Venice Arts

What Venice Arts does

Venice Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1993 and headquartered at 13445 Beach Avenue, Venice, California, that delivers photography, film, animation, comics, and multimedia storytelling education to low-income youth in Los Angeles (target ages roughly 7–25). Its methodology centers on 'Participatory Storytelling Practices' intended to amplify voices of underrepresented communities. Core programmatic offerings are organized under Youth Media Programs (Summer Camp, Fall/Spring Workshops, Advanced Studies Track, Creative Pathways for college and careers) and Creative Workforce Programs (Digital Storytelling Pre-Apprenticeship of 160 hours, Creative Conversations speaker series). Gallery & Public Programs provide exhibition and screening venues, and the organization administers multiple scholarship funds including the Creative Equity Scholarship Fund, Jake Coleman, Gregg Michael Zwirn, and Ted M. Warshafsky scholarships. Programs are delivered free of charge to eligible participants.

The revenue model is donation- and grant-funded: Venice Arts operates as a nonprofit with no consumer pricing, sustained by individual donors, foundation grants (Calley Foundation LA2050, LA County Department of Educational Opportunity, National Arts & Humanities Award Program), corporate sponsors (NBCUniversal Creative Impact Lab, Sony, UTA, Snap Inc., PBS), and earned income through events such as the 31st Anniversary Gala. Distribution is direct and in-person from a single Venice, CA site, supplemented by a community-led go-to-market via school partnerships, community outreach, and earned media (CBS Los Angeles, New York Times Lens Blog, Huffington Post, Sundance NextFest, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage). A 'Consulting' line of business appears on the website, suggesting nascent paid services leveraging organizational IP.

Strategic differentiators include a documented 1:4 artist-to-youth mentoring ratio, up to 50 practicing artists and community members volunteering annually, and a credentialed track record of student recognition (100+ awards since 2013 including five National YoungArts Finalists and a Presidential Scholar in the Arts). The organization holds reciprocal relationships with NBCUniversal, Sony, UTA, PBS, Illumination Entertainment, Kennedy Center, and Sundance Institute, functioning in part as a nonprofit creative agency delivering content such as a national PSA for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Leadership transitioned in July 2024 with Jaime Zavala appointed Executive Director, succeeding founder Lynn Warshafsky.

Name

Venice Arts

Legal name

Venice Arts

Website

https://venicearts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Venice Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 in Venice, California that provides free photography, film, animation, and multimedia storytelling education, college preparation, and creative-industry workforce programming to low-income youth in Los Angeles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Photography & Videography Arts Programs (EDAMAAAC), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Youth arts education
• Media arts programs
• Photography film education
• Creative workforce development
• Nonprofit community arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Venice

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Venice Arts operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations, grants, and charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Programs are offered free to low-income youth.
2. Creative Equity Scholarship Fund: Scholarship programs funded by donors for youth participants pursuing arts education and creative careers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Venice Arts delivers free photography, film, animation, comics, and multimedia storytelling education to low-income youth ages 7-25 in the Los Angeles area through year-round workshops, a summer camp, an advanced studies track, and creative workforce development programs. The organization also operates a gallery for exhibitions and public screenings, administers multiple scholarship funds, and partners with entertainment industry employers to provide apprenticeships and career pathways into the creative sector.

