FY26 FPDC General Information

A. Program Overview

The Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), the independent state arts agency (SAA) for the District of Columbia, is empowered through D.C. Official Code § 39–204, et seq. to issue competitive grants for projects in the arts to individuals and organizations based in and primarily serving the District. Through this RFA, CAH’s Public Art department is soliciting applications from experienced local mural artists for the FY26 Fresh Paint: CAH Mural Program to design and install large-scale exterior murals on the facade of selected buildings within the District of Columbia.

B. Program Goals

The purpose of the FY26 Fresh Paint: CAH Mural Program is to:

Encourage appreciation for, and enjoyment of, the arts and humanities by funding local artists to install original murals in accessible public spaces within the District for all to experience.
Create arts projects for District-based mural artists to collaborate and showcase their talent and to have arts-related work opportunities in District.
Strengthen District communities by reflecting place-based identities in the design of the mural and by fostering a sense of communal ownership over space through stewardship of the mural.
Provide educational opportunities and share culture through public art which enhances the artistic and humanistic talents of the grantee.

C. Services and Activities

In alignment with the 2026 Public Arts Work Plan, CAH will select mural artists, through a fair and competitive process, for an award of grant funds to be used for the design, materials, fabrication, installation, personnel, and project management of a public art mural. Each eligible applicant may only submit one application to this program per fiscal year for one single-year grant award. FY26 Fresh Paint: CAH Mural Program grantees will be held to a Period of Performance beginning on October 1, 2025, and ending September 30, 2026. Grant funds may not be used for activities occurring outside of the Period of Performance.

D. Limitations of the Use of Grant Funds

As a District of Columbia agency, CAH must ensure that all grant funds are expended in a fiscally responsible manner. Allowable costs are those the District designates as appropriate expenditures. Unallowable costs are prohibited and include:

Food and beverages.
Re-granting (also known as “sub-granting”).
Tuition and scholarships.
Expenses associated with an organization assuming the role of a fiscal agent.
Costs related to fundraisers, special events and lobbying.
Expenses unrelated to the applicant’s work or discipline.
Funding to universities, foreign governments, or DC government agencies, including DCPS.

All expenses must be approved by the FY26 Fresh Paint: CAH Mural Program manager before the grant agreement is processed for disbursement of funds. Questions regarding allowable costs should be referred to the FY26 Fresh Paint: CAH Mural Program manager.

E. Grant Application Process

NEW! This application must be submitted using Submittable CAH’s New
Grants Management Portal. More information and resources are available here

Read the Guide to Grants.
Read the RFA guidelines (this document).
Determine eligibility.
Go to Apply for Grants and select Grant Application Portal to register as user. (To reset a user password, select “Forgot your password?”)
Complete the application questions and narrative data.
Upload all required documents, supplementary material, and work samples.
Double-check the application for thoroughness, clarity, and typographical errors.
Submit the application by 9 PM EST on the grant program’s deadline date.
Ensure receipt of the grant submission confirmation e-mail (auto-generated by the online portal) by the application deadline.

CAH does not accept mailed, emailed, or hand-delivered copies of grant applications and/or the required attachments. CAH will accept reasonable accommodation requests from applicants with disabilities to submit grant applications via mail, email, or hand-delivery. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Jenna Kriegel at [email protected] and await request approval.

CAH’s grant application process is competitive and subject to the availability of funds.

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. CAH staff are not permitted to make corrections to applications on behalf of applicants. After the deadline CAH staff reviews applications for completeness and contacts applicants within five (5) business days of the deadline. Applicants are then responsible for updating their application within five (5) business days of CAH’s notification. Failure to do so will disqualify the application.

F. Eligibility

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.

An artist team is a group of two (2) eligible mural artists working together. An Artist Team must identify a lead artist who will actively engage in all phases of the project.

Artist/Lead Artist may apply having met the following eligibility requirements at the time of application:
- Artist/Lead Artist is a resident of the District of Columbia aged eighteen (18) or older for at least one (1) year prior to the submission deadline and must maintain residency in the District of Columbia during the entire grant period.
- Artist/Lead Artist has a permanent District of Columbia address, as listed on legal identification and tax returns. The address provided on all application materials must match exactly the address provided on the submitted IRS W-9 form. Post office boxes cannot be used as a demonstration of the applicant’s primary address.
- Artist/Lead Artist possesses a federal Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
  - If the applicant is not a resident of the District and does not have a Social Security Number (SSN), the person will need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). The IRS issues ITINs to individuals who are required to have a US taxpayer identification number but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain, an SSN.
- Artist/Lead Artist can obtain a “Certificate of Clean Hands” from the District’s Office of Tax and Revenue (MyTax.DC.gov)
- Artist/Lead Artist has a documented record of designing, fabricating and installing a large-scale exterior public art mural.
- Artist/Lead Artist is in “good standing” with CAH demonstrated by the applicant’s complete or non-delinquent reporting due to CAH from any prior CAH funded program. Applicants that are not in good standing are ineligible to apply and therefore may not receive any additional grant award (in any category of grant funding) from CAH in FY 2026.
- Artist/Lead Artist warrants exclusive and perpetual ownership of and/or control over all copyrights in the mural by completing Warranty Regarding Relationship to Grant-related Copyrights (“Addendum C”).

