Applicants may submit one (1) Color the Curb: School Safety Program application per grant cycle

The District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), in partnership with the District of Department of Transportation (DDOT), and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), seeks District-based artists experienced in large-scale exterior murals, youth engagement, and community-based projects to design and install ground murals in the intersections near four schools in Washington, DC. Selected artists will be awarded grant funds to be used for design, materials, fabrication, installation, personnel, and project management.

RFA Release: Monday, September 28, 2026, at 4pm ET

Submission Deadline: Monday, November 16, 2026, at 5pm ET

Notification to All Applicants: On or about January 2027

Anticipated Number of Awards: Four (4)

Selected individuals receive $30,000

For program information contact Deirdre Darden, Public Art Coordinator, deirdre.darden@dc.gov.

Technical Questions?

Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.

Read the FY27 Juried Exhibition Grant full Request for Applications Here

The District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) requests applications from qualified artists for its Fiscal Year 2027 Juried Exhibition Grant (JEG). JEG provides support for District-based artists to exhibit their work in a juried, themed visual art exhibition through grant awards and the use of CAH’s exhibition space located in the lobby of 200 I Street, SE (“Gallery”). 

In a city defined (and divided) by its rivers, water functions not only as a natural force but also as a cultural one. This Request for Applications (RFA) seeks works for an exhibition that will bring together DC-resident artists whose work engages water and waterways as sites of stewardship, displacement, spiritual reflection, environmental injustice, recreation, adventure, and collective futures. CAH welcomes work that approaches water as subject, collaborator, force, or framework, expanding the conversation around how contemporary art can deepen public engagement with our shared ecosystem. 

Of special interest are works about the Anacostia watershed, the Chesapeake region, and the many human and ecological communities shaped by our local waterways. Artists may also wish to engage with local, national and/or global tidal flows, stormwater systems, Indigenous water knowledge, climate activism, and the lived experiences of residents who navigate both environmental risk and environmental beauty. Public programs will activate partnerships with scientists, policy advocates, and community groups, situating artistic practice within ongoing conversations about restoration, resilience, and access.

Each applicant may submit up to five original artworks for consideration that take water as a key subject, theme, or material for their work

Applicants may submit one (1) Juried Exhibition Grant (JEG) application per grant cycle.

RFA RELEASE: Monday, October 19, 2026, 4:00 PM

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Monday, November 30, 2026, 4:59 PM

FUNDING REQUESTS: This grant is competitive. Funding amounts will vary based on number of works selected for installation and scale of commissioned work:

• For one (1) exhibited artwork: $1,000
• For two (2) or more exhibited artworks: $1,500  
• For site-specific installations: $2,000 

For assistance contact Michelle May-Curry, Curator | Michelle.may-curry@dc.gov

Technical Questions?

Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.