May 2023 Newsletter Table of Contents

• Introduction form Kerry Kennedy
• CAH Commission Meetings
• CAH FY2024 Grant Programs
• Poetry Out Loud National Finals
• Beyond the Definition Virtual Convening
• CAH Grantee Happenings
• CAH Art Bank Spotlight
• Exploring CAH FY2024 Grants
• Non-CAH Opportunities
• CAH Grantee Spotlights
• Update Your Profile

Hello, my name is Kerry Kennedy

Hello, my name is Kerry Kennedy, and I am a Public Arts Coordinator at DC Commission on Arts and Humanities working on the Public Art Building Communities (PABC) grant. It has been an amazing year meeting and working with the Commission, staff, and DC residents. With the district’s world class arts environment; it is an honor to support the goals of the artistic community.

I served as past President of the Florida Association of Public Art Administrators and Public Art Network Council member. Also, I’m a founding member of the Public Art Exchange and a former Public Art Panelist for Maryland State Arts Council.

I bring all of my experience and talents to CAH as I have worked in Museum Management, Historic Preservation, Heritage Tourism, Public Art, Performance, Art Education, Grant Management and Community Development. Surprisingly, all of these skills come into play when collaborating with artists and organizations to complete their projects.

To assist individual artists and organizations applying for the PABC Grant, I am extremely excited about the Public Art workshops in the Business of the Arts series. How to Develop Your Next Public Art Project: From RFP to Completion, The DC Permitting Process, Public Art as Community Development; all contain invaluable information for those who are looking to transition into Public Art. Please visit our website to review the recordings and attend an upcoming FY24 PABC live chat.

If you are interested in discussing the PABC grant, please reach out. I look forward to meeting more DC artists and organizations looking to better their communities.

CAH Commission Meetings

Our next Full Commission regular meeting will begin at 5:30 ET on Monday, May 22, 2023, via Webex Virtual Meeting Platform. 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, May 18, 2023. Written comments may also be submitted by no later than Noon ET on Thursday, May 18, 2023, 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.

CAH FY2024 Grant Programs

CAH supports the robust arts and humanities practitioners and organizations of our city through our grants funding programs. This spring and summer we are opening seven grants programs for individuals and organizations who reside in the District.

The first round of applications will open May 8 covering the following programs: Art Bank Program (ABP), Arts and Humanities Education Projects (AHEP), Field Trip Experiences (FTE), Arts and Humanities Fellowship Program (AHFP), and the Projects Events or Festivals (PEF) award for individuals and organizations. 

Additional grants for the Facilities and Buildings (FAB), LiftOff (LFT), and East Arts (EA) will open in early June. 

Workshops

Each grant program offers workshops with the grant managers. In each workshop we will go over the guidelines for the application process, as well as offer tips from staff, prior applicants, and past panelists. 

We strongly encourage all interested applicants to attend a workshop, or to view a recorded workshop. We also encourage reaching out to the grant managers of each program. They are happy to assist you with preparing your application, and answering questions about the programs.

All workshops are available virtually, and are free to attend. Registration available via Eventbrite. 

Live Chats

Live Chats are available online every Friday while the grants remain open for application. Program managers across the agency join the Live Chats to answer any questions you have about the application process or other programming. While they do not replace a workshop, they are a great opportunity to virtually meet with staff and other DC artists. 

Panelists

CAH is actively recruiting for panelists to review our grants programs this summer. Panelists are integral to the grantmaking process, providing a critical review, comments, and scores of all applications to a particular grant program. Panelists are provided with applications 3-4 weeks in advance of the panel review, and then convene for a one-day virtual review panel. Panelists are compensated for their time with a $250 gift card. 

“Seeing the grant-making process “behind the scenes” is absolutely invaluable to anyone interested in how the process works, especially if you write grants or hope to start. I highly recommend serving to anyone - from artist to patron - who loves our city’s cultural landscape.” - Agatha Tomasik

FY 2024 PABC Grant RFA

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is currently soliciting applications from qualified individual artists or organizations for its Fiscal Year 2024 Public Art Building Communities Grant Program (PABC). Multiple awards may be made under this RFA. Award amounts vary.

RFA RELEASED: Friday, April 7, 2023

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Monday, July 17, 2023, 9 PM ET

AWARD AMOUNT: Individuals may request up to $75,000 

Organizations may request up to $125,000

BIDs may request up to $150,000

Public artists, nonprofit organizations and BIDs looking to enhance the District’s landscape with public art installations are encouraged to attend informational workshops to learn more about this grant opportunity and to apply. 

