We want to correct an error in our previous email sent on October 22 about the Art Week DC Special Committee. The committee was not newly formed; it was originally convened on December 18, 2023, and has now been extended through October 2025. The committee will continue its meetings and regular stakeholder engagement to shape the mission and scope of Art Week DC.

Our next Full Commission regular meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 ET on Monday, November 18. 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, November 14. Written comments may also be submitted by no later than Noon ET on Thursday, November 14, 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.

We’re pleased to share our list of FY25 grantees to date, representing 1,089 awards across eight programs and totaling just over $28.5 million. These awards support both individual and organizational grantees in all eight wards of DC, reflecting the diverse talent and creativity found throughout the city.

And while these grantees are all part of DC's vibrant arts and humanities community, we recognize they are just one piece of our city's cultural landscape. We remain committed to making our grant processes more equitable and continually learning how to better support all who contribute to DC’s creative spirit.

*Grantees, if you have any corrections or updates to your listing(s), please reach out to JR Russ at jr.russ@dc.gov.

We're thrilled to announce the release of the DC Area Music Census Summary Report and Portal! This community-led effort, launched in April 2024, gathered insights from over 2,700 individuals working in the DMV's music scene. The report is the most comprehensive data set on the local music ecosystem and aims to guide more informed decision-making for supporting our vibrant music community. Check it out to learn more about the current needs and opportunities in the region!

WETA Arts October episode spotlights the Netherlands Carillon, a nine-story-high musical instrument gifted by the Netherlands after World War II. Host Felicia Curry also explores the Brutalist architecture in the D.M.V. with Deane Madsen, founder of the site BrutalistDC.com. Curry also tours the city in search of murals by and for the Latino community. CAH's own Deirdre Darden, was interviewed for that last segment.

We’re thrilled to share a playlist highlighting our FY25 fellowship grantees in music! Featuring select songs from individual artists and groups with at least one grantee, this list offers a glimpse into the diverse talent within DC’s arts community. Please note, this playlist is not comprehensive but offers a sampling of the incredible work from our grantees. Enjoy the sounds of our city!

You can also access the playlist by scanning the Spotify code below. To Scan a Spotify Code, in. the app:

1. Tap Search icon 🔍
2. Tap the camera 📷
3. Point your camera at the Spotify Code.

Yesterday, the NEA released a new research brief that examines recent patterns of arts engagement among U.S. adults! Using data from U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey (April–July 2024), the report highlights how arts engagement links to social connectedness.

DC Jazz Jam is celebrating its 15-year anniversary (!!!!) with a "Back to School" series featuring house bands of students, faculty, and alums from jazz programs!

This Sunday (11/3/24) features jazz faculty and friends from the George Mason University jazz program --- including John Kocur (sax), Shawn Purcell (guitar), Wade Beach (keys), Kevin Thompson (bass), and Clay Cottis (drums).

So come sit in with the band and throw your support to a great local joint! 6:30-9:00pm @ Haydee’s (3102 Mount Pleasant Street NW). No cover!

Join the 1883 Foundation to discuss Jackie Wu’s new book, On the Front Lines of Democracy: An Election Officials Story of Protecting the Vote in 2020, on November 3rd at 2 pm. You can attend this free event in person or via Zoom.

Pottery on the Hill is a weekend celebrating functional pottery (that which can be regularly used, such as dinnerware, drink ware, vases, platters, and more) featuring top ceramic artists from across the country. Avid ceramics fans will love the chance to talk with the potters in a casual, fun environment and continue to grow their collections. For those who might just love the pottery, this is a great opportunity to get a jumpstart on shopping for the holidays, giving the special people in your life a gift as unique and one-of-a-kind as they are.

Free Show and Sale November 15 to 17, 2024.

Anne Marchand’s abstract paintings reflect a range of perspectives: images of deep space, views from airplanes and automobiles, perceptions of manmade textures and patterns all distilled together. The artist’s intention is to actualize beauty and joy in the tangible form of a painting.

This exhibition closes December 6, 2024, at the The Phillips Museum of Art in Lancaster, PA. If you find yourself in the area on Thursday, November 19, there is an Artist Tour from 1 to 3 pm EDT. In the meantime, you can also view the exhibition online.

