Art Works Now

What Art Works Now does

Art Works Now, legally Art Works Studio School, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 2011 by Barbara Johnson and headquartered in a 4,000 sq ft ADA-accessible facility at 4800 Rhode Island Avenue in the Gateway Arts District of Hyattsville, Maryland. The organization delivers inclusive visual arts education and community-building programming across three primary age cohorts: youth ages 2-17 (classes, summer camps, School's Out We're In day camps, and after-school programs), adults 18+ (drawing, painting, ceramics, textile arts), and Creative Aging 55+ (free and accessible in-person and virtual classes). Programming is delivered on-site at the Hyattsville facility and complemented by partnerships with Title 1 schools in Prince George's County, the University of Maryland, Hyattsville Aging in Place, and other nonprofits, plus a 24/7 free Little Free Art Shop on the building's exterior.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining program fees (youth and adult classes, summer camps at $700-$750 per 2-week session, SOWI camps, art parties, team-building experiences, and space rentals) with philanthropy. Pricing includes sliding-scale and scholarship options to maintain accessibility. The organization supplements program fees with individual donations (one-time and recurring tiers of $5-$50/month), corporate sponsorships tied to annual events such as Art of Giving and Barbara's Gingerbread Bash, and government and private foundation grants (Prince George's County Council, Maryland State Arts Council, Prince George's Arts & Humanities Council, City of Hyattsville, The Genesis Inspiration Foundation). Per a 2024 newsletter, roughly 60% of operations are funded by donations and grants, with the balance from earned program revenue. Marketing and distribution rely on a WordPress/WooCommerce website (redesigned December 2023 by MarketWorks), organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), Mailchimp email, and community partnership referrals.

Name

Art Works Now

Legal name

Art Works Studio School, Inc.

Website

https://artworksnow.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Art Works Now is a Hyattsville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that delivers inclusive visual arts classes, summer camps, day camps, art parties, and team-building programs to youth, adults, and adults 55+ in the Washington, D.C. metro area, funded by a mix of program fees, donations, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Arts, Culture & Creative Learning for Seniors (Music, writing, crafts) (EDAAAMAI)

Keywords

• Visual arts education
• Youth art classes
• Summer art camps
• Ceramics classes
• Community arts nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyattsville

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Class and Camp Fees: Revenue from registration fees for youth classes (ages 2-17), adult classes (18+), Creative Aging classes (55+), summer camps, and School's Out We're In (SOWI) day camps. Pricing includes sliding scale options and scholarships for accessibility.
2. Art Parties and Space Rentals: Birthday parties for ages 4-12 and teens/adults, team-building experiences, and studio space rentals. Includes Teaching Artist-led activities with all supplies.
3. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring monthly donations from individual supporters. Tiered giving levels ($5-$50/month) supporting specific programs like Little Free Art Shop, sliding scale scholarships, Thomas Stone after-school program, and Creative Aging classes.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorships for annual fundraising events (Art of Giving, Barbara's Gingerbread Bash, Spring Art Fest) and program sponsorships.
5. Government and Private Grants: Grant funding from organizations such as Prince George's County Council, Parks & Recreation, Prince George's Arts & Humanities Council, Maryland State Arts Council, City of Hyattsville, and others to support operations and specific programs.
6. Gift Cards and Retail: Gift cards sold in any amount for classes and programs. E-commerce sales of art supplies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Art Works Now is a women-led nonprofit arts organization operating a 4,000 sq ft ADA-accessible community arts center in Hyattsville, MD. It delivers visual arts education through classes, camps, art parties, and team-building experiences across multiple mediums (ceramics, painting, drawing, fiber arts, printmaking) for youth, adults, and seniors, complemented by a Little Free Art Shop and a community-facing gift card program.