Staff Contact: Kerry Kennedy, Public Art Program Coordinator | kerry.kennedy.dc.gov

Poetry Out Loud National Finals

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country.  And after two years of virtual competitions, the Poetry Out Loud National Finals are returning to Washington, DC, May 9 and 10, 2023, and will be streamed live.

This annual event brings together high school students from across the country who memorize and recite classic and contemporary poems, competing for the title of national champion and the $20,000 prize. And this year, Warwick Lloyd, a Senior from St. Anselm’s Abbey School, is our state finalist and will be representing Washington, DC in the competition.

In addition to the live competition at Lisner Auditorium, both the Semifinals and National Finals can be viewed via a one-time-only live webcast. Closed captioning in English and Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided for both the Poetry Out Loud National Semifinals and Finals.

Join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram using #POL23 and #IAmPoetryOutLoud and follow the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation at @PoetryOutLoud, @NEAArts, and @PoetryFound.

Beyond the Definition

Incorporating D.E.I. into Educational Experiences

DC Collaborative is hosting a one-day virtual convening for the arts and humanities community, from 11 am to 5 pm EDT, on Thursday, May 4.

After spending the last few years defining and understanding diversity, equity and inclusion, they hope to continue the conversation about incorporating these values into educational programming. As we prepare for the 2023-24 school year, the Collaborative also hopes that the discussions will inspire reflection and revision of AHFES programming.

This virtual event is designed for attendees to attend all sessions, but we understand that the work day may not be as flexible. Be sure to register for every session you plan to attend to receive the information to join. Every session will have a unique Zoom link.

CAH Grantee Happenings

The Clear Blue Skies: Diaries from Ukraine

On Wednesday, May 3, 2023, New York University in DC and the Theater and Policy Salon will host a performance of "The Clear Blue Skies: Diaries from Ukraine” followed by a policy conversation about Ukrainian Children and the War in Ukraine featuring a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and an expert on global children’s issues.

This event will be held at New York University's DC campus at 13th and L Street NW in downtown DC from 630pm to 830pm on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. The event will feature a special performance of this gripping play and a Salon conversation with policymakers and experts on Ukraine and children in conflict zones

The post-show policy conversation will discuss how to help children impacted by conflict and to support Ukraine. The discussion will also look at ways that the international community can maintain pressure and standards for the protection of civilians, especially children in conflict areas

Aaron Hamburger — Hotel Cuba - with Justine Kenin

A heartbreaking, epic family story, Hotel Cuba explores the profound courage of two women displaced from their home who strive to create a new future in an enticing and dangerous world far different from anything they have ever known.

Join Hamburger at 3pm on Sunday, May 7, 2023, when he will be in conversation with Justine Kenin. Kenin is an editor for All Things Considered. She started at NPR in 1999 -- and her favorite thing to do at work and in life is to put the perfect book in the right person's hands.

This event is free with first come, first served seating, at Politics & Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave NW.

American Roots Concert Series: Oh He Dead

Hill Center is thrilled to welcome Oh He Dead as part of their free, outdoor American Roots Music Series!

Oh He Dead hails from Washington, D.C., and is quickly garnering national attention. Lead singer CJ Johnson, “maneuvers her powerful voice — a combination of Stevie Nicks and Tracy Chapman” (NPR) in rhythm with the band’s “infectiously groovy” and “sublime instrumentation” (NPR) to create an “infectious and soulful sound” (Washington Post).

Founded in 2015 by Johnson and Andy Valenti, the now five-piece group includes lead guitarist Alex Salser, TJ Turkman on bass, and Adam Ashforth on drums. The close-knit band weaves in and out of genres ranging from soul to funk to folk to rock, all tied together by the stirring harmonies of Johnson and Valenti.”

CAH Art Bank Spotlight

In recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, CAH highlights the work of one artist whose work speaks to the very fabric of our nation. For Vietnamese American artist Khánh H. Lê, identity is central to the creation of his art. As a refugee of the Vietnam War, Lê creates dazzling compositions based on deteriorating photographs and collective memories of his traumatic experiences. Using acrylic paints, printmaking, glitter, and sparkling plastic craft jewels, he combines the realities and idyllic fantasies that filled his childhood.

