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Record of Proceedings

Public Round Table on PR26-746: Demetrius Butler Confirmation to Commission on the Arts and Humanities - July 9, 2026

Council of the District of Columbia — Thursday, July 9, 2026

BodyWashington, District Of Columbia

SessionCouncil of the District of Columbia

DateThursday, July 9, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 19:19

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0:07

I'm calling to order this uh hearing or round table.

0:10

This is a public round table of the committee as a whole of the council of the district of Columbia.

0:15

I'm Phil Mendelson, Chair of the Council and Chair of the Committee as a whole.

0:19

Today is Thursday, July 9th, 2026.

0:23

The time is 1241 in the afternoon.

0:26

We're in room 412 of the John A.

0:28

Wilson Building, and this hearing is being recorded and will be available for public viewing on the council's website, www.dccouncil.gov.

0:38

The subject of this round table, which is the second of two that we're having today, is PR26-746 entitled Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Demetrius Butler Confirmation Resolution of 2026.

0:53

This resolution was introduced approximately three weeks ago.

0:57

That is June 15th at the request of Mayor Bowser.

1:02

The stated purpose of PR 26-746 is to confirm the mayor's nomination to reappoint Demetrius Butler to the Commission on the Arts and Humanities for a term to end June 30th, 2029.

1:18

The Commission on the Arts and Humanities is an independent agency of the District of Columbia Government.

1:23

It's responsible for evaluating and initiating action on matters relating to the arts and humanities, and is the designated state arts agency for the District of Columbia.

1:33

The commission is also responsible for selecting and distributing grants and artists and art organizations.

1:40

Excuse me, grants to artists and arts organizations in the district, as well as grants to humanities DC.

1:49

The purpose of today's round table is to provide an opportunity to the public to testify as well as for us to hear from the nominee.

1:58

All of which is to see if there are any issues of concern with regard to the nominee and his fitness for reappointment.

2:06

The record in this matter will be fairly short.

2:10

That is, the record will close at 5 p.m.

2:12

this coming Monday, July 13th.

2:16

And that is because unless there's something unforeseen, I expect to move forward and present this nomination or confirmation to the council for consideration at its July 14th meeting.

2:34

And they haven't.

2:36

So we have only the nominee Demetrius Butler.

2:38

If you want to come forward, I think you have a statement, although I don't have a copy of it.

2:52

Good morning.

2:53

Well afternoon, good afternoon.

2:55

So when you're ready, please begin.

2:57

Okay.

3:01

Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee.

3:04

I'm Demetrius Butler, and it's a pleasure to receive your consideration for my nomination to serve on the board commission.

3:10

I'm grateful to Mayor Murray E.

3:12

Bowser for nominating me and honored to have the opportunity to serve the residents of the district.

3:18

Allow me to extend my heartfelt greetings to each of you.

3:23

It is truly an honor to stand before you today as a lifelong Washington, born right here in DC, at DC General.

3:30

My roots run deep in this city.

3:32

I'm a proud Ward 8 resident, raised in Potomac Gardens, Capitol Hill community, a graduate of Easton High School, and forever a rambler.

3:40

I would like to begin by thanking the committee for holding this hearing and the mayor for this nomination.

3:46

I'm truly grateful for this opportunity to be considered for this role.

3:50

But today is not about me, it's about gratitude, recognition, and purpose.

3:54

I am deeply honored and sincerely thankful for the trust that's been placed in me.

3:58

This moment is not just recognition, it's responsibility.

4:01

A responsibility I carry with pride is somewhat committed to uplifting the arts in Washington, DC.

4:07

My journey began with love for hip hop.

4:09

Studying album covers and being inspired by artists like Cause, Kashi Murakami, and George Condo.

4:16

The passion of all to a career that has allowed me to move from collecting to curating to consulting.

4:21

Today I also do international consulting work with League OTO, helping the merge of artists navigate the global art space, but my true passion will always be right here in Washington, D.C.

4:31

When I returned home, I recognized the gap of opportunities for emerging artists.

4:35

It led me to create Flea Market Gallery on 11th and 8th Street Northeast.

4:39

The name Flea was intentional.

4:41

I didn't want to see the our culture, Flea DC.

4:44

I wanted to create a space that anchored it here.

4:46

Flea Market Gallery became more than just a gallery.

4:49

It became a cultural hub.

4:51

We hosted over a hundred events from art exhibits to live performances to local clothing brand pop-up, all rooted in showcasing and celebrating the creativity of our city.

5:01

Since then, my work has continued to grow in both scale and impact.

5:04

Recently, I curated a major exhibition alongside Shy Glizzy or Shayla Mitchell, Shayla Mitchell Art Gallery, bringing together over eight artists and helping push contemporary art forward in DC in a major way.

5:16

I also helped create Art on the Rise, a boutique fair dedicated exclusively to local artists.

5:22

Through this platform, we've been able to support and elevated artists such as Lex Murphy, Crystal Seawood, Blue Murphy, and Lisa Brown, just to name a few, many of whom have gone on to exhibit nationally and expand their careers beyond the city.

5:37

Beyond DC, I work to create opportunities for our artists in new spaces.

5:41

At Cousin Swells in Virginia, we bought local talent like Glenn Hardy into a new market, resulting not just in exposure, but a real sales and tangible growth.

