Table of Contents

  • The Commission
  • Public Art
  • FY24 Fellowship Grantees on Spotify
  • DC Black History Film Festival
  • Black History Month Calendar
  • DC Collaborative
  • Mid Atlantic Art Programs
  • Community Opportunities
  • Resources
  • Update Your Profile

The Commission

New Commissioner

Please join us in welcoming our new Commissioner: Jack Evans.

From left to right: Aaron Myers, Reggie Van Lee, Jack Evans

Commission Meetings

Our next Full Commission regular meeting will begin at 5:30 ET on Monday, February 26. Members of the public are invited to observe the meeting live online on CAH’s YouTube channel.


Members of the public may request three minutes to speak during the public comment period held at this meeting. Requests must be submitted by no later than Noon ET on Thursday, February 22. Written comments may also be submitted by no later than Noon ET on Thursday, February 22, as an alternative or in addition to spoken comments. Public comments, both spoken and written, will be included in the public record of the meeting.


This meeting is governed by the Open Meetings Act. Please address any questions or complaints arising under this meeting to the Office of Open Government at opengovoffice@dc.gov.

View Jan's Meeting
Sign Up to Submit Public Comment
View Feb Meeting Information

Public Art

Legacy: Civil Rights at 60 Exhibition

Thank you again to everyone who joined us for a wonderful opening reception on January 12!


Legacy: Civil Rights at 60 is a juried exhibition that commemorates the 60th anniversary of the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which aimed to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. By visually depicting the material, personal, and direct-action work of the past 60 years through the artworks of DC-based artists, this exhibition is a call to continue pursuing equity and social justice locally and nationally. 


It can be viewed Monday to Friday (excluding government holidays), from 9 am to 5:30 pm at our 200 I (Eye) Street Gallery.

Visit our Exhibition Main Page
Visit our Legacy Virtual Gallery

Civil Rights - The Music of a Movement

For our opening reception, CAH staff curated a playlist of relevant music from past to present. We encourage you to listen to the music of a movement while you explore our virtual gallery and throughout the year, as we reflect on and honor the 60th anniversary of the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Listen on Spotify

Capturing the Movement: DC Artists in Conversation

Thursday, February 8, 6 to 8 pm, Panel talk from 6:30 to 7:30 pm

200 I (eye) St Gallery SE, Washington DC, 20003 


What is the role of artists in civil rights movements? What movement stories can artists uniquely capture, and what tools do they call on to imagine new social futures? Join the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) for an artist panel discussion for CAH’s current exhibition, Legacy: Civil Rights at 60, which commemorates the 60th anniversary of the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This juried exhibition explores how DC artists have been influenced by this landmark legislation, which aimed to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.  


Moderator: LaCharles Ward, Director of the Center for African American Media Arts, National Museum of African American History and Culture 


Panelists:  

  • Anne Bouie, exhibited artist 
  • Karen Ruckman, exhibited artist 
  • Connor Czora, exhibited artist 
  • Imar Hutchins, exhibited artist 
  • Karen Baker, exhibition juror  
RSVP

For reasonable accommodation requests regarding access and inclusion, please contact David Markey (david.markey@dc.gov), no later than 5 business days prior to the start of this event.

FY24 Fellowship Grantees on Spotify

Speaking of Spotify, if you haven't yet, we invite you to check out our playlist of FY24 grantees. This playlist is of music by recipients of our Arts and Humanities Fellowship Grant who are on Spotify. While by no means comprehensive, this playlist features a variety of District artists and genres.

Listen on Spotify

To Scan a Spotify Code

For: Mobile and tablet

Note: Spotify needs access to your phone’s camera for this.


1. Tap Search 🔍 . 

2. Tap the search bar.

3. Tap the camera 📷

4. Tap SCAN.

5. Point your camera at a Spotify Code.


DC Black History Film Festival

An annual celebration of Black History through film, arts and culture.


Join them at the 2024 Black History Film Festival as they spotlight unsung stories of our African American heroes, celebrating our history one documentary at a time.

Get Free Tickets

Black History Month Calendar

The DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities and the DC Black History Celebration Committee are proud to present this guide to events for Black History Month 2024. All in-person events are located in Washington, DC.


BEFORE ATTENDING AN EVENT

Check with the event organizers for the latest updates regarding admission requirements, postponements, and/or cancellations. Neither the DC Arts Commission or the DC Black History Celebration Committee will be able to provide this information, except for Celebration Committee events.

View the Calendar

DC Collaborative

Collective Impact Survey

Every year, DC Collaborative conducts a Collective Impact survey. This year, a portion of the survey is focused exclusively on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to arts education programming in DC. They are the only DC organization collecting data about the arts and humanities in the district and then giving that data back to the people. It only takes 7 minutes to complete. Participants are automatically entered upon the completion of the survey.

