Contemporary at Blue Star

What Contemporary at Blue Star does

Contemporary at Blue Star is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary art organization headquartered at 116 Blue Star in the Blue Star Arts Complex in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1986, it operates as the first and longest-running nonprofit space dedicated to contemporary art in San Antonio, hosting more than 12 exhibitions annually across four onsite galleries and multiple offsite locations. Its primary constituents are contemporary artists (emerging through established), K-12 and high school students, educators, art collectors, and the general public, all of whom access programming free of charge. The organization also operates an international Berlin Residency Program in partnership with Künstlerhaus Bethanien, sending four Bexar County artists annually for three-month residencies in Germany.

The organization's product portfolio centers on rotating exhibitions (12+ annually), educational programs (the free MOSAIC high school program and Creative Classrooms K-8 program placing professional artists in schools with TEKS-aligned projects), the Berlin Residency, and annual fundraising events including the Red Dot Art Sale (approximately 100 artworks split 50/50 with artists), the Novel Ideas Art Book Fair, and Neon Nights Bingo. Supporting technology is light: a website with online calendar and donation platform (NeonCRM), AnyArtist.org for artist applications, Google Translate for Spanish localization, and YouTube for virtual programming. The organization holds Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency and is WAGE-certified for fair artist compensation.

Contemporary at Blue Star funds operations through a mix of individual donations, tiered memberships (Friends and Family on a donate-what-you-can basis, Pet Membership, Contemporaries with reciprocal benefits, Patrons, and the 1986 Circle for endowment-style giving), corporate sponsorships and memberships, and grants from the City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture, Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and private foundations including H-E-B, Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation, and Charles Butt Foundation. Venue rentals and the Red Dot fundraiser provide additional earned revenue. In October 2022 the organization rebranded from Blue Star Contemporary to its current name, and in 2026 it is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an Always Contemporary endowment campaign targeting $400,000.

Name

Contemporary at Blue Star

Legal name

Contemporary Art for San Antonio, Inc.

Website

https://contemporarysa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Contemporary at Blue Star is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary art organization in San Antonio, Texas, founded in 1986 that presents exhibitions, educational programs, and an international Berlin residency serving artists, K-12 and high school students, educators, and the general public free of charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: Tax-deductible gifts from individuals supporting the nonprofit's programming. Membership program includes Friends and Family (donate-what-you-can), Pet Membership, Contemporaries level with reciprocal memberships, Patrons level with artist reception invites, and 1986 Circle for long-term sustainability.
2. Red Dot Art Fundraiser: Annual signature fundraiser where artists contribute one artwork for sale. 50% of proceeds go to the Contemporary and 50% to the artist. Approximately 100 artworks by 100 different artists are sold annually. Includes a one-night event and subsequent Red Dot Show.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Strategic partnerships with businesses providing marketing and engagement opportunities. Corporate Members receive annual benefits including access to galleries for private events.
4. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from City of San Antonio Department of Arts and Culture, Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and various private foundations including H-E-B, Capital Group, and Charles Butt Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Contemporary at Blue Star is a nonprofit contemporary art organization that operates 4 onsite galleries in the Blue Star Arts Complex in San Antonio, hosting 12+ rotating exhibitions annually. It runs educational programs (MOSAIC for high school students, Creative Classrooms for K-8 schools), an international Berlin Residency Program for Bexar County artists, an annual Red Dot Art Sale fundraiser, and signature events like the Novel Ideas Art Book Fair and Neon Nights Bingo. All exhibitions are offered with free admission.

Product overview

Contemporary at Blue Star is a nonprofit contemporary art organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a commercial product platform. The core offerings include rotating exhibitions (12+ annually across 4 galleries), educational programs (MOSAIC for high school students, Creative Classrooms for K-8 schools), the Berlin Residency Program for international artist development, and signature fundraising events (Red Dot Art Sale, Novel Ideas Art Book Fair, Neon Nights Bingo). The organization provides free admission to all exhibitions and operates as a platform for emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Berlin Residency Program: Annual three-month residency program in Berlin, Germany in partnership with Künstlerhaus Bethanien for Bexar County artists.
• MOSAIC Student Artist Program
• Creative Classrooms
• Red Dot

