Colored Pencil Society of America

Name

Colored Pencil Society of America

Legal name

Colored Pencil Society of America

Website

https://cpsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Anna

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual artists. U.S. and Canada members with printed magazine pay $50/year; other country options are $70/year (printed) or $50/year (digital). Membership provides access to the member portal, magazine, lightfastness workbook, reduced exhibition entry fees, and convention benefits.
2. Annual Convention and Workshop Fees: Registration fee of $50, workshops at $160 members/$190 non-members (including lunch), and awards banquet at $70-$80. Convention is held annually in conjunction with the International Exhibition in different cities.
3. Exhibition Entry Fees: Artists pay entry fees to submit to CPSA International and Explore This! exhibitions. Fees cover CaFÉ charges, juror honorarium, gallery rental, printing, and advertising. Members pay a lower entry fee than non-members.
4. Corporate Memberships and Advertising: Companies producing or distributing art materials join at patron or sponsor levels. Corporate members may advertise in the twice-yearly magazine To The Point and receive access to the membership directory for limited promotions. The magazine reaches nearly 2,000 member artists.
5. Merchandise Sales: CPSA sells branded merchandise including items featuring artwork from exhibitions through the Fourthwall online store (cpsa-shop.fourthwall.com), including merchandise celebrating the 34th Annual International Exhibition in Prescott, AZ.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CPSA is a nonprofit membership organization that promotes colored pencil as a fine art medium. It sells individual memberships and corporate sponsorships, runs two annual juried exhibitions (CPSA International and Explore This!), an annual convention with workshops, conducts ongoing lightfastness testing of colored pencil products, and publishes the To The Point magazine. Membership grants access to signature status credentials, the Lightfastness Workbook, district chapter networking, and reduced exhibition entry fees.

Product overview

The Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) is a nonprofit art organization that operates a portfolio of member services and public programs rather than a commercial technology product. Its core offerings include two annual juried exhibitions—CPSA International Exhibition (for 100% colored pencil works) and Explore This! Exhibition (for mixed-media colored pencil works)—along with an annual convention featuring workshops and presentations. The membership program provides access to the To The Point magazine, the Lightfastness Workbook, reduced exhibition entry fees, and eligibility for signature status designations (CPSA/CPX). CPSA also maintains a network of district chapters across the United States and publishes educational content about colored pencil art and materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CPSA International Exhibition Annual juried gallery exhibition of works created entirely in colored pencil, offering over $20,000 in cash awards including the CIPPY Best of Show Award, open to colored pencil artists worldwide.
• Explore This! Exhibition Annual online exhibition for artwork using colored pencil combined with other media or techniques, offering over $5,000 in awards including the EXPY Best of Show Award and conferring CPX signature status.
• CPSA Annual Convention Annual multi-day convention featuring workshops, drop-in presentations, silent auction, art gala, and awards banquet, held in a different U.S. city each year alongside the International Exhibition.
• CPSA Membership Program Annual membership program granting individual colored pencil artists access to the member portal, To The Point magazine, Lightfastness Workbook, reduced exhibition entry fees, signature status eligibility, district chapter access, and convention benefits.
• Lightfastness Testing Program Ongoing lightfastness testing program for colored pencil products conducted since 1991 in accordance with ASTM D5383 and ASTM D6901 standards, with results compiled into a Lightfastness Workbook available to members.
• Signature Status Program Honor program allowing members to earn CPSA or CPX signature designations appended to their names after being juried into three of ten consecutive exhibitions, with merit awards at five- and ten-time milestones.
• District Chapters Network Network of 31 local chapters across the United States providing members with local networking, workshops, and exhibitions, each collecting its own chapter dues of $15-$25 per year.
• To The Point Magazine Full-color news magazine published twice yearly in May and November for CPSA members, featuring articles on art materials, exhibition coverage, business of art, and member accomplishments.
• CPSA Merchandise Store Online store offering CPSA-branded merchandise featuring artwork from annual exhibitions, operated through the Fourthwall e-commerce storefront.
• Inside CPSA Newsletter Email newsletter titled 'Inside CPSA - Colored Pencil News & Views' providing occasional tips and news about CPSA exhibitions, conventions, and announcements, available to non-members on signup.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,800+ member artists served
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered patron (flagship), patron, sponsor, core and minor.