Ineligible Applicants
- Artist teams with more than two (2) artists.
- Individuals that require “fiscal agents.”
- Organizations, including, but not limited to non-profit or tax-exempt organizations; for-profit (commercial) businesses, ventures, or joint ventures; private foundations; political organizations; colleges or universities; foreign governments; federal government entities; and other District of Columbia government agencies, including DC Public Schools and Public Charter schools.
- Artists residing outside of the District.

Applicants may not request or receive funding for the same activities through more than one CAH program or grant category. Multiple applicants may not apply for funding for the same project, whether through the same or different grant programs.

CAH utilizes an online grant portal to receive grant applications. All applications must be submitted through the grant portal by Monday, February 23, 2026 (9 PM ET). A confirmation email generates automatically upon submission of the application in the portal. Technical issues or failure to receive a confirmation email should be immediately brought to the attention of CAH staff. Incomplete or late applications or applications that do not follow the instructions and guidelines are deemed ineligible for review and funding.

G. Technical Assistane and Workshops

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. All workshops for FY26 grant applications are virtual. 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. Additionally, the Public Art Department offers group or individual technical assistance by appointment to review application drafts during CAH business hours until the week preceding the grant application deadline. Applicants may contact CAH at (202) 724-5613 to schedule an application review meeting.

Workshops and In-Person Assistance

During the application window, CAH Public Art staff will be available to answer questions online and in person as follows:

Technical Assistance and Live Chats
Assistance Type	Description	Day & Time	Location
Workshop	CAH will conduct free workshops for participants to learn about the FY26 Fresh Paint DC: CAH Mural Program funding opportunities and how to apply	Monday, December 22, 2025 at 11 AM EST	RSVP on Eventbrite
Workshop	CAH will conduct free workshops for participants to learn about the FY26 Fresh Paint DC: CAH Mural Program funding opportunities and how to apply	Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 2 pm EST	RSVP on Eventbrite
Workshop	CAH will conduct free workshops for participants to learn about the FY26 Fresh Paint DC: CAH Mural Program funding opportunities and how to apply	Friday, February 20, 2026 at 4 pm EST	RSVP on Eventbrite
Open Office Hours	One-on-one assistance with grant application to discuss strategies that might help showcase the applicant’s activities	Schedule via email request	online

You can contact Deirdre Darden, Public Art Coordinator at [email protected] for further information.

CAH staff members will not write applications for applicants. CAH staff members are available to review draft applications for thirty (30) minute appointments, on government business days up to one (1) week prior to the grant application deadline. Applicants should contact CAH to schedule a meeting by calling 202-724-5613. Please note that CAH requests the applicant prepare a full draft application proposal along with any questions in advance of scheduling a meeting for agency staff assistance.

H. Program Stages

Stage One:

Applicants submit applications via CAH grant portal
The Selection Panel will review and evaluate each application based on artist selection criteria and will recommend a roster of finalists.
Finalists and other applicants will be notified of decisions.

Stage Two:

CAH Staff will match finalists with available walls/sites and determine budgets for each artist/artist team and site.
Upon selection of the final artist/artist team for a site, the selected artist/artist team lead will enter into grant agreement with CAH.
The Artist will develop a design concept that will need to be approved by the site owner and CAH staff.

Stage Three:

The Artist will prep their site for installation
Install mural in accordance with deliverable schedule

I. Project Schedule

Date	Activity & Deliverables
December 2026	FY26 Fresh Paint: CAH Mural Program RFA launched
February 2026	Application submission deadline
March 2026	Selection Panel convenes
April 2026	Applicants notified. Site matches
May 2026	Designs submitted and approved.
June - September 2026	Installation occurs and Murals complete

J. Application Review and Selection Process

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. According to the grant program, panelists participate in a group review of CAH grant applications to discuss and comment on the merits of and opportunities to strengthen applications as well as finalize their application-related scores in the presence of CAH staff and Commissioner Conveners. CAH staff, Commissioner Conveners, and panelists remain impartial in their review of CAH grant applications. CAH ensures that all involved recuse themselves from the review of any application that presents a personal or professional conflict of interest (or the appearance of a conflict of interest). CAH makes the final determination regarding artist selection.

CAH's grant application evaluation process considers general standards of decency and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American public consistent with The National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965, as amended (P.L; 89-209, 20 U.S.C. 951 et seq). For more information regarding the grant review process, please contact Deirdre Darden, Public Art Coordinator, at [email protected]

Successful applications submit all required documents. Previous work samples illustrate artistic excellence in large-scale exterior murals. Consider how the applicant’s qualifications connect to the project goals.

—> View Required Application Materials

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