Mayo Street Arts

What Mayo Street Arts does

Mayo Street Arts (MSA) is a private 501(c)(3) community arts center founded in 2009 by Blainor McGough and Brian Arlet, headquartered in a 134-year-old former Danish Lutheran church in Portland, Maine's East Bayside neighborhood, the most densely populated and ethnically diverse square mile in the state. The organization operates as a multi-program venue combining a theater, concert hall, art gallery, meeting space, and five artist studios, and serves a community audience that includes East Bayside residents, immigrant and "new Mainer" families, K-5 youth, and multicultural visual and performing artists.

MSA's core programming falls into five lines: visual arts exhibitions (rotating gallery shows including the annual Miniatures exhibit), puppet theater programming (year-round shows, Puppet Labs, the King Friday's Dungeon Puppet Slam, and the biennial Puppets in Portland international festival), performing arts (music, dance, theater, circus, and the International Heritage Music Series), youth education (the RAD! Summer Youth Program and the East End Community School Partnership delivering three annual in-school performances), and an ecosystem of artist support programs (the Traditional Arts Network micro-grants, MSA Mission Fund awards, and a $250/month studio rental program). The organization holds UNIMA membership and is regularly featured by the Jim Henson Foundation.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack rather than a single commercial pricing model: ticket sales through TicketTailor on a pay-what-you-can basis, recurring monthly studio rentals at $250/month, a five-tier corporate sponsorship program ($250 Copper through $5,000+ Platinum), individual donations via Venmo/PayPal/monthly giving, and institutional grants from Maine Arts Commission, NEA, Brooks Family Foundation, Onion Foundation, and Lowe's Hometowns ($110,000 capital grant in 2024). Technology is limited to standard nonprofit tooling (WordPress, TicketTailor, email marketing); there is no proprietary platform, app, or data product.

Name

Mayo Street Arts

Legal name

Mayo Street Arts

Website

https://mayostreetarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mayo Street Arts is a 501(c)(3) community arts center in Portland, Maine operating from a historic former church, delivering visual arts exhibitions, puppet theater, performing arts, youth education programs, and artist support services to the East Bayside neighborhood's diverse residents and multicultural artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Center

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Dance Companies (711120), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Puppetry & Marionette Theatre (MPAGABAK), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Community arts center
• Performing arts venue
• Visual arts exhibitions
• Puppet theater programming
• Youth arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from performance and event tickets sold through the Tickettailor platform. Pay-what-you-can pricing model available for all events. Tickets available online until 2 hours prior to events.
2. Artist Studio Rentals: Downstairs studio level features five workspaces, each 10' x 10', renting for $250/month plus $250 refundable security deposit on month-to-month basis. Studios include wi-fi, heat, electricity, and access to sinks and common area. Artists have 24/7 building access.
3. Business Sponsorships: Annual sponsorship program with five tiers: Platinum ($5,000+), Gold ($2,500+), Silver ($1,000+), Bronze ($500+), and Copper ($250+). Includes benefits such as social media features, logo placement, event tickets, and private balcony viewing parties.
4. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations via Venmo, PayPal, cash, check, stock gifts, and planned giving. Monthly giving program enables consistent donor support. Corporate matching programs available.
5. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from Maine Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, Brooks Family Foundation, Onion Foundation, and Lowe's Hometowns grants. In 2024, received $110,000 Lowe's Hometowns grant for building improvements.
6. Gallery Exhibitions: Gallery exhibitions featuring local and regional artists. Current exhibition space hosts rotating shows including annual Miniatures exhibit and collaborations with partner organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mayo Street Arts is a community arts center that hosts visual arts exhibitions, puppet theater performances, folk music concerts, dance and theater shows, and youth arts education programs. Operating from a historic 134-year-old former Danish Lutheran church in Portland, Maine, the organization presents hundreds of events annually, operates affordable artist studios ($250/month), runs the biennial Puppets in Portland international puppetry festival, and provides free youth literacy programs through the RAD! Summer Youth Program and East End Community School Partnership.

