U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

What U.S. Commission of Fine Arts does

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) is an independent federal advisory agency established by Congress on May 17, 1910, under 40 U.S.C. §§ 9101-9104, headquartered at 401 F Street NW, Suite 312, in the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C. Its statutory function is to advise the federal and District of Columbia governments on matters of design and aesthetics affecting the national capital, providing expert review of proposals for federal buildings, monuments, memorials, parks, commemorative coins and medals, and certain private construction in areas of high federal interest. The Commission's authority expanded over time via Executive Orders (1259 in 1910, 1862 in 1913, 3524 in 1921), the Shipstead-Luce Act of 1930, and the Old Georgetown Act of 1950, which created the Old Georgetown Board of Architectural Consultants as an advisory subsidiary.

The agency operates with seven presidentially appointed Commissioners serving four-year unpaid terms (currently Rodney Mims Cook Jr. as Chairman and James C. McCrery II as Vice Chairman, appointed in January 2026) and twelve full-time civil-service staff under Secretary Thomas Luebke, FAIA. Its core offerings are organized as four statutory review streams: Government Project Design Review, Shipstead-Luce Act Review, Old Georgetown Act Review, and Coins and Medals Review, supplemented by the National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs (NCACA) Grant Program. Reviews are conducted at monthly public meetings and produce formal advisory opinions. The Commission does not charge fees for its services; it is funded entirely through annual congressional appropriations and operates as a non-commercial statutory monopoly. In October 2025 the White House dismissed all six Biden-appointed members, and the subsequently Trump-appointed body has since approved several high-profile administration-prioritized projects including a $400 million White House ballroom, a 250-foot commemorative arch, and a 24-karat gold commemorative coin featuring President Trump.

Name

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

Legal name

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

Website

https://cfa.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts is a federal independent agency established in 1910 that advises the federal and D.C. governments on design review for public buildings, memorials, coins, medals, and private construction in specified Washington D.C. areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Advisory Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Federal design review
• Architectural advisory services
• Public building review
• Historic preservation consulting
• Commemorative coin design review

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriation: As an independent federal agency, the Commission of Fine Arts is funded through annual congressional appropriations rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts is an independent federal advisory agency that reviews the design of federal and District of Columbia government projects, including public buildings, memorials, monuments, parks, and commemorative coins and medals. Established by Congress in 1910, the agency provides expert aesthetic and design guidance to ensure the quality of the built environment in the national capital.

Product overview

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts provides expert design review and advisory services for matters of design and aesthetics affecting federal interests in Washington D.C. The Commission's core offerings consist of design review services organized by jurisdiction: Government Project Design Review (covering federal and D.C. government buildings, memorials, parks, and military cemetery projects), Shipstead-Luce Act Review (for private construction near monumental and governmental areas), Old Georgetown Act Review (for the historic Georgetown district), and Coins and Medals Review (for U.S. Mint currency and military heraldic designs). The NCACA Grant Program represents an associated funding mechanism for D.C. arts institutions. Together, these services form a unified design oversight framework rather than a traditional software product portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Federal Design Review Services Independent design and aesthetic review of federal buildings, monuments, memorials, parks, and public spaces in the National Capital region. Aimed at federal agencies proposing construction or alteration projects.
• Commemorative Coin and Medal Design Review Statutory review and recommendation on designs for U.S. commemorative coins, medals, and other numismatic items. Serves the U.S. Mint and Treasury Department.
• Old Georgetown Act Design Review Design review of new construction, alterations, and demolitions in the Old Georgetown historic district of Washington, D.C., under the Old Georgetown Act.
• Shipstead-Luce Act Design Review Design review of alterations and new construction on properties located in the Shipstead-Luce area, including parts of the National Mall and surrounding federal enclaves.
• NCACA Grant Program Administration Administration of grants supporting arts and cultural organizations in the National Capital region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reviews designs for all coins and medals issued by the U.S. Mint
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC)coreOthersThe two commissions work together on planning and design matters for the national capital. NCPC has final authority on many federal projects while CFA provides design review.
• National Park Service (NPS)coreOthersNPS submits projects for federal lands and properties, including national memorials and parks throughout Washington D.C.
• D.C. Historic Preservation OfficecoreOthersActs as referral point for Shipstead-Luce and Old Georgetown Act submissions. Coordinates review process between D.C. government and CFA.
• District of Columbia Department of BuildingscoreOthersBuilding permit applications in Shipstead-Luce and Old Georgetown areas are referred to CFA for review as part of the D.C. permitting process.
• National Endowment for the HumanitiesminorOthersJoint panel review with CFA Chairman for the National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs (NCACA) grant program.
• National Endowment for the ArtsminorOthersJoint panel review with CFA Chairman for the NCACA grant program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Regional players

• D.C. Historic Preservation Office: D.C. government office that refers Old Georgetown and Shipstead-Luce submissions to CFA. Operates adjacently in the same local design-review and preservation workflow.

Broad incumbents

• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): Federal agency supporting humanities and cultural institutions. The CFA chairman joins the NEH chairman on the NCACA grant review panel, putting the two agencies in a coordinated funding-and-review relationship.
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): Federal agency that funds and supports arts and culture nationwide. The CFA co-reviews NCACA grants with the NEA chairman, making it a partner and functional peer in the federal arts-administration ecosystem.
• Smithsonian Institution: Federally chartered cultural institution whose buildings and memorials in D.C. are subject to CFA review. Direct overlap on D.C. cultural infrastructure projects and shared federal oversight.
• National Gallery of Art: Federal art museum whose campus and exhibits fall within CFA's design-review purview. Operates in the same cultural/heritage domain with overlapping federal sponsorship and ties to national capital aesthetics.

Emerging players

• Trust for the National Mall: Private nonprofit partner to the National Park Service for the National Mall. Acts as a complementary steward/advocate for monuments and memorials that CFA also reviews, with shared subject matter.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Private nonprofit that advocates for historic preservation across the U.S. While CFA's mandate is jurisdictional to D.C., the National Trust operates as a non-governmental counterpart in the same preservation/built-heritage space.

Direct peers

• National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC): Federal planning agency with overlapping jurisdiction over federal and D.C. projects in the National Capital. NCPC has final authority on many federal projects while CFA provides design review, making them partner/peer in the same regulatory workflow.
• Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP): Independent federal agency that advises on historic preservation, including Section 106 review. Like CFA, it is a small, statutorily established advisory body that operates through review processes affecting federal undertakings.

Others

• U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: Independent, bipartisan federal commission established by Congress. Structurally similar to CFA as a small, appointed advisory body operating under statutory authority, useful as an operational benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CFA_GOV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/u-s-commission-of-fine-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about U.S. Commission of Fine Arts