Arts+

What Arts+ does

Arts+ is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 (originally as the Community School of the Arts, rebranded to Arts+) that delivers music and visual arts education to children, adults, families, and underserved populations across the Charlotte region. The organization serves approximately 4,500 students annually, with roughly half receiving instruction at reduced or no cost through financial aid, outreach programs, and community partnerships. Its core offerings include summer camps, group classes and workshops, private music lessons (in-person and virtual), the Carolina Suzuki Strings program (using the Suzuki method for violin, viola, cello, and harp), the Charlotte Youth Choir, and Studio 345 (a free digital media and music production program for high school students). Specialized programs include Neuro Music and Art Labs for neurodivergent students and Project Harmony, a community-based orchestra outreach for grades 2-5.

The organization distributes programming through owned facilities (Arts+ Community Campus at the former Plaza Presbyterian Church site, Arts+ Uptown Studios) and a network of community partner venues including churches, schools, and partner organizations such as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Arts+ is currently executing a $16M capital campaign (87.5% funded at $14.2M committed) to convert the Community Campus sanctuary into a 250-seat performance space, with construction scheduled for late summer 2026.

Arts+ operates a hybrid nonprofit revenue model combining program tuition and fees, individual and corporate donations, foundation grants (Tim Lemmond Memorial Fund, D'Addario Foundation, Brungard Family Foundation, Brighthouse Financial Foundation, Arts and Science Council, Charlotte Symphony), and government funding (Mecklenburg County, NC Arts Council, City of Charlotte). Program pricing spans subsidized $10 neurodivergent sessions to $375 weeklong camps, with limited financial aid available on a first-come, first-served basis. The organization is supported by a faculty of more than 40 music instructors, a Board of Directors, and an Advisory Council, with no parent company, no VC/PE backing, and no disclosed financial information publicly available.

Name

Arts+

Legal name

Arts+

Website

https://artsplus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arts+ is a Charlotte, NC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1969 that delivers music and visual arts education to children, adults, families, neurodivergent students, and underserved populations, serving approximately 4,500 students annually across multiple community locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Arts education
• Music education
• Visual arts programs
• Youth arts camps
• Community arts instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition and Fees: Revenue from summer camps, group classes, private lessons, workshops, and choir programs. Programs range from $10 workshops to $375 weeklong camps.
2. Individual Donations: Individual giving program where donors support students' access to arts education.
3. Corporate Giving: Corporate sponsorships and giving programs supporting the organization.
4. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including Tim Lemmond Memorial Fund, Charlotte Symphony, Arts and Science Council, D'Addario Foundation, Brungard Family Foundation, and Brighthouse Financial Foundation.
5. Volunteer Support: Volunteers contribute to program success including Charlotte Youth Choir, Carolina Suzuki Strings, and summer camps.
6. Capital Campaign: $16M capital campaign for Arts+ Community Campus redevelopment (currently at $14.2M / 87.5% of goal).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arts+ provides music and visual arts education for children, adults, and families in Charlotte, NC through summer camps, group classes, workshops, private music lessons, youth choir programs, and school-based instruction. The organization serves approximately 4,500 students annually, with roughly half receiving instruction at reduced rates or free through financial aid and outreach initiatives. Programs are delivered at owned facilities (Arts+ Community Campus and Arts+ Uptown Studios), at community partner locations such as churches, and directly in schools across the Charlotte region.

Product overview

Arts+ is a community arts education organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs for children, adults, and families in the Charlotte, NC area. The organization operates as a unified platform providing music and visual art education through multiple delivery channels: Summer Camps (weeklong themed camps for various age groups), Group Classes and Workshops (weekly series and one-day offerings for all ages), Private Music Lessons (one-on-one instruction), and specialized programs including Carolina Suzuki Strings (string instrument instruction using the Suzuki method), Charlotte Youth Choir (multi-level choral education), and Studio 345 (free digital media and music production for high schoolers). The organization also maintains extensive Outreach Programs including Project Harmony (orchestra for grades 2-5), Neuro Music and Art Labs (designed for neurodivergent students), and School Programs (in-school and field trip offerings). Together, these programs serve approximately 4,500 students annually, with roughly half receiving training at reduced rates through financial aid and outreach programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Project Harmony: A community-based orchestra outreach program for students in grades 2-5
• Studio 345
• Charlotte Youth Choir
• ArtsReach
• Carolina Suzuki Strings