Khánh H. Lê

A Brave New World for Him, 2019

Gold and silver paint, acrylic jewels, glitter, silk-screening and archival print on wood panel

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Art Bank Collection

In A Brave New Home for Him, Lê recreates the moment his family is escorted out of their Thai refugee camp at night and approved for entry into the United States. The scene has a delicate balance through the quiet strength of a mother's face emerging as she holds her child and is supported by another. The image is fractured only through a rip in the sparkling wallpaper that offers an introverted pattern of darkness left behind. Lê continues to search and carve out this cultural identity for himself, providing us with notions of home, country, and ultimately, finding safety.

In 2010, Lê's first artwork entered the Art Bank Collection, which currently holds ten of his pieces. Lê lives and works in Washington, DC, with an MFA from Syracuse University in 2008. His work has exhibited at the Hunterdon Art Museum (Clinton, NJ), Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), Vox Populi (Philadelphia, PA), Honfleur Gallery (Washington, DC), DC Arts Center (Washington, DC), Hillyer Art Space (Washington, DC), Transformer (Washington, DC), and Arlington Arts Center (Arlington, VA).

Exploring CAH FY2024 Grants

Join us at DC Public Library branches for a series of presentations on the exciting grant opportunities available through the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities for the fiscal year 2024. Learn about the grant application process, funding priorities, and eligibility criteria, and get tips on crafting a strong application. Following the presentation, there will be an informal Q&A session where you can ask any questions you have about the grant opportunities.

Connect with us in person at 3pm on:

• Tuesday, May 9 at the Anacostia Neighborhood Library
• Wednesday, May 10 at the Shaw Library
• Thursday, May 11 at the Benning/Dorothy I. Height Neighborhood Library

• Monday, May 22 at the West End Library
• Tuesday, May 23 at the Lamond Riggs Library
• Wednesday, May 24 at the Capitol View Neighborhood Library

Whether you're an artist, arts organization, or community group, this events are a great opportunity to explore ways to fund your creative projects and make a positive impact in the DC arts community. Don't miss out on this chance to connect with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and learn how to bring your creative ideas to life!

Space is limited, so please RSVP in advance.

Non-CAH Opportunities

Jazz Musicians With Alzheimer's and Dementia Needed

Do you care for someone who is a musician impacted by Alzheimer's or Dementia? It is proven that music is a therapy for this type of disease affecting memory loss. There is a unique project in the Washington DC area for Jazz musicians living with Alzheimer's and dementia, sponsored by the Genevieve N. Johnson Senior Daycare Center through a grant issued by the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities. For more information on how your musician with Alzheimer's or dementia can participate please contact Angela Ballard at 202-723-8537 or visit their website.

Teaching with Improvisation Fellowship

This summer Center for Inspired Teaching invites Washington, DC teachers of all subjects and grade levels to an invigorating learning experience grounded in the art of improvisation and the 5 Core Elements that lead to an engagement-rich classroom, June 27 to 29.

What will you do in this Institute?

• Build creative teaching practices using improvisational thinking.
• Develop a toolkit of strategies to keep my students actively engaged – intellectually, emotionally, and physically.
• Develop leadership skills in teaching teachers through improvisational techniques. (You will learn how to provide professional learning for your home school.)
• Craft engaging arts and improvisation-based instructional activities adaptable to all academic content areas that focus on Common Core Speaking and
• Listening Standards. These will be shared citywide.

Perks: Joyful learning with colleagues / lunch provided daily / $250 stipend for successful course completion / Professional Learning Units from the Washington Teachers Union

This program is open to teachers in public, charter, and independent schools in Washington, DC. 

Application deadline: May 15, 2023.

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants Cycle 18 is open through May 19. These national grants of up to $5,000 support direct treatment expenses for medical, dental or mental health emergencies that occurred September 1, 2022 or later; the deadline is May 19, 2023.

Choreographers, those creating in the visual arts, and those creating in the film/video/electronic/digital arts, living anywhere in the U.S., D.C, US territories, or tribal nations are eligible. Cycle 19 will open June 20, with a deadline of July 21, for emergencies occurring December 1, 2022 and later. A recorded information session, along with guidelines and the online application, are available on their website.

2023 Young Composers Competition

This year, The Capital Hearings' 9th Annual Young Composers Competition asks for your thoughts on time, memory, the future, or perspectives on these concepts. If you feel like you have something to say–or find that something you’ve already written might speak to us–they’d love to hear it!

