The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of NM

Name

The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of NM

Legal name

The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico

Website

https://wurlitzerfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Residency Programs

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural & Community-Based Lodges (Indigenous/Local Conservancies) (THAGAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Artist residency programs
• Arts philanthropy
• Creative fellowships
• Nonprofit arts foundation
• Charitable artist grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Taos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute through cash gifts, appreciated securities, stocks, bonds, and crypto donations. The Foundation offers various giving options including immediate support, legacy/estate giving, and naming opportunities for major donors.
2. Fundraising Events: Events such as the Wurlitzer Summer Arts Fest featuring alumni art auctions and showcases generate revenue for campus rehabilitation and operational support.
3. Planned Giving and Endowments: Estate gifts and planned giving help build endowment for future generations of artists. For the past decade, estate gifts have sustained the Foundation's mission.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation operates one of the oldest artist residency programs in the USA, providing three-month, rent-free, utility-paid residencies in eleven fully furnished adobe casitas on a 15-acre historic campus in Taos, New Mexico. Selected visual artists, literary artists, and music composers live and create on-site with no fees, expectations, or quotas. Supporting offerings include an Academic Scholarship Program for Taos high school graduates pursuing art majors and the annual Wurlitzer Summer Arts Fest fundraising event.

Product overview

The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation operates as a single, unified offering centered on its Artist Residency Program. This program provides eleven rent-free, fully-furnished adobe casitas to visual artists, literary artists, and music composers for three-month residencies. The casitas are specialized by discipline: three for visual artists (with studios and easels), three for composers (with grand pianos), and five for literary artists (with writing desks). Supporting offerings include an Academic Scholarship Program for Taos-area high school students pursuing art degrees, and the Wurlitzer Summer Arts Fest, an annual community fundraising event featuring alumni artwork auctions, performances, and artistic programming. The Foundation's campus also includes a Commons House with WiFi, a Library/Guest House, and the Main House (offices), which collectively support the residency experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artist Residency Program
• Academic Scholarship Program
• Wurlitzer Summer Arts Fest

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of artists supported since 1954
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chesley/Bumbalo FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2009, HWF has collaborated with the Chesley/Bumbalo Foundation to bring playwrights to campus including Ben Benne, Mashuq Deen, and Rae Binstock to work on LGBTQ theater projects.
• Ballet TaosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipating in Wurlitzer Summer Arts Fest with mini-ballet performance featuring Mary Bichner and Ballet Taos.
• Millicent Rogers MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Wurlitzer Summer Arts Fest community event.
• Taos Center for the ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Wurlitzer Summer Arts Fest community event.
• 9to5 (Taos)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor of Wurlitzer Summer Arts Fest.
• America Tent RentalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor providing tent rentals for Wurlitzer Summer Arts Fest.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ucross Foundation: Ucross (Wyoming) provides residencies to artists and writers in a rural Western setting with free studio/living space. Comparable as a Western U.S. residency serving visual artists, writers, and composers across disciplines.
• Ragdale Foundation: Ragdale (Lake Forest, IL) is a nonprofit artist residency offering free residencies in a historic arts colony setting serving writers, composers, and visual artists. Closely comparable structure and discipline mix.
• Hedgebrook: Hedgebrook (Whidbey Island, WA) is a residency specifically for women writers, offering free residencies in individual cottages. Comparable as a free, cottage-based residency program for creative workers.
• Yaddo: Yaddo is a historic artist residency in Saratoga Springs, NY offering residencies to writers, visual artists, composers, and other creative workers. Directly comparable to HWF in mission, structure (free residencies in historic guesthouses), and applicant pool.
• Anderson Center (Tower, MN): Anderson Center provides month-long residencies to artists, writers, and other creatives in a historic rural setting. Comparable free-residency model serving multiple disciplines.
• Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program: Roswell AIR Program (New Mexico) offers fully funded year-long residencies to visual artists. Comparable as a Southwestern U.S. residency; one of HWF's board members previously directed this program.
• MacDowell: MacDowell (Peterborough, NH) is one of America's oldest and largest artist residency programs, offering free residencies across disciplines on a 450-acre historic estate. Closest comparable in legacy, scale, and free-residency model.
• The Millay Colony for the Arts: Millay Colony (Austerlitz, NY) provides free residencies to emerging and established artists across disciplines on a historic estate. Directly comparable in mission and free-residency model.
• Joan Mitchell Center: Joan Mitchell Center (New Orleans) provides residencies and studio space for visual artists and writers. Comparable as a nonprofit residency serving established artists across disciplines.

Others

• Taos Arts Council / Harwood Museum of Art: Harwood Museum (Taos, NM) is a regional arts institution and community partner of HWF; comparable as a Taos-based nonprofit arts organization, though focused on exhibitions rather than residencies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wurlitzerfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/wurlitzerfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helene-wurlitzer-foundation-nm

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of NM