Product overview

Venice Arts is a nonprofit youth media arts education organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on photography, film, animation, and multimedia storytelling for low-income youth in Los Angeles. The core offerings include Youth Media Programs (photography, film, animation, comics) delivered through Summer Camp, Fall/Spring Workshops, and the Advanced Studies Track; Creative Workforce Programs including Digital Storytelling Pre-Apprenticeship and Creative Conversations; Gallery & Public Programs for exhibitions and screenings; and Creative Pathways for college and career preparation. The organization also administers multiple scholarship funds. Venice Arts operates as a program-centric nonprofit rather than a technology platform, with no software products or SaaS offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Media Programs Award-winning media arts education programs for low-income youth ages 7-25 in the Los Angeles area, offering instruction in photography, film, animation, and comics with a focus on storytelling, personal expression, and creative career pathways.
• Summer Media Arts Camp Free or low-cost immersive summer camp program providing youth with concentrated media arts education in photography, film, animation, and storytelling during the summer months.
• Fall/Spring Workshops Structured academic-year workshop programming offering media arts education in photography, film, animation, and multimedia during fall and spring terms.
• Creative Workforce Programs Career development programs connecting youth to creative industry opportunities, including pre-apprenticeship training, the Creative Conversations speaker series, and employer partnerships with entertainment companies.
• Digital Storytelling Pre-Apprenticeship A 160-hour immersive training program preparing young creatives for work in the creative sector, delivered as part of the LA County Creative Economy High Road Training Partnership and funded by the Department of Educational Opportunity.
• Gallery & Public Programs Exhibitions, film screenings, and public programming that showcase student work, engage the broader Los Angeles community, and amplify the voices of underrepresented communities through participatory storytelling.
• Creative Pathways A college and career preparation track supporting youth on the road to higher education and creative industry employment, including portfolio development and industry mentorship.
• Creative Equity Scholarship Fund Financial support and recognition programs including the Creative Equity Scholarship Fund, the Gregg Michael Zwirn Memorial Scholarship, the Jake Coleman Scholarship, and the Ted M. Warshafsky Scholarship for youth pursuing arts education and creative careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ awards won by students since 2013
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• NBCUniversal Creative Impact LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenice Arts serves as a Nonprofit Creative Agency for NBCUniversal's Creative Impact Lab, working on marketing videos for nonprofits and providing apprenticeships mentored by NBCU creative executives. Apprentices work on production projects including PSAs for organizations like Challenged Athletes Foundation.
• Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenice Arts partnered with HOLA to present Breaking In, a speaker series that educates youth of color about opportunities behind the scenes in film, television and entertainment industries.
• Illumination EntertainmentnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenice Arts apprentices created a 30-second PSA voiced by Al Roker for International Bird Rescue and Illumination's film Migration. The PSA was featured on the Today Show and NBC4 Los Angeles.
• International Bird RescuenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerApprentices created PSA content for International Bird Rescue as part of their production experience with NBCU Creative Impact Lab partnership.
• Gameheads OaklandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenice Arts is creating marketing videos telling the story of Gameheads Oakland, a nonprofit using video game design to prepare underserved youth for tech careers.
• PBSnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative sector partner supporting digital storytelling and media production programs.
• Born This Way FoundationnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenice Arts was featured nonprofit at LA stop of Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's Cheek to Cheek tour, recognized for empowering young people.
• Exploring the ArtsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented Cheek to Cheek tour stop with Born This Way Foundation to highlight exceptional youth arts organizations.
• The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Voices of the Forest documentary series exploring community relationships with forests in Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
• Challenged Athletes FoundationnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenice Arts apprentices produced a PSA for CAF featuring parathlete Derek Loccident preparing for Paris Paralympics, mentored by NBCU Creative Impact Lab.
• Kennedy CenternotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents screened films at Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage as part of What's Going On...NOW Youth Summit, with concert featuring John Legend and Sharon Jones.
• Sundance InstitutenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents screened film at Sundance NextFest 2016, introduced by actor Craig Robinson, alongside youth from Inner-City Arts and 826LA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inner-City Arts: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing arts education to underserved youth, including visual and media arts. Co-presented with Venice Arts at Sundance NextFest 2016, indicating directly comparable mission, geography, and participant population.
• 826LA: LA-based youth creative writing and arts education nonprofit serving students with free programming. Co-presented with Venice Arts at Sundance NextFest 2016 and shares the same free-program, low-income-youth, arts-education mission in the same geography.
• Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA): LA-based nonprofit serving underserved youth with arts, education, and recreation programs. Active strategic partner with Venice Arts on the 'Breaking In' speaker series; directly comparable youth-arts-education mission and LA footprint.
• Free Arts NYC: New York-based nonprofit providing arts education and mentorship to underserved youth. Comparable in offering free arts programming to low-income youth and relying on volunteer mentors and donations, but operates in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• YoungArts Foundation (National YoungArts Foundation): National nonprofit identifying and supporting young artists across disciplines including film, photography, and visual arts. Directly relevant because Venice Arts students have been named National YoungArts Finalists; comparable in mission to develop young creative talent.
• California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) Community Arts Partnership: CalArts's Community Arts Partnership provides free arts education to LA-area youth through partnerships with local organizations. Operates in the same LA geography and target population as Venice Arts but at much larger institutional scale.
• Aperture Foundation: National photography-focused nonprofit publishing, education, and exhibition organization. Comparable through shared photography-education mission and amplifying underrepresented voices in visual media.

Others

• National Guild for Community Arts Education: National membership and advocacy body for community arts education organizations. Venice Arts has been recognized by the Guild (2014 Milestone Award to its founder); comparable as a peer organization in the community arts education ecosystem.
• California Arts Council: State agency funding arts education and community arts organizations. Venice Arts has been designated an Exemplary Arts Organization by the Council; comparable as a peer in the California nonprofit arts ecosystem.

Regional players

• The Actors' Gang: LA-based performing arts organization with strong youth education programming. Comparable as an LA creative-arts-education organization serving youth, though Venice Arts is focused on visual/media arts rather than theater.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/venicearts.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/venicearts
• Xx.com/venicearts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/venice-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Venice Arts