The following is a press release shared by CulturalDC to news organizations:
At a private event last month, CulturalDC’s Board of Directors announced that the organization would sunset operations after more than 27 years. This decision follows the sale of the historic Source building in August 2025, which CulturalDC originally purchased in October 2006 to preserve and redevelop as a multi-use performing arts space.
Founded in 1998, CulturalDC brokered over 300,000 square feet of artist space in all quadrants of the city, including projects like the Arts Walk at Monroe Street Market, Atlas Performing Arts Center, GALA Hispanic Theatre, Source, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre. Through initiatives such as the Mobile Art Gallery, the Capital Artist Residency, and Torrents: New Links to Black Futures, the organization has supported hundreds of artists annually and welcomed more than 40,000 audience members each year.
As part of its sunset plan, the sale of Source has allowed CulturalDC to invest in the city’s arts ecosystem in perpetuity. The organization has contributed a half-million dollars to establish the CulturalDC Capital Artist Residency and Visiting Artist Endowment at the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University, ensuring the legacy of CulturalDC’s Capital Artist Residency program and cultivating new avenues for visiting artists. This residency provides underrepresented artists with housing, dedicated studio or rehearsal space, stipends, and opportunities for exhibition and public engagement, allowing them the resources and visibility to advance their practice on a national stage.
Dr. Raimi Gbadamosi, Chair and Professor of the Department of Art at Howard University, shared: “This endowment represents an extraordinary commitment to artists whose voices have historically been underrepresented. By supporting the Capital Artist Residency at Howard University, CulturalDC is creating opportunities for emerging and mid-career artists to deepen their practice, connect with students, and contribute to the cultural fabric of Washington, DC. We are honored to partner with CulturalDC in carrying this mission forward.”
Additionally, CulturalDC has gifted Hamiltonian Artists $150,000 to support the advancement of the Capital Artist Residency and Visiting Artist program in partnership with Howard University. This partnership will provide housing, public programs, exhibition resources and create unique opportunities for exchange between visiting artists and the talented students at Howard University and Hamiltonian audiences, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives, further strengthening the artistic ecosystem in DC.
Theater Alliance, a leading DC company dedicated to socially engaged, community- rooted theater, will receive a quarter of a million dollars from CulturalDC for capital improvements and equipment purchases supporting its black-box theater and multidisciplinary arts incubator and venue in Southwest DC. This investment will further Theater Alliance’s mission to develop, produce, and present socially conscious, thought-provoking work that fully engages the community in active dialogue. It also underscores CulturalDC’s longstanding commitment to supporting theater and the theater community in Washington, DC, affirming their belief in the power of performance to connect artists and audiences, and helps ensure their impact will continue to support DC’s creative community for years to come.
Further donations have been distributed to support programming and artistic initiatives at local and national partners, including The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Extreme Lengths Productions, Black Public Media, JCINTIME Creatives Foundation, In Series, Capital Fringe–The Tyler Fund, Sarah Ewing Dance, Aru Dell’Art Dance, USAN USAN, and Rorschach Theatre.
Also, CulturalDC has donated $100,000 and its 40-foot repurposed, solar-powered shipping container, known as the Mobile Art Gallery, to The Nicholson Project, a hybrid artist residency program and gallery in Southeast DC that supports contemporary visual artists, designers, and creatives of color. With this transfer, the Mobile Art Gallery will continue presenting exhibitions and featuring artists in a public space, ensuring that art remains accessible and deeply rooted in the community.
Lastly, as part of its legacy planning, CulturalDC has returned Torrents: New Links to Black Futures, its celebrated multidisciplinary festival centering Black art, culture, and community, back to its Founder and Creative Director, Jamal Gray, a local cultural producer, musician, and curator based in Washington, DC, who first envisioned the program. CulturalDC is proud to have incubated and grown Torrents over multiple seasons, partnering with organizations such as Kennedy Center Social Impact, WMATA/Art In Transit, UMBRELLA Art Fair, Black Public Media, and Good Black Art. To ensure the festival continues to thrive, CulturalDC has contributed $25,000 to support Torrents’ 2026 programming, helping usher the festival into its next exciting chapter under Jamal’s leadership.
Kristi Maiselman, CulturalDC Executive Director, added: “For over 25 years, we’ve been a catalyst for bold ideas and creative connections in DC. This transition allows us to carry forward that mission in a new way, through lasting endowments and direct investments in artists. Our impact will live on in the classrooms, galleries, and communities we’ve helped nurture. We’re deeply proud of what we’ve built and grateful to every artist, partner, and supporter who made it possible.”
Since its founding, CulturalDC has been at the forefront of artist space development, operating key hubs like Flashpoint (2004–2016), producing the Source Festival (2008-2017), and later launching DC’s first Mobile Art Gallery, which has reached over 150,000 visitors across all eight wards of the city. Signature programs like the Capital Artist Residency have uplifted underrepresented artists with housing, studio space, stipends, and national visibility, while Torrents established a vibrant platform for Black artistic expression and cultural exchange.
As CulturalDC closes this chapter, its mission continues — to Make Space for Art, foster creativity, and empower the next generation of cultural leaders in Washington, DC.