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Summary of Proceedings

Public Round Table on PR26-746: Demetrius Butler Confirmation to Commission on the Arts and Humanities - July 9, 2026

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson convened a public round table of the Committee as a Whole on July 9, 2026, at 12:41 PM in Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building. The hearing considered PR26-746, the resolution to confirm Mayor Muriel Bowser's reappointment of Demetrius Butler to the Commission on the Arts and Humanities for a term ending June 30, 2029. The record will close at 5 PM on Monday, July 13, 2026, with council consideration scheduled for July 14, 2026.

Nominee Testimony

Demetrius Butler, a lifelong Ward 8 resident and graduate of Eastern High School, testified in support of his reappointment. He described his background as a curator, consultant, and founder of the now-closed Flea Market Gallery (a cultural hub that hosted over 100 events before closing during COVID-19). He currently works with League OTO, a collective that incubates emerging visual artists. He highlighted recent projects including a major exhibition with Shy Glizzy and Shayla Mitchell, and the creation of Art on the Rise, a boutique fair for local artists. He expressed a vision for Washington, D.C. as a world-renowned arts destination with go-go music recognized and protected, and downtown filled with murals and creative spaces.

Discussion Items

Chairman Mendelson expressed frustration with the Commission on the Arts and Humanities, noting that many arts organizations receive less in grants each year, which undermines stability. He advocated for strategies where larger organizations (e.g., Arena Stage) help smaller ones (e.g., Step Africa) through facility sharing and capacity building, rather than simply diluting grants. He also suggested using grant conditions to promote diversity and capacity building.
Nominee Butler agreed on the need for collaboration and noted that the commission had restored a grant (FASP fellowship) to its original level after feedback. He described his role as a liaison to the go-go community, reporting that the number of grants to that community increased from 13 to approximately 24-25 in the past year, and that he has held several round tables with the community.
Chairman Mendelson asked three standard questions: whether Butler has sufficient time to serve (yes), whether he is current on district and federal obligations (yes), and whether he has or foresees any conflicts of interest (no; he would recuse himself if one arose).
Butler stated he measures his success by building bridges between the community and the Commission, and leaving the Commission in a better place than he found it.

Key Outcomes

No vote was taken; this was a public round table to gather testimony and allow the nominee to respond to questions.
The record will close at 5 PM on Monday, July 13, 2026.
Chairman Mendelson indicated he expects to present the confirmation resolution to the full council for consideration at its July 14, 2026 meeting, barring unforeseen issues.

Meeting Transcript

I'm calling to order this uh hearing or round table. This is a public round table of the committee as a whole of the council of the district of Columbia. I'm Phil Mendelson, Chair of the Council and Chair of the Committee as a whole. Today is Thursday, July 9th, 2026. The time is 1241 in the afternoon. We're in room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building, and this hearing is being recorded and will be available for public viewing on the council's website, www.dccouncil.gov. The subject of this round table, which is the second of two that we're having today, is PR26-746 entitled Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Demetrius Butler Confirmation Resolution of 2026. This resolution was introduced approximately three weeks ago. That is June 15th at the request of Mayor Bowser. The stated purpose of PR 26-746 is to confirm the mayor's nomination to reappoint Demetrius Butler to the Commission on the Arts and Humanities for a term to end June 30th, 2029. The Commission on the Arts and Humanities is an independent agency of the District of Columbia Government. It's responsible for evaluating and initiating action on matters relating to the arts and humanities, and is the designated state arts agency for the District of Columbia. The commission is also responsible for selecting and distributing grants and artists and art organizations. Excuse me, grants to artists and arts organizations in the district, as well as grants to humanities DC. The purpose of today's round table is to provide an opportunity to the public to testify as well as for us to hear from the nominee. All of which is to see if there are any issues of concern with regard to the nominee and his fitness for reappointment. The record in this matter will be fairly short. That is, the record will close at 5 p.m. this coming Monday, July 13th. And that is because unless there's something unforeseen, I expect to move forward and present this nomination or confirmation to the council for consideration at its July 14th meeting. And they haven't. So we have only the nominee Demetrius Butler. If you want to come forward, I think you have a statement, although I don't have a copy of it. Good morning. Well afternoon, good afternoon. So when you're ready, please begin. Okay. Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelssohn and members of the committee. I'm Demetrius Butler, and it's a pleasure to receive your consideration for my nomination to serve on the board commission. I'm grateful to Mayor Murray E. Bowser for nominating me and honored to have the opportunity to serve the residents of the district. Allow me to extend my heartfelt greetings to each of you. It is truly an honor to stand before you today as a lifelong Washington, born right here in DC, at DC General. My roots run deep in this city. I'm a proud Ward 8 resident, raised in Potomac Gardens, Capitol Hill community, a graduate of Easton High School, and forever a rambler. I would like to begin by thanking the committee for holding this hearing and the mayor for this nomination. I'm truly grateful for this opportunity to be considered for this role. But today is not about me, it's about gratitude, recognition, and purpose. I am deeply honored and sincerely thankful for the trust that's been placed in me. This moment is not just recognition, it's responsibility. A responsibility I carry with pride is somewhat committed to uplifting the arts in Washington, DC. My journey began with love for hip hop. Studying album covers and being inspired by artists like Cause, Kashi Murakami, and George Condo. The passion of all to a career that has allowed me to move from collecting to curating to consulting. Today I also do international consulting work with League OTO, helping the merge of artists navigate the global art space, but my true passion will always be right here in Washington, D.C. When I returned home, I recognized the gap of opportunities for emerging artists. It led me to create Flea Market Gallery on 11th and 8th Street Northeast. The name Flea was intentional. I didn't want to see the our culture, Flea DC.

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