columbia.

Additional Mandatory Documents for Organizations

1

Written letter of consent

A signed letter from each artist included in the application, indicating agreement for their work to be offered to the Art Bank Collection

2

IRS Letter of Determination

 

3

DC Tax Certificate of Incorporation

 

4

IRS Form 990

Fiscal Year 2024 or most recently completed fiscal year.

Applicants are fully responsible for the content of their application materials. An automated confirmation of an applicant’s submission does not guarantee an applicant’s eligibility and therefore review by the advisory review panel (see below, “Review Process”). CAH staff are not permitted to make corrections to applications on behalf of applicants. CAH staff reviews applications for completeness and contacts applicants for any incomplete compliance documents after the application deadline. Applicants are then responsible for updating their application by the stated deadline. Failure to do so will disqualify the application.

View Eligibility Information <— | —> View Navigating the Grant Application Process

View ABP Grant Main Page