Products and services

• Exhibitions Program The organization's primary offering featuring rotating contemporary art exhibitions across 4 onsite galleries, hosting 12+ exhibitions annually with emerging, mid-career, and established artists in various media.
• MOSAIC Student Artist Program Year-round after-school program for high school students focused on developing professional artistic skills and arts careers, featuring studio practice and business of art training. Completely free for participants; 100% of MOSAIC students graduate high school.
• Creative Classrooms Educational program placing professional artists in K-8 classrooms for 9-week sessions each fall and spring semester, building visual literacy through TEKS-aligned art projects. Offered at no cost to schools.
• Berlin Residency Program International artist residency program in partnership with Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin, Germany. Annually selects four Bexar County artists for three-month residencies, including visits to Darmstadt, Germany (San Antonio's sister city). Each artist receives a $2,000 stipend.
• Open Call for Artists Competitive application process for artists to be considered for exhibition opportunities, public programs, and special projects. Artists from Texas, nationally, and internationally are invited to submit portfolios.
• Red Dot Art Sale and Show Annual signature fundraiser featuring approximately 100 artworks by 100 different artists for sale. Artists donate 50% of sale proceeds to the museum; 50% goes to the artist.
• Novel Ideas Art Book Fair Annual fair highlighting artists who utilize books and print-based materials as their medium, featuring artists' books, monographs, zines, and printed ephemera. Selects 20-25 exhibitors.
• Neon Nights Bingo Annual fundraising event featuring retro-style bingo games to support the organization's education programs, held at Paper Tiger venue.
• Venue Rentals Rental of gallery spaces for corporate events, retreats, and special occasions. Corporate Members receive annual benefits including access to galleries for private events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18M+ residents and cultural tourists engaged annually
• +4 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of San Antonio Global Engagement OfficecoreOthers · 1 January 2019Since 2019, the City of San Antonio's Global Engagement Office provides additional support for Berlin Residency Program artists to travel to Darmstadt, Germany (San Antonio's sister city) to meet with fellow artists and cultural leaders.
• Künstlerhaus BethaniencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013The Contemporary is often the sole U.S. partner of Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin, Germany. Annually selects four Bexar County artists for three-month residencies at KB's fully-appointed facility. KB is a nonprofit with worldwide reputation for international residency studio program, hosting 25 artists from around the world.
• Mod/CocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing reciprocal memberships with arts and culture organizations across the country.
• ROAMcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerReciprocal membership program connecting arts and culture organizations nationwide.
• Culture and Arts United for San Antonio (CAUSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy collective that the Contemporary is a member of, focused on arts advocacy and communications support.
• Museums for AllminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInitiative to encourage access to museums for low-income families.
• AnyArtist.orgcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform used for artist applications, Open Calls, Berlin Residency submissions, and Red Dot applications.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Artpace San Antonio: San Antonio-based contemporary art residency and exhibition organization with international artist-in-residence programs. Directly comparable as a contemporary art nonprofit in the same city with overlapping artist-support mission.
• McNay Art Museum: San Antonio art museum offering exhibitions and educational programming with free or low-cost community access. Comparable as a regional nonprofit art museum serving overlapping audiences in the same metro.
• San Antonio Museum of Art: Major San Antonio art museum with rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and membership tiers. Comparable as a peer cultural institution sharing donor pools, membership infrastructure, and visitor audience.
• Ruby City: San Antonio contemporary art center founded by the Linda Pace Foundation, focused on exhibiting contemporary art with free admission. Directly comparable contemporary art nonprofit in the same city.
• Southwest School of Art: San Antonio nonprofit arts institution offering exhibitions, studio art instruction, and community programs. Comparable as a regional arts nonprofit with education and exhibition programs in the same market.
• Headlands Center for the Arts: California-based nonprofit artist residency and exhibition program. Comparable as a residency-plus-exhibition nonprofit supporting emerging and established artists through structured programs.

Broad incumbents

• The Contemporary Austin: Larger Texas-based contemporary art museum with two sites (downtown Austin and Laguna Gloria) and a Jones Center focused on today's artists. Comparable mission and contemporary-art focus, with greater scale and reach within Texas.
• MASS MoCA: Large-scale contemporary art museum in North Adams, Massachusetts with extensive exhibition programming. Comparable contemporary-art mission at significantly greater scale and operating budget.
• Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Los Angeles: Major contemporary art museum with rotating exhibitions and educational programming. Comparable mission and contemporary-art positioning at materially greater scale and donor base.

Others

• Blue Star Arts Complex: San Antonio mixed-use arts complex that houses the Contemporary's galleries along with artist studios, retail, and event spaces. Adjacent landlord/ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SAContemporary
• Facebookfacebook.com/SAContemporary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contemporaryatbluestar
• Instagraminstagram.com/sacontemporary

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Contemporary at Blue Star