Take the Survey

Social X Change: Supporting Artists through Organization Finances

Join the DC Collaborative for an informal peer discussion on advocating for artists’ pay as organizations. This event is intended to foster meaningful conversations around the opportunities and challenges of supporting equitable compensation for the artists they work with.

Intended Discussion Schedule:


  • Feb 15: Opportunities, Challenges, and Feedback
  • Feb 20: Ideation, Strategy, and Actionable Items


Who Should Attend:

Organizational leaders that directly influence financial decisions.

May include Executive Directors, Managing Directors, Artistic Directors, Deputy Directors, Program Directors, etc.


This event is free to attend. Registration is required.

Register 

Mid Atlantic Art Programs

ArtsCONNECT

ArtsCONNECT supports performing arts touring projects collaboratively developed by presenters working together in the mid-Atlantic region. 


The tours include performances as well as complementary engagement activities designed to create greater understanding or connections between artists, audiences, and communities. 


The deadline is March 7, 2024. 

Learn More and Apply

Special Presenter Initiatives

The Special Presenter Initiatives provide additional opportunities for the support of small to mid-sized performing arts presenters in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Native nations that share this geography.  


Fee support is available for engagements of performing artists based anywhere worldwide. Engagements include performances as well as community activities that offer meaningful exchanges between touring artists and a presenter’s community. 


The deadline is March 14, 2024. 

Learn More and Apply

Mid Atlantic Tours

The Mid Atlantic Tours program is a roster-based program for presenters in the mid-Atlantic region to receive up to 50% of the roster artist's artist fee plus up to $2,000 in other program expenses. The roster is live now.

View the Roster

Connect with a Tour Manager and complete a letter of agreement by March 28, 2024 to be considered for this program. 

Learn More and Apply

Community Opportunities

20th Annual Bethesda Painting Awards

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District invites local artists to submit work to the 20th annual Bethesda Painting Awards. This juried art competition awards $14,000 in prizes to four selected winners. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, February 27, 2024. Up to eight finalists will be chosen to display their work at Bethesda’s Gallery B in June 2024.

Learn More and Apply

Artomatic Registration is Open

Artomatic returns for its signature art event drawing hundreds of artists and performers from throughout the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area for a seven-week free exhibition to celebrate the arts!


Runs from March 8 through April 28. 2100 M Street NW.

Register

 Become a VSA Program Site

If you have experience, knowledge, and expertise working with students with disabilities pre-kindergarten through grade 12, you could become a VSA Program Site (U.S. organizations only)

                                                               

The Kennedy Center Office of Accessibility and VSA seeks U.S. arts, education, and cultural organizations to provide accessible, arts-based education experiences to students with disabilities. Organizations are invited to submit proposals to implement VSA Programs.  


Take a look at the Requests for Proposals for program specific details. See if your work aligns with VSA Program goals and if you have the capacity to execute a VSA Program in your community, schools, museums, or performing arts venues.


Proposal submission deadline: March 13, 2024.

Learn More and Apply

Call for Artworks

Pictured: Maria Elena Ramirez,

Montezuma's Headdress, 2023

Opening in June 2024, the Greenville Museum of Art (GMoA) will host The Home I Never Knew: Ni de Aqui, Ni de Alla, a group exhibition of artwork by Latino/a/x artists from or currently residing in the southeast region of the United States. Accepting artworks by artists ages 15+ and working in all media, the GMoA aims to provide a space for artists identifying within the Latino/a/x community to share about their lives growing up in this region, including hardships, triumphs, and everything in between. Reclaiming the idea of “ni de aqui, ni de alla,” or “not from here, nor there,” we will highlight the range of individual and shared experiences associated with being both “from here” AND “from there,” belonging or not belonging, or feeling mentally, emotionally, or culturally from elsewhere. The title of this exhibition was inspired by the pictured artist, Maria Elena Ramirez.


The submission deadline is February 10, 2024.

Download the Call for Artworks [PDF]

Communications Manager at Grantmakers in the Arts

Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) is seeking a Communications Manager to join its team to join its team headquartered in the Bronx, New York. The position can be remote or hybrid, with occasional travel required. This position will report directly to the Vice President & Director of Programs; and will work collaboratively with other members of the GIA team, including the President & CEO, Director of Operations & Finance, and development and program colleagues.


