Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning

What Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning does

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) is a 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit multidisciplinary arts center founded in 1972 and headquartered at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in Southeast Queens, New York City. JCAL is the only multidisciplinary arts center and the only member of NYC's Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) located in Southeast Queens, and operates two landmark facilities: the 45,000-square-foot, five-floor Jamaica Arts Center (galleries, studios, music practice rooms, ceramics and animation studios, 3D digital lab, 99-seat black-box theater) and the 400-seat Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC) inside the 1858 First Reformed Dutch Church. The organization serves 50,000-58,000 visitors annually across four programming pillars—visual arts, music, dance, and theater—including the Thursday Night Jazz and Riddim Section concert series, the Making Moves Dance Festival, the Meet the Playwright theater series, the Visual Voices three-year curatorial initiative, and the ARTWorks artist fellowship, plus the annual Queens International Children's Festival and the JCAL Education at Home YouTube series.

JCAL monetizes through a diversified nonprofit revenue stack. Earned revenue streams include ticket sales via Eventbrite (e.g., Making Moves Dance Festival), arts classes via Amilia (semester-based registration), Summer Arts Camp at $499 per participant with installment pricing, space rentals (with subsidized $10/hour rehearsal space under a NY State Council on the Arts grant), and tiered membership dues from $75 (Senior) to $200 (Family) annually. Contributed revenue includes individual donations processed via PayPal and Qgiv (covering 75% of annual expenses, with 95% of individual gifts under $100), foundation grants (notably a two-year $600,000 Mellon Foundation capacity-building grant in 2023), government grants (NYSCA, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC Council), and corporate sponsorships tiered from $2,500 (Member) to $50,000+ (Season Sponsor), including recent additions Emigrant Bank, Raising Cane's, and Port Authority/JFK Millennium Partners. Marketing and distribution rely on a 26,000+ email subscriber newsletter, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), community partnerships (The Public Theater, King Manor Museum, TDF, LAZ Parking), and a hybrid audience spanning families, youth, artists, seniors, and corporate partners in Southeast Queens and broader NYC.

Name

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning

Legal name

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning

Website

https://jcal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning is a 1972-founded nonprofit multidisciplinary arts center in Southeast Queens, NYC, serving 50,000-58,000 annual visitors across music, dance, theater, and visual arts programming at two landmark venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA), Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Performing arts center
• Arts education programs
• Cultural community programming
• Visual arts exhibitions
• Artist residencies fellowships

Headquarters

HQ city

Jamaica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program with tiered pricing ($75-$200/year) offering free/discounted access to events, classes, and parking. Members receive priority access and discounts.
2. Space Rentals: Rental of performance spaces, galleries, studios, and rehearsal spaces at Jamaica Arts Center and Jamaica Performing Arts Center. Subsidized rates available through NY State Council on the Arts grant ($10/hour for qualified rehearsal spaces).
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship tiers from $2,500 (Member) to $50,000+ (Season Sponsor), with benefits including VIP tickets, logo placement, and employee benefits.
4. Individual Donations: Individual contributions covering 75% of annual expenses. 95% of donations are below $100. Accepts one-time and planned gifts.
5. Foundation and Government Grants: Grants from Mellon Foundation ($600,000 capacity-building grant), Humanities New York, NY State Council on the Arts, NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs, and other institutional funders.
6. Ticket Sales and Class Fees: Revenue from ticketed events, performances, and arts education classes. Summer Arts Camp priced at $499.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

JCAL is a multidisciplinary nonprofit arts center operating two historic facilities in Southeast Queens, delivering performing arts programming (concert series, dance festival, theater readings), visual arts exhibitions and artist residencies, and arts education classes for children and adults. The organization also generates revenue through venue rentals, membership tiers, and corporate sponsorships. Programming is anchored by recurring concert series (Thursday Night Jazz, Riddim Section), annual festivals (Making Moves Dance Festival, Queens International Children's Festival), the ARTWorks fellowship, and a Summer Arts Camp.

Product overview

Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL) is a multidisciplinary arts center offering a unified portfolio of performing arts programs, visual arts exhibitions, and arts education services. The organization operates two historic facilities in Southeast Queens: Jamaica Arts Center (headquarters with galleries, studios, and a 99-seat theater) and Jamaica Performing Arts Center (a 400-seat performance venue). The core offerings include recurring concert series (Thursday Night Jazz, Riddim Section), annual festivals (Making Moves Dance Festival, Queens International Children's Festival), theater programming (Meet the Playwright), visual arts exhibitions through the Visual Voices curatorial initiative, and the ARTWorks artist fellowship. Education programs span seasonal arts classes, summer camps, and the free JCAL Education at Home video series. The organization supplements its programs with membership tiers, corporate sponsorships, and space rentals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARTWorks: Artist Residency and Training Fellowship program providing fiscal and technical support for emerging visual artists
• Visual Voices
• Jamaica Flux
• JCAL Reads
• JCAL Journeys

