Contemporary Arts Center

What Contemporary Arts Center does

Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) is a private, nonprofit contemporary art museum founded in 1939 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 44 E. 6th Street in the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, a building designed by architect Zaha Hadid. The institution's core product is rotating exhibitions of contemporary art by local, national, and international artists, displayed across multiple gallery spaces and complemented by an interactive Creativity Center + UnMuseum for hands-on visitor experiences. CAC operates a portfolio of educational and community programs including the 42+ year-old School Outreach Program (the longest-running K-12 arts outreach program in Ohio), Teen Programs, Family Programs, and Public Programs, plus a Co-LAB initiative pairing artists with community organizations.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue structure spanning six streams: ticketed daily admissions, recurring membership dues across multiple tiers, individual and corporate donations (including planned giving and donor societies), event space rentals for private functions, grants from ArtsWave, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, and private foundations (Andy Warhol Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation), and retail merchandise via Shop CAC. GTM motion is direct-to-consumer through the physical museum, with secondary community outreach to K-12 schools, libraries, and partner organizations, and digital extension via the Bloomberg Connects app. The institution serves four primary customer segments: general public visitors, K-12 schools and educators, families and youth, and local/regional artists, with secondary enterprise event rental clients.

Operationally, CAC is led by Director and Chief Curator Raphaela Platow, supported by specialized curatorial roles in lens-based art and performance. Technology integrations are limited to third-party SaaS platforms (ShowClix for ticketing, HoneyBook for event booking, Bloomberg Connects for digital tours), with no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and no disclosed software products. CAC has been recognized with the 2018 Sotheby's Prize for Art and Race Matters for the Robert Colescott retrospective and partners with ArtsWave, FotoFocus, Queens Village, Wave Pool, and the Underworld Black Arts Festival. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees, which approved updated Philanthropy Guidelines in July 2024.

Name

Contemporary Arts Center

Legal name

Contemporary Arts Center

Website

https://contemporaryartscenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Contemporary Arts Center is a nonprofit contemporary art museum in Cincinnati, Ohio, housed in a Zaha Hadid-designed building. It operates rotating exhibitions, K-12 outreach, artist residencies, and community programs serving the general public, schools, families, and local artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary art museum
• Art exhibitions
• Arts education programs
• Cultural institution
• Event space rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission and Tickets: Revenue from daily admission tickets and special event tickets
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership programs offering various benefit tiers including free admission, exclusive events, and discounts
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Individual and corporate donations managed through structured giving programs including donor recognition societies, endowment gifts, and planned giving options
4. Event Space Rentals: Venue rentals for private events including weddings, celebrations, receptions, and corporate functions in event spaces with city views
5. Grants and Foundation Support: Funding from ArtsWave, National Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, and other foundations supporting exhibitions and programs
6. Shop CAC: Retail merchandise including books, art-related products, and exhibition catalogues

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) operates a contemporary art museum in downtown Cincinnati housed in the Zaha Hadid-designed Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center. The institution presents rotating exhibitions of local, national, and international contemporary art and provides educational programs for K-12 schools, teens, families, and the general public, alongside event space rentals, a retail shop, and a membership program.

Product overview

The Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) is a contemporary art museum offering a unified portfolio of cultural offerings centered around rotating art exhibitions. The core product consists of exhibitions displayed across multiple galleries, complemented by educational programs (School Programs, Teen Programs, Family Programs, and Public Programs), facility amenities (Creativity Center + UnMuseum for hands-on experiences), and visitor services (Tours via Bloomberg Connects and video/audio formats, Event Space Rentals, Membership Programs, and Shop CAC). The Co-LAB Program represents a distinctive collaborative offering that pairs artists with community organizations for project-based work. The institution positions itself as a community cultural hub with accessibility as a core value.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creativity Center + UnMuseum: A space for educational programs and creative experiences for children and families
• School Outreach Program

Products and services

• Exhibitions
• Creativity Center + UnMuseum Interactive educational space offering hands-on art activities and museum experiences for visitors of all ages.
• School + Educator Programs Educational outreach programs for K-12 students and teachers, including the School Outreach Program (SOP), the longest-running arts outreach program for K-12 students in Ohio.
• Teen Programs Programs designed for young adults including Teen Art Council, Teen Art Shows, and Teen Labs offering workshops.
• Family Programs Programs and activities designed for families including Thursday Art Play, Family Festivals, and homeschool workshops.
• Public Programs Public events including artist talks, performances, workshops, and community programming open to all visitors.
• Event Space Rentals Rental of CAC facilities including spaces with city views for private events such as dinners, weddings, receptions, and parties.
• Membership Programs Various membership tiers including Individual, Dual, Family, Contemporary Members, and corporate membership options providing benefits and recognition.
• Tours Guided and self-guided tour offerings including in-person tours, Bloomberg Connects app-based tours, and video/audio tours.
• Shop CAC Retail store offering merchandise, publications, and art-related items for purchase.
• Co-LAB Program Collaborative program pairing artists with community organizations to create immersive, project-based art experiences, often supported by ArtsWave.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Queens VillagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 July 2024Fourth collaboration for the Through Her Eyes project, featuring 'Revolutionary Recipes' exhibition celebrating Black womanhood, with Queens Village Marketing Director participating in exhibition development.
• Underworld Black Arts Festival and Rush Arts FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 July 2024Partnership featuring prints from Rush Arts 25th Anniversary Print Portfolio in coordination with the Underworld Black Arts Festival.
• Wave PoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2018First co-production between Wave Pool and CAC for the 'Listen!' project bringing national artist Caroline Woolard to Cincinnati to respond to community needs in partnership with local organizations.
• FotoFocuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership for FotoFocus Biennial 2018 spanning over 90 projects across Greater Cincinnati region with more than 400 artists, curators, and educators participating.
• ArtsWavecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor regional arts funding organization and corporate partner supporting CAC exhibitions, programs, and the annual Inspire Artist Grants program which has invested over $1 million in local artists since 2020.
• The Kroger Co.supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing sponsorship support for CAC programs and events.
• BloombergsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBloomberg Connects partnership providing digital guide and tour content for CAC exhibitions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cincycac
• Facebookfacebook.com/cincycac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Contemporary Arts Center