The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (aka Creative MoCo) is looking for a Marketing and Constituent Services Assistant Manager as well as panelists! The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, in partnership with their regional community, cultivates and supports excellence in the arts and humanities, expands access to cultural expression, and contributes to economic vitality in the region.

ELIGIBILITY: Open only to artists residing in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Original hanging work, in any medium, will be considered.

GUIDELINES: Artwork must be delivered ready to hang using the Hill Center cable-and-hook system. Details will be provided to selected artists. No size restrictions apply, as 14’ ceilings in some gallery space can accommodate large pieces. Juror requests a short artist statement and a description of each piece. Submitted artwork must be from 2022-2024, not earlier. All artwork must be available for sale.

Dates for Submissions: Friday, September 27-Friday, November 8, 2024 

Tendrils is now seeking submissions of visual art and short-form literature for its premiere issue, which will explore the theme of trauma and the body—how it’s held, manifested, and transmitted physically. Tendrils is an art and literary journal dedicated to foster healing and sparking conversations around trauma.

Deadline: Monday, November 18

The DeVos Institute Executive Fellowship serves entrepreneurial executives in the arts and cultural sector who are prepared to look critically at their work, challenge assumptions, and develop rigorous strategies to address the most pressing challenges facing their organizations, regions, and art forms at large.

Apply by November 25.

As part of an ongoing commitment to promote drawing practices in the visual arts, the

University of North Carolina Asheville (UNC Asheville) invites artists to submit entries to a Juried International Exhibition of contemporary drawing. UNC Asheville seeks to examine drawing as it is practiced and defined by today’s artists. Such an exhibition will demonstrate the continued significance of drawing through both conventional and innovative methods. Accepted work will be exhibited in UNC Asheville’s S. Tucker Cooke

Gallery from January 17, 2025 through February 14, 2025.

Q: I have heard Hurricane Helene impacted Asheville, will the exhibition still occur?

A: The devasting effects of Hurricane Helene on our community have presented challenges that require a level of resilience that consists of hope, grace, and a lot of support. We are Western North Carolina strong and are navigating this together. With minimal damage to campus and returning resources, we fully anticipate re-opening campus and welcoming back students and the community. Should anything unexpected prevent this from occurring, we will pivot to an online & in-print exhibition. Full refunds will be offered to those who choose not to participate in the format change.

Applications must be received by 11:59 pm December 1, 2024 (Mountain Time Zone)

The Workforce Pathways for Youth demonstration grants support national out-of-school time organizations that serve historically underserved and marginalized youth ages 14 to 21. These grants will place an emphasis on age-appropriate workforce readiness programming to expand job training and workforce pathways for youth, including soft skill development, career exploration, job readiness and certification, and work-based learning opportunities and other work experiences, such as summer jobs, year-round job opportunities, and pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships.

Current Closing Date for Applications: Dec 03, 2024

The guidelines are available for Cultural Sustainability: Community Roots! This grant from Mid Atlantic Arts, in partnership with The Wallace Foundation, provides unrestricted operational support to arts organizations founded by, with, and for BIPOC communities. View the guidelines and learn more at the link below

Know a talented young writer or musician who is part of the disability* community? Make sure they know about our creative careers programs and encourage them to apply. In addition to financial awards, both programs provide exclusive workshops, connections with professional mentors, a trip to Washington, D.C. and more.

Entry Deadlines: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Young writers with disabilities enrolled in high school (generally, ages 14-19) are invited to submit a ten-minute script for the opportunity to participate in a script-development program. The script should incorporate an engaging plot and move the audience through an emotional or entertaining experience all within ten minutes (this is usually eight to ten pages in 12pt. Arial font). 

Young musicians (ages 14-25) with disabilities apply to the Access/VSA International Young Musicians Program for an opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and to participate in a series of exclusive career development workshops. This program is open to musicians of all genres (classical, jazz, hip-hop, bluegrass, rock, and more).

*Disability is a broad umbrella that covers a variety of lived experiences. Eligible applicants may have visible, physical, and/or sensory conditions as well as less visible conditions like anxiety, ADHD, depression, chronic illness/pain, PTSD, OCD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, neurodivergence, and more.

The Art in Transit program invites Artists/Artist Teams with a demonstrated history of completing complex, permanent, public art projects to submit their qualifications for a permanent public artwork for the Dupont Circle Metro station's iconic North Entrance.

The selected Artist/Artist Team will develop an aesthetically attractive, site-specific public artwork that captures WMATA’s mission, and reflects the artistic, cultural and/or historical interests of the surrounding communities. The public artwork is to be implemented on the sloped surface within the circular opening of the North Entrance escalator well and integrate elements of biophilia.

Entry Deadline: 12/9/24

Are you an artist in need of critical medical, mental health, or dental treatment? The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent, unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies experienced by artists in financial need who are creating in the visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, or choreography. Privacy is guaranteed. Cycle 27 is open October 29 - November 26 for emergencies occurring April 1, 2024 and after.

Are you a dancer anywhere in the US in dire financial emergency? Have you recently lost engagements, or been ill or injured? You may be eligible for a one-time Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grant of up to $3,000.

This national program is administered by New York Foundation for the Arts and funded by Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Privacy is guaranteed. Cycle 16 will be open November 12 through December 10 for essential expenses including rent, utilities, medicine/healthcare, and food. The program continues with bimonthly cycles through June 2025.

The Positive/Negative is the national juried art exhibition, organized yearly at ETSU since 1985, to provide the communities in Tennessee, and Southwest Appalachian region including Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia and other nearby states access to dynamic contemporary art practices that explore current directions in visual art. For 40 years, the Positive/Negative exhibitions serve as platform for dialogue to promote diversity, creative excellence and critical thinking within the academic and local communities. A significant aspect of the Positive/Negative exhibitions is the diverse Jurors each year who provide different trajectories and focus that enables us to present relevant and dynamic perspectives.

The deadline for submission is December 20, 2024.

VisArts invites applications from emerging curators to apply for VisArts’ 2025 Emerging Curator Program by January 10, 2025.

The program offers a unique opportunity for an emerging curator or artist with an interest in exhibition-making or curating to work with an experienced mentoring curator to develop and present an exhibition and assist in the presentation of the mentor’s exhibition.

VisArts provides the emerging curator with a $10,000 budget to cover exhibition costs and curatorial fees. Additional funding and staff support for marketing and programming support is available.

The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read is a program that awards grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 to organizations. These grants support community reading programs designed around a single NEA Big Read book.

The NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of ourselves and our neighbors through the power of a shared reading experience. The goal of this program is to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and build stronger connections in each community.  

Submit your Intent to Apply by January 23, 2025.

🎭 Applications are OPEN for the Shakespeare in American Communities initiative, and there are some exciting ✨NEW✨ updates this year, including: 

• An apprenticeship program 
• Opportunities for engaging audiences in non-traditional settings, and
• Virtual and in-person convenings 

The Maryland State Arts Council offers a range of online workshops, many of which are accessible and relevant even if you’re not a Maryland resident. These workshops cover topics that can support your organizational development and professional growth, so feel free to explore and see what might be helpful to your own work including:

• Understanding Contracts in Public Art
• Navigating the Development Landscape for Small to Mid-size Organizations

Candid's live and on-demand trainings, webinars, and other resources are designed to improve your fundraising, overall sustainability, grantmaking, and transparency.

Check out just some of these free programs they're providing the month of November:

• Introduction to project budgets
• Introduction to corporate giving
• Ask me anything: Making connections with funders

Artists are constantly applying for creative opportunities, from residencies to exhibitions. This upcoming online workshop, hosted by [Local Arts Agency Name], brings together arts decision-makers to share insights on crafting strong applications. The panel will cover where to find open calls, how to identify the right opportunities, and what reviewers look for in statements. It will also explore the differences between residency and exhibition proposals and address common misconceptions about the writing process. Don’t miss this chance to learn how to put your best foot forward in applications.

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is presenting this free online workshop in partnership with a few of our sibling arts agencies in the area, Arlington Cultural Affairs, ArtsFairfax and Alexandria Office of the Arts.

*Please note: this report is a little over two years old.

In 2020, nearly 4,000 artists in dire financial straits received $5,000 each in relief grants from a coalition of seven U.S. funders. These funders came together and launched a $21 million relief fund for artists during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities online database showcases our Art Bank Collection, a collection of moveable artworks loaned to other District government agencies for display in public offices, as well as our Public Art Collection of installations of large-scale artworks in public sites/places throughout the District of Columbia.