BarnArts Center for the Arts

What BarnArts Center for the Arts does

BarnArts Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community arts organization founded in March 2012 in Barnard, Vermont (population under 1,000 year-round), with programming that draws audiences and participants from the broader Upper Valley region including Woodstock, Lebanon, Hanover, and surrounding towns in Vermont and New Hampshire. The organization operates without its own performance venue, instead utilizing community spaces such as Barnard Town Hall, the First Universalist Church, Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, and Fable Farm Orchard for its programming. Core offerings comprise four annual community theater productions, the Summer Youth Theater (a 3-week camp producing musicals with 30 local youth per production), the 18-week Feast & Field outdoor music series (300-600 weekly attendance, partnered with Feast & Field LLC at Fable Farm Orchard), and the twice-yearly Global Music Residency bringing international artists (e.g., Lakou Mizik, Villalobos Brothers, Karim Nagi, Pamyua) into K-12 schools. Annual flagship events include the Masquerade Jazz and Funk Winter Music Carnival, Race Around the Lake 5K/10K fundraiser, Holiday Cabaret, Haunted Village Theater, Barnard Street Dance, Winter Carols, and Contra Dances.

The business model is a hybrid community-supported nonprofit structure: revenue is generated from event ticket sales (sliding scale $5-$50 depending on event), event sponsorships ($100-$5,000 tiers across multiple events), individual donations, and grants from foundations and state/federal arts agencies (National Endowment for the Arts, Vermont Arts Council, Vermont Humanities, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Couch Family Foundation, Byrne Foundation, Vermont Community Foundation). Pricing is structured with sliding scale and scholarship support to ensure accessibility. Marketing is conducted via the barnarts.org website, email newsletters (Constant Contact), and organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), supplemented by local press coverage and community word-of-mouth. Ticketing is processed through Ludus, Square, and RunSignUp platforms. The organization employs 4 staff members working from their homes (Executive Director Linda Treash, Communications & Project Manager Olivia Piepmeier, Music Program Manager Victoria Johnson, and Multimedia & Web Specialist Alex Montaño), supported by a volunteer board of directors and 20+ production team members during active shows.

The organization is currently in its 15th season and is conducting a capital campaign ("Raise the Barn") after securing a lease with the Town of Barnard for the old fire station in Barnard village, with groundbreaking planned for a 3,000+ square foot permanent Center for the Arts targeted for early 2027. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Peter Kahn, with Vice Chair Carin Ewing Park, Secretary Jill Clough, and additional members Cliff Johnson (former Vacasa co-founder), Diane Kennon, Adrienne Sass, and Stephanie Appelfeller.

Name

BarnArts Center for the Arts

Legal name

BarnArts Center for the Arts

Website

https://barnarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BarnArts Center for the Arts is a Barnard, Vermont-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that produces community theater, an 18-week outdoor music series, a summer youth theater program, and twice-yearly international artist residencies in K-12 schools across the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Community theater productions
• Youth theater programs
• Outdoor music series
• Arts-in-education
• Global music residency

Headquarters

HQ city

Barnard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales at community theater productions, music series performances, summer youth theater, and annual events including Masquerade, Holiday Cabaret, and Race Around the Lake.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Donations from individuals and organizations supporting youth programming, low-cost tickets, and expanded arts-in-education and community enrichment programs.
3. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from businesses supporting specific events including Race Around the Lake ($100-$1000), Feast & Field Music Series ($250-$5000), community theater productions, and seasonal events ($250-$1000).
4. Capital Campaign Donations: Fundraising campaign ('Raise the Barn') for building a 3000+ square foot Center for the Arts in Barnard village.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BarnArts Center for the Arts is a community-supported nonprofit that produces four annual mainstage theater productions, an 18-week outdoor music series (Feast & Field), a Summer Youth Theater camp, and a twice-yearly Global Music Residency bringing international artists into K-12 schools. It supplements these with signature annual events such as the Masquerade Jazz & Funk Carnival, Holiday Cabaret, Barnard Street Dance, Race Around the Lake fundraiser, and Haunted Village Theater.

Product overview

BarnArts Center for the Arts is a community-supported nonprofit offering a diverse portfolio of arts programming centered around community theater, youth development, and music education. The core offerings include four annual mainstage theater productions, the Summer Youth Theater (SYT) 3-week camp, the 18-week Feast & Field Music Series, and the twice-yearly Global Music Residency bringing international artists into schools. These are supplemented by annual signature events including the Masquerade Jazz and Funk Winter Music Carnival, Barnard Street Dance, Race Around the Lake fundraiser, Haunted Village Theater, Holiday Cabaret, Winter Carols, and Contra Dances. The organization also provides Arts-in-Education programming through school workshops. BarnArts does not own a performance venue and uses community spaces including Barnard Town Hall, Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, First Universalist Church, and outdoor locations like Fable Farm Orchard and King Farm.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Raise the Barn: Capital campaign name for building a permanent Center for the Arts in Barnard, Vermont
• Global Music Residency
• Feast & Field Music Series
• Summer Youth Theater
• Masquerade Jazz and Funk Winter Music Carnival
• Haunted Village Theater
• Race Around the Lake