Products and services

• JCAL Arts Classes Seasonal arts education programs offering instruction in visual arts, music, dance, and theater for various age groups, delivered as semester-based classes and workshops through the Amilia registration platform.
• Summer Arts Camp Two-week immersive summer program for children ages 4-12 featuring piano, visual arts, and theater classes taught by professional teaching artists, priced at $499 with early bird discounts.
• Thursday Night Jazz Monthly jazz concert series featuring established and emerging jazz artists, held at Jamaica Performing Arts Center.
• Riddim Section Monthly concert series exploring music of the African, Caribbean, and Latin American diasporas, including Afrobeat, Calypso, Reggae, R&B, and related genres.
• Making Moves Dance Festival Annual dance festival showcasing new, emerging, and underrepresented dance companies with commissions for choreographers.
• Meet the Playwright Theater series providing script development opportunities for emerging BIIPOC playwrights through staged readings and audience feedback.
• Visual Voices Three-year curatorial initiative spotlighting emerging BIIPOC curators who propose and mount exhibitions in JCAL's galleries.
• ARTWorks Fellowship Ten-month artist residency providing fiscal and technical support, career sustainability training, and professional network development for emerging underrepresented visual artists, with a $5,000 fellowship.
• Queens International Children's Festival Annual free family festival featuring multicultural entertainment, arts and crafts, live performances, and interactive activities celebrating Queens' diverse cultural landscape.
• Strength Courage & Wisdom Women's History Month event featuring spoken word, storytelling, and dance performances celebrating women artists.
• JCAL Artist Registry Free ongoing program for community-based artists providing notifications about new opportunities at JCAL.
• Space Rentals Rental of JCAL facilities including Jamaica Arts Center (galleries, studios, black-box theater, rehearsal spaces) and Jamaica Performing Arts Center (400-seat performance space), with subsidized $10/hour rehearsal rates for qualified artists through NYSCA grant.
• Membership Program Tiered membership offering discounted parking, free or reduced-price event access, class discounts, and workshop access for Single ($100), Single Plus ($150), Family ($200), Senior ($75), and NYC Student/Faculty ($1) members.
• Corporate Sponsorship Corporate support program with sponsorship tiers (Member $2,500, Supporting $5,000, Event $10,000, Series $25,000, Season $50,000+) offering VIP tickets, logo placement, employee benefits, and discounted Broadway tickets via TDF partnership.
• JCAL Journeys Podcast Limited-episode podcast series exploring art and culture in Queens, hosted by Tunisia Morrison, featuring stories of local creatives.
• JCAL Education at Home Free educational video series available on YouTube covering arts and learning topics including folk music, dance tutorials, art lessons, integrated with JCAL's education programs for in-class, blended, or remote learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000-58,000 neighbors, friends, parents, youth, and artists served annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Raising Cane'sminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Sponsor of Queens International Children's Festival 2026, supporting free family programming at Rufus King Park.
• Emigrant BankminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnership for 4-part financial literacy webinar series covering homeownership, wealth building, and first-time homebuyer programs.
• JFK Millennium Partners / Port Authority of NY & NJminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Partnership creating artist opportunities at JFK Airport and related facilities. JCAL facilitating artist applications for Port Authority venues.
• King Manor MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Partnership for Paths of Rhythm Hip Hop pop-up museum exhibition celebrating Hip Hop's 50th Anniversary, held at King Manor Museum (150-03 Jamaica Avenue). JCAL curated the exhibit featuring Geechie Dan's collection.
• The Public TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Partnership for Free Shakespeare in the Park ticket distribution at JCAL. The Public Theater distributed tickets at JCAL lobby for HAMLET performances at Delacorte Theater.
• TDF (Theatre Development Fund)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing JCAL corporate sponsors access to discounted Broadway tickets (typically $20-40 per ticket) as an employee benefit.
• LAZ ParkingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing deeply discounted parking access for JCAL members at LAZ Parking on Jamaica Avenue (160th Street location).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harlem Stage (Aaron Davis Hall): NYC performing arts presenter focused on artists of African and Latino descent, operating a multi-purpose venue with residencies and education programs. Highly comparable to JCAL's mission, artist-pay philosophy, and curated diaspora programming.
• The LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LaPAC): Performing arts venue in Long Island City, Queens offering concerts, dance, and theater programming with a community access mission. Closely comparable as a mid-size Queens-based performing arts presenter with educational programming.
• BAAD! (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance): Bronx-based multidisciplinary arts organization offering performances, exhibitions, and classes with an LGBTQ+ and African diaspora focus. Comparable in scale, community-arts-center model, and multidisciplinary programming.
• Flushing Town Hall: NYC Cultural Institutions Group member in Queens offering multidisciplinary programming (music, dance, visual arts, education) in a landmarked historic building. Closest geographic and programmatic peer to JCAL within the CIG system.
• Queens Museum: CIG member located in Queens with exhibitions, public programs, and arts education. Comparable as a community-anchored cultural institution serving Queens residents with a similar educational and exhibition focus.
• Pregones/PRTT: Bronx-based Latino theater company producing original works, musical theater, and community programming. Comparable to JCAL in its focus on diaspora storytelling, paid artist opportunities, and BIIPOC theatrical programming.

Broad incumbents

• Symphony Space: Manhattan multi-venue performing arts center presenting music, dance, theater, and literary programming with educational outreach. Comparable multidisciplinary programming model, though larger and located outside Queens.
• 92nd Street Y (92Y): Multi-purpose NYC cultural institution presenting music, dance, theater, talks, and arts education classes with a membership model. Comparable combination of classes, performances, memberships, and community programming, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM): Major NYC performing arts presenter operating multiple venues with a multidisciplinary programming slate (music, dance, theater, film). Directly comparable to JCAL in programming mix but operates at a vastly larger scale with national/international reach.

Emerging players

• National Black Theatre: Harlem-based Black theater company with residencies, new work development, and community programming. Comparable to JCAL's Meet the Playwright and Visual Voices initiatives in developing BIIPOC artists and producing original work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCq1RZg9FCiQvM4aW2KZKq5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/jamaicacenterfortheartsandlearning
• Instagraminstagram.com/jcal_queens
• Xx.com/jamaicaarts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning