AS220

What AS220 does

AS220 is a non-profit community arts organization founded in 1985 in Providence, Rhode Island, that provides affordable, unjuried, and uncensored access to galleries, performance venues, educational programs, residential spaces, and work studios. The organization serves over 1,000 artists and 93,000 visitors annually across Rhode Island, with a particular mission focus on removing financial and curatorial barriers that conventional presenting venues impose. Its service population spans working artists, youth ages 14-21 (with targeted outreach to those in state care and juvenile detention), the dance community, and the general public.

The organization operates an integrated physical ecosystem across four owned mixed-use buildings in downtown Providence totaling over 100,000 square feet and representing a $25 million cumulative real-estate investment. Core program lines include rotating gallery exhibitions (Main Gallery, Aborn Gallery), three live-arts venues (Main Stage, Black Box theater, Psychic Readings), Community Studios (print shop, darkroom, media arts lab, fabrication/electronics lab), Dance classes and workshops, four dozen Live/Work residential studios, the AS220 Youth after-school program, the AS220 Bar, and a Racial Justice Initiative launched in 2019.

AS220 is funded through a diversified mix of individual donations, foundation and government grants (Rhode Island Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Bank Rhode Island), venue and space rentals, bar/restaurant revenue, paid tours and speaking engagements, and affordable class fees. Some programs (AS220 Youth, certain dance classes for Brown/RISD students) are offered free of charge. The organization is led by Co-Executive Directors Anjel Newmann and Shauna Duffy, governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Janella Watson, and has earned a national reputation as a model for arts-driven urban revitalization.

Name

AS220

Legal name

AS220

Website

https://as220.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AS220 is a non-profit community arts organization in Providence, Rhode Island, operating four downtown buildings with galleries, performance venues, live/work studios, youth programs, and a bar, serving 1,000+ artists and 93,000+ visitors annually with affordable, unjuried access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Center

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Dance Companies (71112), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Community arts center
• Arts education programs
• Performance venue rental
• Artist live work studios
• Exhibition gallery space

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Support: AS220 relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations to support its mission of providing affordable arts access. The organization mentions reading 2025 Impact Reports and accepting donations through its website.
2. Grants: AS220 receives grant funding from foundations such as the Rhode Island Foundation's Black Philanthropy Bannister Fund, which awarded $105,000 to 15 nonprofits including organizations serving the Black community.
3. Venue and Space Rentals: Artists can book venues including the Main Stage, Black Box theater, and Psychic Readings space for live events including music, theatre, poetry, and film. Galleries can be booked for exhibiting artwork.
4. Bar and Restaurant Operations: AS220 operates a bar and restaurant at its Empire Street Complex (115 Empire Street), serving drinks and food Wednesdays through Sundays. The bar functions as a community gathering space.
5. Educational Programs and Classes: AS220 offers dance classes and workshops through its Dance program and Community Studios. Some programs are free (with Brown/RISD ID), while others are offered at affordable rates.
6. Tours and Consultation Services: AS220 offers general tours ($200-$300), speaking engagements (panel discussions $500+, keynotes $2,500+), consultation services ($100-$2,000), and workshops ($1,500).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AS220 is a non-profit community arts organization in downtown Providence, Rhode Island that provides affordable access to gallery exhibition spaces, multiple performance venues (Main Stage, Black Box theater, Psychic Readings), live/work residential studios, community workshops (print shop, darkroom, media arts lab), dance studios, a youth arts education program, and a community bar. The organization operates as an unjuried and uncensored forum where artists of all disciplines can exhibit, perform, create, and live.

Product overview

AS220 is a non-profit community arts organization providing an unjuried and uncensored forum for the arts in Providence, Rhode Island. The organization operates as a unified platform of interconnected creative services including gallery exhibition spaces (Main Gallery, Aborn Gallery), multiple performance venues (Main Stage, Black Box theater, Psychic Readings), dance studios, community studios for education and skill-building, affordable Live/Work Studios for artist housing, the AS220 Youth program for young artists ages 14-21, and the AS220 Bar as a community gathering space. AS220's Racial Justice Initiative provides an organizational framework for anti-racist transformation. The organization serves over 1,000 artists annually and attracts approximately 93,000 visitors, functioning as both a physical creative infrastructure and community programming hub for the arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AS220 Youth

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 artists served annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Kitchen: NYC nonprofit presenting experimental performance, dance, and visual art in an artist-led framework — comparable to AS220's unjuried presentation model.
• Gibney: New York City-based nonprofit performing arts and community center offering studios, performance venues, and programs for artists and social justice missions — directly comparable to AS220's integrated ecosystem model.
• MASS MoCA: Large-scale nonprofit arts organization in North Adams, MA operating galleries, performance venues, and artist residencies in converted industrial buildings — an earlier version of AS220's urban revitalization model at larger scale.
• Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA): Portland-based nonprofit presenting experimental performing arts, residencies, and community programs — comparable mission and multi-venue nonprofit structure.
• The Yard: Martha's Vineyard-based nonprofit dance residency and performance organization offering affordable residencies and community classes — comparable to AS220's dance program and studio access mission.
• HERE Arts Center: NYC nonprofit arts center supporting multidisciplinary performing artists with affordable studios, residencies, and venue access — mirrors AS220's community studio and live/work model.
• Links Hall: Chicago nonprofit presenting experimental dance and performance with affordable artist access — comparable to AS220's community-focused performance programming.
• Performance Space New York (formerly PS122): NYC nonprofit presenting experimental performance in an unjuried, uncensored framework — directly comparable to AS220's Main Stage and Black Box programming philosophy.

Emerging players

• The Chocolate Factory Theater: Long Island City, Queens nonprofit presenting experimental performance with artist residencies and community programs — a smaller-scale peer with similar nonprofit artist-support model.

Broad incumbents

• Wexner Center for the Arts: Ohio State University-affiliated multi-disciplinary arts center presenting performing arts, galleries, and film — a larger, more institutional peer with overlapping resident artist and venue programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/as220
• Facebookfacebook.com/AS22O

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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 AS220