Salary range: $65,000-$75,000

Learn More and Apply

Community Grant Reviewers at HumanitiesDC

Each year HumanitiesDC relies on panels of community-based external reviewers to help make their funding decisions. Reviewers receive a $250 honorarium for each cycle they complete and are eligible to apply for grant funding. If you’re interested in becoming a grant reviewer for HumanitiesDC in 2024, visit their website for more information.

Learn More and Apply

February Winter Workshop at Peirce Mill

Kente Cloth Weaving and Yarn Crafts


Free, and all ages are welcome!


Chapuchi Bobbo Ahiagble will demonstrate Kente cloth weaving and show families how to wind a bobbin and use a cardboard loom. We’ll also have other simple, hands-on yarn crafts to try!


Saturday, February 3, Noon to 4pm

Visit Their Website for More Info

Fellowships Available at Vermont Studio Center

Vermont Studio Center’s first cycle of 2024 applications is now open for April to December residencies. VSC welcomes visual artists and writers for 2-, 3- and 4-week residencies to an inclusive, international community, honoring creative work as the communication of spirit through form. Nestled in the Green Mountain of Vermont, VSC provides private lodging, studios, fresh meals, and a vibrant visiting artists and writers program.


The application deadline for visual artists and writers is February 15, 2024.

Learn More and Apply

Institutional Partnerships Specialist at Arena Stage

The Institutional Relations Specialist supports a growing institutional relations portfolio, including corporate, foundation, and government support in partnership with the Director of Institutional Partnerships. This is an externally-focused position that helps ensure a robust and growing pipeline and works to secure five and six-figure institutional gifts.


$55,000 to $60,000 per year.

Learn More and Apply

Performing Arts Readiness Project Grants 

One preparedness grant opportunity is still available from the Performing Arts Readiness (PAR) project.  


Grants of $5,000 - $25,000 each will be awarded for 4 projects to support both the development of new or emerging disaster preparedness networks that include performing arts and culture organizations, or the expansion of existing networks to increase participation among performing arts organizations (deadline March 1, 2024). 

Learn More and Apply

Post-Doctoral Fellowship at The Georgetown - Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice

The Georgetown - Howard Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice (MHHJ) invites applications for its inaugural postdoctoral fellowship on the 2024 - 25 theme of Lore. The postdoctoral fellowship is a rare opportunity for a uniquely qualified individual with a passion for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of humanities and health justice Fellowships offer a stipend and all of the benefits of collaboration between two universities.


The maximum award amount (salary fringe) for this fellowship is $77,900.

Learn More and Apply

Springfield Art Museum Seeks Entries For Watercolor USA 2024

The Springfield Art Museum is pleased to announce a call for entries for Watercolor USA 2024, highlighting the very best in contemporary American watermedia. This year’s exhibit will run


from June 8 through September 1, 2024. The entry portal opens on January 3, 2024. All entries must be submitted online. The deadline to apply is midnight (Central Standard Time) on February 22, 2024.

View full prospectus and FAQs

Resources

Prioritizing the real people behind demographic data


By Aleda Gagarin (she/her) | January 16, 2024 | Candid Blog


Full disclosure: I’m biased in favor of nonprofits on the subject of grant applications and reporting. As a career fundraiser, I’ve worked in various roles at Candid, starting as a development associate in 2013 and working my way up to vice president of influence (the division in which our development department is housed).  


Read More

What Can Art Teach Us about Climate Change?


By Alison Stine | January 26, 2024 | Nonprofit Quarterly


In one image, pastel skies above an ocean, still and calm. In another, the sun radiates in the center of a deep blue sky. These were paintings at the C. Parker Gallery of Greenwich, CT, part of an exhibit titled Blue Skies: Now More Than Ever. Six artists’ works in various styles were shown at the exhibit, where all the paintings were images of clear skies: blue skies, skies at sunset and sunrise, skies without pollution clouds or wildfire smoke, skies to remind us of the importance of clean air.


Read More

Introduction to measuring your impact

Your nonprofit does great work, but what is most important is the impact of that work. How do you demonstrate that your programs get results? An outcome-centric approach will lead to stronger program design and increased funding opportunities for your organization.


In this introductory course for beginners, learn the basics of shifting focus from your nonprofit’s activities to its outcomes. This course will demystify the language of outcomes measurement and guide you through the process of creating logic models for programs.

Enroll for Free

Update Your Profile

We understand that the frequency with which we send emails can be a lot at times for some of our subscribers, and so we invite you to instead opt into a monthly e-newsletter. You may also select email lists specifically for Grants and Public Art opportunities.


You can update your profile at the bottom of this and every email we send by clicking on “Update Profile”.

Please note: If you leave GENERAL LIST selected, this will override any other selections and you will still receive every email. Please be sure to deselect this if you choose one or more of the other options.