• BLICK Art Materialspatron (flagship)GTM or Marketing PartnerBLICK Art Materials is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA and provides the BLICK Art Materials Award for Outstanding Achievement ($1,000) at the CPSA International Exhibition. BLICK supports the colored pencil artist community through CPSA membership and exhibition sponsorship.
• Chartpak, Inc.patronGTM or Marketing PartnerChartpak, Inc. is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA and provides the Chartpak Award for Excellence ($300 product) at the Explore This! exhibition.
• Creative Art Materials, Ltd.patronGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative Art Materials, Ltd. (Caran d'Ache) is a patron-level corporate member providing the Creative Art Materials/Caran d'Ache Award for Distinction ($500 product) at Explore This! and the Creative Art Materials/Caran d'Ache Award for Outstanding Achievement ($1,000) at the International Exhibition.
• DerwentpatronGTM or Marketing PartnerDerwent is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA and provides the Derwent Award for Excellence ($385 product) at Explore This! exhibitions.
• Dixon Ticonderoga Company / LyrapatronGTM or Marketing PartnerDixon Ticonderoga Company, maker of Lyra colored pencils, is a patron-level corporate member providing the Lyra Award for Distinction ($500 product) at Explore This! exhibitions.
• Faber-Castell USApatronGTM or Marketing PartnerFaber-Castell USA is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA and provides the Faber-Castell Award for Excellence ($350 product) at Explore This! exhibitions.
• General Pencil Company / GENERAL'spatronGTM or Marketing PartnerGeneral Pencil Company, maker of GENERAL's colored pencils, is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA, supporting the organization and its mission to promote colored pencil as fine art.
• HK Holbein, Inc.patronGTM or Marketing PartnerHK Holbein, Inc. is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA and provides the Holbein Award for Distinction ($710 product) at Explore This! and the Holbein Yoshio Kawakami Award for Outstanding Achievement ($1,000) at the International Exhibition.
• Jerry's ArtaramapatronGTM or Marketing PartnerJerry's Artarama is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA, supporting the organization and colored pencil artist community through membership and promotion of CPSA products.
• Legion PaperpatronGTM or Marketing PartnerLegion Paper is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA and provides the Legion Paper Award for Exceptional Merit ($1,000 product) at Explore This! and the Legion Paper Award for Outstanding Achievement ($1,000) at the International Exhibition.
• PanPastel / Golden Artist ColorspatronGTM or Marketing PartnerPanPastel / Golden Artist Colors is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA and provides the PanPastel Award for Excellence ($300 product) at the Explore This! exhibition.
• PrismacolorpatronGTM or Marketing PartnerPrismacolor is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA and provides the Prismacolor Award for Outstanding Achievement ($1,000) at the CPSA International Exhibition.
• Slice, Inc.patronGTM or Marketing PartnerSlice, Inc. is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA, supporting the organization and colored pencil artist community through membership.
• STAEDTLER, Inc.patronGTM or Marketing PartnerSTAEDTLER, Inc. is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA, supporting the organization and colored pencil artist community through membership.
• Winsor & NewtonpatronGTM or Marketing PartnerWinsor & Newton is a patron-level corporate member of CPSA, supporting the organization and colored pencil artist community through membership.
• Royal Talens North AmericasponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerRoyal Talens North America is a sponsor-level corporate member of CPSA, supporting the organization at a secondary tier.
• Cretacolor / Gregory Daniels Fine ArtssponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerCretacolor / Gregory Daniels Fine Arts is a sponsor-level corporate member of CPSA, supporting the organization at a secondary tier.
• Yavapai College Prescott Art GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Yavapai College Prescott Art Gallery hosts the 34th Annual CPSA International Exhibition from June 26 to August 1, 2026, in Prescott, Arizona. The gallery provides the venue for the annual exhibition, with the opening reception on June 26 and closing artists reception on August 1.
• Erin Joyce (Juror, 34th Annual International Exhibition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErin Joyce, M.A., faculty at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University and Vice President of Public Affairs for the Native Arts + Cultures Foundation, served as juror for the 34th Annual CPSA International Exhibition, selecting 104 artworks from submissions.
• Britany Salsbury (Juror, Explore This! 22)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritany Salsbury, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Cleveland Museum of Art, served as juror for Explore This! 22, selecting 60 artworks from 346 considered for the exhibition.
• ASTM InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPSA worked with ASTM International, colored pencil manufacturers, and art conservators to create D6901, the Standard Specification for Artists' Colored Pencils, published in 2003. CPSA continues to use this standard in its lightfastness testing program.
• Prescott Resort and Conference CenterminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Prescott Resort and Conference Center hosts the 2026 CPSA convention and board meetings. Convention attendees receive a discount rate when identifying themselves as CPSA convention attendees. The awards banquet takes place at this venue.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Watercolor Society: Historic U.S. member society running signature-status programs, juried annual exhibitions, and educational events for watercolor artists; useful comparable for governance and exhibition economics.
• Oil Painters of America: Member society for oil painters with juried national and regional exhibitions, signature status, and convention programming; structurally analogous to CPSA with a much larger member base.
• International Guild of Realism: Member-based organization promoting representational fine art with juried exhibitions and signature member designations; another small specialty art society comparable in scale and operating model.
• UK Coloured Pencil Society: The UK national society dedicated to promoting coloured pencil as a fine art medium, paralleling CPSA's mission and structure with its own exhibitions, conventions, signature status, and member programs.
• Pastel Society of America: Long-standing U.S. member society for pastel artists with juried exhibitions, signature status, and educational programming; another art-medium-specific society operating a structure nearly identical to CPSA's.
• Portrait Society of America: National member-driven art society that runs juried exhibitions, an annual convention, signature-status credentials, and educational programming—closely mirroring CPSA's organizational model applied to portrait art.
• Colored Pencil Society of Canada: Canadian national organization promoting coloured pencil fine art with exhibitions and member programs; the closest geographic counterpart to CPSA and a logical co-marketing partner.
• Ann Kullberg's COLOR Magazine: Long-running publication and online community serving colored pencil artists with tutorials, articles, and contests; an established CPSA International Exhibition award sponsor and adjacent community-building model.

Others

• Faber-Castell: Major global manufacturer of artists' colored pencils and a CPSA patron-level corporate member; a key supplier/ecosystem partner whose continued sponsorship materially underwrites CPSA's prize purse and programs.
• Derwent (Acco Brands): Premium colored pencil manufacturer and CPSA patron-level corporate member; an upstream ecosystem partner with aligned incentives in promoting colored pencil as fine art.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Colored-Pencil-Society-of-America-279071582264113
• Instagraminstagram.com/coloredpencilsocietyofamerica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colored-pencil-society-of-america

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Colored Pencil Society of America