Products and services

• Community Theater Productions Four annual mainstage theater productions featuring local community actors, directors, and crew, ranging from classic plays to contemporary works, performed at community venues including Barnard Town Hall, Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, and outdoor locations. Targeted at Barnard and Upper Valley community members.
• Summer Youth Theater (SYT) Annual 3-week intensive theater camp for youth ages 8-18 culminating in a full-scale musical production with original staging, costuming, choreography, and a live band. Includes scholarship support. Approximately 30 local youth participate per production.
• Feast & Field Music Series 18-week outdoor music series held at Fable Farm Orchard from May-September featuring local, regional, and international artists with weekly attendance of 300-600. Ticketing is sliding scale $5-25 per person with children 12 and under free. Season passes available.
• Global Music Residency Twice-yearly program bringing international artists into K-12 schools for workshops, culminating in public concerts. Artists have included Lakou Mizik, Morgan Toney, Villalobos Brothers, Karim Nagi, Pamyua, Sayon Camara, and others. Reaches over 1500 students per residency.
• Masquerade Jazz and Funk Winter Music Carnival Annual all-ages 4-hour celebration of jazz and funk music featuring professional artists performing alongside high school musicians. Includes taco bar, drinks, mask-decorating, and photo booth. Sliding scale adults $25-40, students $15-25, children 6 and under free.
• Race Around the Lake Annual 5K/10K fundraiser for youth programming held at Silver Lake State Park with awards ceremony, live music, and chef's table lunch. 10K Run $60 adults/$30 youth, 5K Run/Walk $45/$30, Virtual $25/$15. Supports Summer Youth Theater and Arts-in-Schools programs.
• Haunted Village Theater Actor-guided outdoor walking tour through Barnard village with Halloween-themed stories at 5 outdoor locations around firepits. Features original works by local writers.
• Holiday Cabaret Intimate seasonal celebration featuring swing band, jazz performances, food, and dancing to support BarnArts end-of-year fundraising drive. $35 general admission, $250 for table seating 6-8 people.
• Barnard Street Dance Free community event featuring boat races, contra dance, live music, food vendors, and family activities held at Silver Lake State Park and Barnard Town Hall.
• Winter Carols BarnArts original Winter Solstice event featuring BarnArts Chorale and Youth Chorale with audience sing-alongs and instrumental performances, directed by Michael Zsoldos.
• Contra Dances Community contra dances open to all ages and experience levels, no partners required, held at Barnard Town Hall.
• Arts-in-Education Programming School workshops led by visiting musicians and Global Music Residency artists, reaching K-12 students across Vermont and New Hampshire schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,000+ people attend BarnArts events annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Feast & Field LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between BarnArts (nonprofit) and Feast & Field LLC (local business) to present the Feast & Field Music Series at Fable Farm Orchard. Feast & Field farmers provide land, food & drink while BarnArts provides music programming. Both groups share gate revenue and expenses.
• ArtistreeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal arts organization providing housing support for Lakou Mizik Global Music Residency artist.
• Pentangle ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal arts organization partnering with BarnArts and Vermont Humanities for Villalobos Brothers school workshops.
• Town of BarnardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTown granted BarnArts access to old fire station after 3+ years of working out details and two public votes. Lease signed for new Center for the Arts location.
• Universalist Church and Society of BarnardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity venue partner for Haunted Village Theater and other events, location adjacent to planned new BarnArts center.
• Silver Lake AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Barnard Street Dance and Haunted Village Theater events.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• AVA Gallery and Art Center: Lebanon, NH community arts center offering visual and performing arts classes, exhibitions, and events. Adjacent peer in the Upper Valley community-arts ecosystem — overlapping mission of rural arts access and education, but focused primarily on visual rather than performing arts.

Direct peers

• Northern Stage: LION/Tony Award–eligible regional professional theater in White River Junction, VT presenting a multi-production mainstage season plus new work development. Closest regional peer in terms of mainstage theater programming model, though larger and professional-staffed rather than community-driven.
• Pentangle Arts: A small Woodstock, VT-based community arts nonprofit operating a year-round calendar of music, film, and performance events in borrowed and town-owned venues. Directly comparable to BarnArts in size, mission, and rural Vermont operating model, and already collaborates with BarnArts on Villalobos Brothers school programming.
• Lebanon Opera House: City-owned performing arts venue in Lebanon, NH presenting touring music, theater, and family programming in the Upper Valley. Overlaps geographically with BarnArts' catchment and competes for the same regional audience.
• Weston Theater Company: Southern Vermont professional summer theater producing a mainstage season plus education and outreach programming in a small rural town. Comparable in mission (rural Vermont live theater) and programming mix, though at a larger professional scale than BarnArts.
• Vermont Stage Company: Burlington, VT-based professional regional theater producing a mainstage season, new works, and community programs. Comparable in operating model (ticketed theater, donations, grants) but at a larger, more urban scale.
• Artistree: Woodstock, VT performing and visual arts nonprofit offering community theater, music, and arts education. Highly comparable to BarnArts in scale and rural Upper Valley footprint, and a current operational partner — most directly competing for overlapping audiences, volunteers, and donor bases.
• Dorset Theatre Festival: Summer theater festival in Dorset, VT producing a season of plays plus new work development and community programming. Comparable as a rural Vermont producing theater that depends on a mix of ticket, donor, and grant revenue.

Broad incumbents

• The Flynn: Burlington, VT's largest performing arts center presenting a broad touring season of music, dance, theater, and family programming. Comparable in category (VT presenting/performing arts) but operates at significantly larger scale with a permanent downtown venue.
• Hopkins Center for the Arts: Dartmouth College-based presenting and producing arts center in Hanover, NH within BarnArts' Upper Valley catchment. Comparable as a regional presenting organization bringing professional artists to the same audience base, though backed by institutional resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BarnArts
• Facebookfacebook.com/100063634735463
• Instagraminstagram.com/barnartsvt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barnarts-center-for-the-arts-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about BarnArts Center for the Arts