Products and services

• Summer Camps Weeklong themed music and art camps for children, youth, and teens covering themes such as Discovering Music and Art, Discovering Strings and Art, Charlotte Youth Choir Camp, Exploring Ukulele, String Orchestra, Band, Orchestra, Digital Illustration, Stamps and Printmaking, Creating Comics, and Bookmaking.
• Group Classes and Workshops Weekly series and one-day offerings exploring music and visual art for preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, and adult students across all skill levels.
• Private Music Lessons One-on-one in-person and virtual music instruction for children and adults of all ages and skill levels across multiple instruments.
• Carolina Suzuki Strings Violin, viola, cello, and harp instruction following the principles of language acquisition via the Suzuki method, with both individual and group components.
• Charlotte Youth Choir Multi-level choral education program including Harmony Choir (Grades 1-3), Lyric Choir (Grades 4-6), and Concert Choir (Grades 7-12), with pro-rated quarterly tuition and discounted full-year registration.
• Studio 345 Free out-of-school digital media, music production, and visual art program for Charlotte-Mecklenburg high school students, providing youth development programming.
• Project Harmony Community-based orchestra outreach program for students in grades 2-5, providing access to outstanding arts education with a ten-year history.
• Neuro Music and Art Labs Specialized programs designed for neurodivergent students featuring sensory accommodations such as headphones for sound sensitivities and nitrile gloves for texture sensitivities, including singing, classroom instruments, movement, rhythm games, and adaptive art-making. Subsidized by the Tim Lemmond Memorial Fund.
• School Programs In-school, in-community, and field trip programs in music and visual art for preschool through high school delivered directly within educational institutions.
• Outreach Programs Suite of outreach programs including Studio 345, Summer at Studio 345, ArtsReach, Project Harmony, Design to Dollars, and Culture Blocks, making arts education accessible regardless of background or socioeconomic status.
• IDK Workshops Single-session adult workshops covering vocals, guitar, ukulele, cello, harp, drawing, painting, and other musical instruments and visual art techniques.

Quantifiable outcome

• 79.5% of Project Harmony students reported being 'proud of themselves'
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Mecklenburg County, NCcoreOthersGovernment funding partner providing financial support for Arts+ operations and programs.
• North Carolina Arts CouncilcoreOthersState arts council providing funding and support for arts education programs.
• City of CharlottecoreOthersMunicipal government partner providing financial support for community arts programming.
• Charlotte SymphonymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport partner for Project Harmony orchestra outreach program.
• Presbytery of CharlottecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected Arts+ to redevelop the Plaza Presbyterian Church site into the Arts+ Community Campus.
• Ascend Nonprofit SolutionsminorOthersBuilding partner providing space for Middle/High Art Camp: Bookmaking drop-off and pick-up location.
• Park Road Baptist ChurchmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner location hosting Discovering Music and Art Camp and Charlotte Youth Choir Camp sessions.
• Harrisburg Presbyterian ChurchmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner location hosting Discovering Music and Art Camp sessions.
• Piedmont Open IB Middle SchoolmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool partner location hosting String Orchestra Camp and Band Camp.
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg SchoolsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool district partner for school programs, Studio 345, and weather cancellation policy alignment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Yamaha Music School: Global music education brand offering group and private lessons for children and adults, with a structured curriculum. Comparable supplemental music instruction offering at much larger scale, but is a for-profit chain rather than a community nonprofit.
• School of Rock: National franchise music education company offering group and private lessons, performance-based programs, and camps. Comparable product offering (private and group music instruction for kids and adults) but operates as a for-profit franchise network rather than a community nonprofit.

Direct peers

• Levine Music: Washington DC-area community music school offering private lessons, group classes, Suzuki programs, and outreach across all ages. Closely comparable nonprofit community music school model with multi-channel distribution and tuition plus scholarship structure.
• Community Music Center of San Francisco: San Francisco nonprofit community music school providing private and group instruction across instruments and ages, with significant scholarship offerings. Direct peer in mission, scale, and nonprofit funding model.
• Old Town School of Folk Music: Chicago-based nonprofit community music and arts school offering private lessons, group classes, camps, and performance programming. Directly comparable as a long-tenured, multi-disciplinary community arts education organization with its own venue and outreach mission.
• Settlement Music School: One of the largest community music schools in the US, based in Philadelphia. Directly comparable as a legacy nonprofit offering private lessons, group instruction, early childhood programs, and substantial financial-aid-subsidized enrollment.
• Bloomingdale School of Music: NYC community music school providing tuition-subsidized private and group music instruction across all ages. Direct peer as a long-standing nonprofit with a similar mix of tuition, scholarships, and donor-supported access programs.
• The Music School of Delaware: Delaware-based nonprofit community music school with private lessons, group classes, and outreach programming. Comparable in size, multi-channel delivery, and arts-education nonprofit structure.

Regional players

• Charlotte Symphony: Charlotte-based performing arts organization that runs its own youth orchestra, education, and community engagement programs. Partial overlap as a regional arts-education provider and current Arts+ partner for Project Harmony.

Others

• National Guild for Community Arts Education: National membership and advocacy organization for community arts education providers. Not a direct competitor, but the trade body representing community schools like Arts+ and a useful proxy for sector benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ArtsPlusNC
• Instagraminstagram.com/artsplus
• Xx.com/artsplusclt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Arts+