The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is soliciting applications from qualified individual artists or organizations for its 2026 Public Art Building Communities Grant Program (PABC).
Donor Name: DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH)
State: District of Columbia
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/21/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Public Art Building Communities (PABC) grant program supports individual artists and organizations in their effort to design, fabricate and install new permanent or temporary works of public art that connect artists (and their artwork) with communities.
For the purposes of this grant, public art is artwork in a variety of media sited and installed onto locations accessible to the public (without cost) and in exterior (outdoor) locations free of encumbrances. Artwork must be sited and installed at locations that are accessible and viewable from public space. Materials should be sustainable, low maintenance, and protected by graffiti resistant coatings. Permanent public art projects are defined as existing for a duration of more than two (2) years without a deinstallation plan. Works must only require minimal routine maintenance. Temporary public art projects are defined as existing for less than two (2) years with a deinstallation plan.
Examples of public art include, but are not limited to sculptures, mosaics, artistic streetscapes, murals, painting in outdoor plazas, mixed media, paving patterns, media/digital installations, landscape designed projects, custom benches, stained glass installations, and artistic arches, gates, or railings
Goals
By making its PABC grant awards, CAH endeavors to:
- Encourage the creation and installation of original high-quality public artworks in DC
- Develop meaningful opportunities to connect artists to communities
- Provide exposure and participation to the community in the public art making process
- Further learning or discovery opportunities through public art installations
- Support the creation of public art by DC resident artists
- Promote robust and diverse artistic expressions that resonate with DC residents
- Contribute to DC’s public art collection in the built environment
- Note: Permanent works are added to DC’s public art collection through a transfer of ownership. Temporary works become part of CAH’s e-museum.
Funding Information
- Individuals up to $75,000
- Organizations up to $125,000
- Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) up to $150,000.
Grant Period
CAH grant funds must be spent in CAH’s Fiscal Year 2026 (October 1, 2025-September 30, 2026).
Allowable Costs
Examples of Allowable Costs (valid expenditures) include, but are not necessarily limited to:
- Artist fees, no more than 20% of the project budget
- Fabrication (if done by the artist(s), separate from Artist fee)
- Installation (if done by the artist(s), separate from Artist fee)
- Fabrication and installation services
- Materials and supplies
- General Liability Insurance
- Grantee shall procure and maintain insurances including, but not limited to, the following: commercial general liability insurance with minimum limits of two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) per occurrence. Grantee shall also procure property insurance, with limits equal to the estimated completed value of the piece. (Subject to change)
- Engineering costs related to the project
- Note: some projects will be required to go through engineer review for permits and/or project safety.
- Space rental and/or storage
- Shipping
- Permits
- Travel and transportation directly related to project implementation
- Copyright registration
- Plaque and dedication costs
- De-installation costs for temporary projects
- Photographic documentation and project implementation equipment purchases $500.00 or less
- Contingency funds.
Eligibility Criteria
- Individuals must (at the time of application):
- Be experienced artists or arts-related professionals (e.g., presenters, producers, educators) over the age of 18
- Maintain residency in DC throughout the grant period
- Be in good standing with CAH by complying with all CAH-related mandates
- Organizations and BIDs must (at the time of application):
- Be incorporated as a nonprofit with a federally designated tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code, as evidenced by an IRS determination letter that is dated at least one year prior to the application deadline date; or be a recognized District of Columbia Business Improvement District (BID)
- Be registered with, and authorized to do business in, the District as either a “Domestic” entity (that is, an entity that was incorporated in the District) or a “Foreign” entity (that is, an entity that was incorporated in another state)
- Ensure that at least fifty-one percent (51%) of the organization’s activities occur within DC
- Have an active Board of Directors
- Demonstrate a partnership with a visual artist to design, fabricate and install (de- install if temporary) the proposed application work-of-art in a public space
- Obtain certification of “Citywide Clean Hands” (CCH) from the DC Office of Tax and Revenue
- Be in good standing with CAH by complying with all applicable CAH-related mandates
- Have a principal business office address in DC, subject to site visit. (Note: post office boxes or addresses of board members/volunteers are not evidence of a principal business address).
Restrictions
- Artists may not apply as an individual as well as be part of an organization application as the lead or supporting artist
- Individuals and organizations that require “fiscal agents” may not apply
- Private foundations, political organizations, colleges or universities, foreign governments, federal government entities, and other DC government agencies, including DC Public Schools and charter schools may not apply.
For more information, visit CAH.