All U.S. & Canadian residents age 18-40 are welcome to submit a 2-5 minute original composition (arranged for mixed, unaccompanied choir) related to this theme, and they especially welcome submissions from unique or underrepresented perspectives – and in unique or underrepresented styles. Submissions are due by June 9, 2023, and a prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the winner.

Become a VSA Program Site!

If you have experience, knowledge, and expertise working with students with disabilities pre-kindergarten through grade 12, or providing professional learning to their teachers, you could become a VSA Program Site .

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, transition opportunities to youth with disabilities, or professional development to educators of students with disabilities.  

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.

CAH Grantee Spotlights

FY 23 Public Art Building Communities Grantee, Ira Tattelman created FOUND. Composed of community sculptures the artwork is on view May 6, 2023, 12pm at Alethia Tanner Park, 227 Harry Thomas Way NE, Washington, DC 20002.

For Earth Day 2023, FOUND brought temporary found-object sculptures to Alethia Tanner Park in Eckington. Community members attended one of three free workshops the prior month where they created the sculptures, turning recycled materials into art. Workshop dates were March 18, March 25, and April 8, 2023.

For the first workshop, participants scavenged the neighborhood for things thrown away. Those objects and other found materials were used to create sculptures that went up for exhibit for Earth Day, April 22, and April 29, 2023. You still have a chance to view the works on Saturday, May 6, 2023. There will be an artist talk at 12pm and it will also run on Instagram Live @found.dc

This project connects the community to the arts, bringing in contemporary DC artists to work with the public to create art. The intention is to make the arts more accessible and inclusive–– enabling a broad range of neighbors to experience the power of art and achieve their artistic potential. FOUND also strengthens the community by providing a place to connect and interact with nature. Waste build-up is an increasing threat to our environment and lives according to Ira Tattelman.

The exhibition is free and open to the public.

Longtime CAH grantee, The Heurich House Museum, launched their first new exhibit at their Dupont Circle site since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Working Title” reframes the Heurich family home as a central juncture for the people who lived and worked there (1894-1956) - men and women, immigrant and natural-born, Black and white, rich and lower-income, examines how they interacted with each other every day, and questions why their histories have not always been given equal weight. When the Heurich House Museum’s physical space closed during COVID - the museum’s education director, collections manager, and a team of over a dozen interns, fellows, and volunteers endeavored to transcribe 19 diaries, 2 ledger books, 14 oral histories, and dig through thousands of archival records which included photos, immigration records, newspaper articles, ads, census records, wartime draft cards, birth & death certificates, and obituaries to uncover the names of 146 historic household staff members - 144 more names than the museum had previously known. The team shared their discoveries along the way on social media as they reframed the museum's traditional narrative which centralized Christian Heurich as a “self-made” businessman.

"Someone asked Mr. H, 'How many servants do you have?' He answered 'I have no servants!' 'You mean you don't have any serving you?' Mr. Heurich replied "I have a chauffeur, a butler and a cook, and my wife has a maid, etc. but they are not servants!'"

- Paul Mur, October 16, 1963 Interview

"She was certainly in control."

- Karla Heurich Harrison, on her mother Amelia Heurich, December 30, 1967 Interview

Working Title asks its audience to critically question established narratives, interrogate how the gaps in historic memory are created, and actively uncover silences. The exhibit’s goal is to to encourage a more equitable and empathetic understanding of the past through its ongoing research of the historic household staff members who worked for the Heurich family, and Amelia Heurich, the household manager who was married to brewer & businessman, Christian Heurich. The exhibit design features blank and empty spaces where pieces of the story are missing, and sees the exhibit structure - both literally and figuratively - as a frame for conducting and presenting ongoing research. The museum hopes the launch of the exhibit will connect descendants of historic household staff to their relatives' stories and DC to its working class history at the turn of the 20th century.

Working Title marks a new decade of the Heurich House Museum’s work to explore the American Experience with the goal of interpreting history more holistically and equitably while also connecting to the modern world. The museum will launch its first professional strategic plan this spring which will move this work forward as it refines its dual mission of public history education and public service.

Working Title was curated by museum Director of Education, Jenna Febrizio, PhD, and co-curated by Curator of Collections, Allison LaCroix Hayes. The exhibit was designed by Director of External Relations, Alex Fraioli, and fabricated by Director of Preservation, Daniel Rudie.

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