The Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency [CAHA] was established in 1967 by the late Dr. Pedro Sanchez under the University of Guam and was then called the Insular Arts Council [IAC]. The agency was dedicated to the development of programs in music, visual arts, cultural heritage, literature, and arts education. 

In 1972, Louise Hotaling served as IAC's first program director under the University-Community cooperative board of directors. Through Executive Order 75-23, the late Governor Ricardo J. Bordallo re-established the Insular Arts Council as part of the executive office in 1975. Peter Guerrero served as the IAC's first Executive Director followed by Margaret Smith, who was later replaced by Laura Souder, Chairperson of the Arts Council.

In 1982, the Late Senator Cecilia Bamba and Senator Carmen Kasperbauer sponsored Public Law 16-122 which established CAHA as the State Arts agency of Guam.  

Public Law 18-8 was enacted to ensure CAHA’s perpetual existence in support of the arts on Guam. 

In 2011, CAHA was merged into the Department of Chamorro Affairs [DCA] per Reorganizational Advisory No. 6 dated 6 October 2011. 

CAHA was separated from DCA and restored to its status as a separate line agency on 21 June 2019, per Executive Order No 2019-14. 

CAHA is currently working on rebranding itself as an organization that is relevant, responsive to our constituents and collaborative in nature. 

Our community programming includes a community grant program that accepts applications from individuals and nonprofit organizations for projects and activities that perpetuate the arts, humanities and culture of our island. Eligible arts & humanities genres include, but are not limited to: visual arts, literary arts & spoken word, performing arts, media arts, culinary arts, folk and traditional arts. ​ These grants require the applicant to match a portion of the funding. 

CAHA also funds fellowship grants, special project grants and an artist-in-residence program.

For more information on specific grants, please see specific grant program guidelines.