Product overview

Mayo Street Arts is a community arts center offering a diverse portfolio of programs centered around visual arts, puppetry, performing arts, and youth education. The organization operates as a multi-faceted arts venue and programmatic hub, featuring rotating gallery exhibitions, year-round puppet theater productions including the biennial Puppets in Portland festival, live music and dance performances, and comprehensive youth programming including the RAD! summer literacy program. Additional offerings include affordable studio spaces for visual artists, the Traditional Arts Network supporting immigrant artists through micro-grants, and the MSA Mission Fund awards for mission-aligned artists. The venue also hosts affiliate artists, international heritage programming, and community events serving Portland's diverse East Bayside neighborhood.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visual Arts Exhibitions Gallery exhibitions featuring local and regional artists across various mediums including painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, and mixed media. Includes annual exhibitions like Miniatures, community collaborations, and rotating shows. For community members and arts enthusiasts.
• Puppet Theater Programming Year-round puppet theater programming including family-friendly shows, adult puppet shows, the annual King Friday's Dungeon Puppet Slam, Puppet Labs for practicing puppeteers, and children's puppet workshops. For families, children, and adult arts audiences.
• Puppets in Portland Festival Biennial international city-wide puppetry arts festival bringing artists from around the world to Portland, Maine. Features performances, hands-on workshops, and community events across multiple venues. For puppetry enthusiasts, families, and arts audiences regionally and internationally.
• Performing Arts Programming Live performances including music, dance, theater, and circus arts. Hosts affiliate artists and touring performers, including the International Heritage Music Series and International Open Mic nights. For local community members and performing arts audiences.
• RAD! Summer Youth Program Free arts-based literacy summer camp for students K-5, prioritizing new Mainers and students without access to summer learning. Combines reading instruction with daily arts enrichment in music, dance, and puppet theater. For children from diverse cultural communities.
• East End Community School Partnership School partnership bringing three annual in-school performances with touring artists for PK-5 students. Includes artist residencies and public performances open to the broader community. For East End Community School students and the broader community.
• MSA Studio Artists Program Affordable artist studio spaces available for lease to visual artists. Studios include wi-fi, heat, electricity, and 24/7 building access. Artists receive complimentary admission to MSA performances. For visual artists seeking studio space.
• Traditional Arts Network Micro-granting program and network supporting traditional artists in Maine, particularly immigrant communities. Includes TAN Fund awards, artist gatherings, and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program. For traditional artists from immigrant communities.
• MSA Mission Fund Annual award program providing $1,000 cash plus $1,000 in-kind support to artists who fulfill MSA's mission of community arts engagement and youth participation. For mission-aligned artists and arts organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving the most densely populated, ethnically diverse square mile in Maine
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Puppets in the Green MountainscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2024Collaboration with Puppets in the Green Mountains—the longest continuously running international puppetry festival in the US, produced by Sandglass Theater in Putney, VT—for the Puppets in Portland biennial festival. NEAT's New England States Touring program provides additional funding support.
• Cultural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Mayo Street Arts and Cultural Resources (a nonprofit working with communities on developing strategies and programs that sustain local culture) to operate the Traditional Arts Network. The TAN grew out of discussions with local traditional artists interested in networking with other immigrant communities.
• East End Community School (EECS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership presenting three in-school performances with touring artists for PK-5 students. EECS students select artists from a menu curated by MSA. Teachers work with MSA staff and visiting artists to design customized thematic learning opportunities, activities, and workshops.
• EECS Parent Teacher OrganizationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with the East End Community School Parent Teacher Organization to support the MSA at EECS partnership program.
• The CedarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetirement community partner for the 2024 Puppets in Portland festival. Residents participate in intergenerational exchanges with Mayo Street Arts' puppetry community through object theater workshops facilitated by Maskhunt Motions.
• Friends of Congress SquareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for the 2024 Puppets in Portland festival, hosting Modern Times Theater's Punch and Judy shows in Congress Square Park.
• Portland Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'Connections' exhibit showcasing talented artists who work and reside with the Housing Authority. Theme focuses on connections that bind the community as neighbors.
• Portland Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration providing free lunch for RAD! Summer Youth Program students and supporting student referrals for enrollment. The program exemplifies MSA's 'Seat-to-Stage' model of engaging local residents in the arts.
• LearningWorks, Portland Rec, Reiche Summer School, YMCA, Boys and Girls ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer consortium of arts programming partners coordinating based on the idea that music, theater, and art enhance students' understanding of literature and the world.
• Maine Behavioral Healthcare / United Way of Southern MaineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaine Behavioral Healthcare provided trauma-informed practice training through a program funded by the United Way of Southern Maine's Thrive2027 initiative, supporting summer program staff.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sandglass Theater: Putney, Vermont-based puppetry company that produces Puppets in the Green Mountains — the longest continuously running international puppetry festival in the US — and is a direct programming and partnership peer to Mayo Street Arts (the two collaborate on Puppets in Portland). Comparable size, mission, and puppetry specialization.
• Celebration Barn Theater: South Paris, Maine-based performing arts venue and teaching organization where MSA's current Executive Director previously served as Managing Director. Similar rural-Maine community theater scale and programming philosophy focused on physical theater, mime, and puppetry.
• Figures of Speech Theatre: Freeport, Maine-based puppetry company founded in 1984, with which MSA's Executive Director Ian Bannon has been affiliated since 2005. Direct peer in the small New England puppetry ecosystem with overlapping touring, teaching, and performance missions.

Regional players

• Portland Stage Company: Lortel Award-winning regional theater company in Portland, Maine producing a full mainstage season. Compares to MSA as the larger, more established professional theater peer in the same city; differs in scale (LORT contract vs. nonprofit community venue) and mission focus.
• The Public Theatre: Lewiston/Auburn, Maine-based professional regional theater producing mainstage plays, children's theater, and community programming. Comparable in mission and small-budget regional theater scale, with overlapping youth theater and community engagement components; serves a different Maine geography.

Emerging players

• Indigo Arts Alliance: Portland, Maine-based nonprofit founded in 2018 dedicated to advancing artists of African descent through residencies, exhibitions, and public programming. Comparable Portland location and multicultural arts mission, though more focused on Black/African diaspora artists and larger institutional partners.

Broad incumbents

• Portland Museum of Art: Maine's largest and oldest visual arts institution, located in downtown Portland. Compares as the broader incumbent visual arts venue in the same city, with much larger operating budget, permanent collection, and exhibition programming; overlaps with MSA's visual arts exhibition component but not its performing arts programming.
• Portland Ovations: Portland, Maine-based nonprofit performing arts presenter bringing touring music, dance, and theater to local venues. Comparable as a Portland-based performing arts presenter serving similar audiences but operating at larger scale through presenter rather than producer model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mayostreetarts
• Instagraminstagram.com/mayostreetarts
• Xx.com/mayostreetarts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Mayo Street Arts