Commission of Fine Arts

Since 1910, the Commission of Fine Arts has reviewed designs for federal and D.C. government properties, including buildings, monuments, parks, and cemeteries.

Architect Frank Gehry presents the concept design for the President Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial to the Commission of Fine Arts, May 2012. (Image credit: CFA)

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building has stood beside the White House for nearly 150 years, originally housing the U.S. departments of State, War, and Navy.

When conducting research at the CFA office, please note:

The Commission of Fine Arts is an independent federal agency charged with giving expert advice to the President, the Congress and the federal and District of Columbia governments on matters of design and aesthetics, as they affect the federal interest and preserve the dignity of the nation’s capital. The Commission is composed of seven presidentially appointed experts in relevant disciplines including art, architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design.

The Commission of Fine Arts publishes its annual budget justifications in PDF format, viewable with Adobe Reader.

To learn more about CFA's design review work, select a topic from the navigation.

Congress established the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in 1910 to advise on arts, national symbols, and Washington, D.C.’s architectural development.

CFA staff is available to help with research requests. Please review the information available here and contact the CFA Records Officer for further information or to make an appointment at (202) 504-2200 or cfastaff@cfa.gov.

Government (federal and District of Columbia) / Shipstead-Luce Act cfastaff@cfa.gov

30 January 2026—President Donald J. Trump has appointed new members to the Commission of Fine Arts.

The Commission of Fine Arts provides public access to its resources, including photographs and government documents, for education and scholarship.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)