Product overview

Art Works Now is a women-led nonprofit arts organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of visual arts education programs and services. The organization operates primarily as a community arts center with programs structured around age groups: Youth Classes (ages 2-17), Summer Camps (ages 5-12), School's Out We're In Camps, Adult Classes (18+), Creative Aging Classes (55+), and Ceramics instruction for all ages. These core educational programs are complemented by venue services including Art Parties & Space Rentals, Team Building Experiences, and a community-facing Little Free Art Shop. The organization generates operational support through a Gift Card retail product and a Donation & Fundraising program that includes individual giving, corporate sponsorships, and in-kind contributions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Classes (Ages 2-17) Visual arts classes for children and teenagers covering drawing, painting, color theory, fiber arts, and other mediums, offered on a sliding scale for economic accessibility.
• Adult Classes (18+) Art instruction for adults covering drawing, painting, ceramics, wheel throwing, textile arts, and other visual arts disciplines.
• Creative Aging Classes (55+) Free and accessible art classes for older adults offered in-person and virtually, including hand building, watercolor, and creative exploration to support creative engagement and social connection.
• Ceramics Ceramic classes for all ages covering hand building, wheel throwing, glazing, and firing techniques.
• Summer Camps Art-filled summer programs for children ages 5-12, including 2-week and 1-week sessions covering a variety of mediums, clay, painting, and upcycling projects.
• School's Out We're In (SOWI) Camps

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ students engaged annually through classes and camps
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of MarylandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2024Collaboration on mural project 'The Garden of Imagination' created by University of Maryland students in Creative Placemaking Fall '23 course (Art 426: Painting on Site I) taught by visiting lecturer Ben Edwards. Students worked with AWN staff to design mural celebrating art and community.
• Pizzeria ParadisominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Local neighboring business offering pizza catering for art parties at Art Works Now. Cheese pizza available for $6 per child with delivery during parties.
• Title 1 Schools in Prince George's CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Title 1 schools to provide art enrichment to students. Includes after-school programs like Thomas Stone Elementary with scholarship-supported no-fee access.
• Chance AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Teaching Artist Elena Lucchi teaches at Chance Academy in addition to Art Works Now. Collaboration on student creative development.
• Thomas Stone Elementary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership providing after-school art program. Two students per semester receive no-fee access supported by $35/month donor contributions. Thomas Stone Art Club students host gallery shows.
• Local Schools and UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Working relationships with local schools, universities, businesses, cities, and other non-profit organizations for programming and community engagement.
• Hyattsville Aging in Place (HAP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Jeanne Benas, AWN board member, is active with Hyattsville Aging in Place before joining AWN board. Cross-promotion of classes for seniors.
• Prince George's County Department of the EnvironmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration on 22-foot kinetic flower sculpture 'Wind Vane of the Helenium Autumnale' created in 2015 through AWN and Prince George's County students collaboration. Refreshed in 2025 with stained glass by local artist Howard Connelly.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pyramid Atlantic Art Center: Community arts education nonprofit also headquartered in Hyattsville, MD. Offers visual arts classes, workshops, and studio access with a strong equity/accessibility focus — directly overlapping AWN's mission, geographic catchment, and visual-arts curriculum including printmaking, ceramics, and papermaking.
• VisArts (Visual Arts Center of Maryland): Rockville, MD-based nonprofit community art center offering classes, camps, and exhibitions across painting, ceramics, photography, and more. Closely comparable nonprofit structure, multi-age programming, and sliding-scale scholarships targeting similar DMV constituents.
• The Art League: Alexandria, VA-based nonprofit art school operating inside the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Provides year-round studio classes, workshops, and a tuition-assistance program — highly comparable in mission, model, and DMV geographic catchment to Art Works Now.
• Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture: Nonprofit that manages a historic DMV arts and education campus hosting dozens of resident art and education organizations. Operates with a similar community-arts-education mission, multi-tenant studio model, and class/workshop revenue structure as AWN.
• Young Audiences of Maryland: Maryland-based nonprofit that partners with schools and communities to deliver arts education programming. Comparable in mission (equity-focused youth arts access), partner-driven GTM with Title 1 schools, and donor/grant funding mix.

Broad incumbents

• Houston Center for Contemporary Craft: Larger, established nonprofit craft and visual arts education center. Comparable as a multi-studio community art education organization with classes, exhibitions, and resident artist programs, but operates at materially greater scale and in a different regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEtJZwR57aXr2yBs8yyXNNQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/artworksnow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/art-works-studio-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/artworksnow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Art Works Now