Performance Spaces for the 21st Century

What Performance Spaces for the 21st Century does

PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization founded in 1999 by Judy Grunberg and operated from a 100-acre campus at 2980 Route 66 in Chatham, New York, in the Hudson Valley. The campus combines a 325-seat open-air Pavilion Theater that converts to a 99-seat geothermally heated Black Box Theater, a renovated Dance Barn with a sprung floor, two artist-housing properties sleeping up to 16, and 95 acres of conserved meadows, woodlands, apple orchards, and public trails. Its technical stack is built around fully LED green theatrical lighting (one of the only in the country), networked Dante audio, an ETC Ion console, a Yamaha QL-5 digital console, a Christie Boxer 2k20 projector, and a Steinway Model D, enabling year-round flexible programming.

Revenue is overwhelmingly philanthropic rather than transactional. Ticket sales are intentionally held below 10% of revenue, while the balance is generated by an eight-tier annual membership program ($100 Friend to $20,000 Leader), individual donations, corporate sponsorships, government and foundation grants (NYSCA, NEA, Mellon, Howard Gilman, Jerome, Berkshire Taconic, Cheswatyr), gala fundraising ($500-$25,000 tickets), and a venue rentals business hosting weddings and corporate events. The organization also operates ReWraps, a donated-clothing retail store at 32 Main Street in Chatham, and receives prominent coverage from The New York Times, Surface Magazine, and Chronogram.

PS21 serves three primary constituencies: arts-interested audiences in the Hudson Valley region within driving distance of Albany, Troy, Catskill, Great Barrington, and Stockbridge; contemporary performance artists seeking residencies, technical resources, and premieres; and event clients booking its indoor and outdoor spaces. Distribution runs through direct ticket sales on its website, a staffed box office, a Bloomberg Connects digital guide, and earned media placements across social, press, and email channels, with curatorial partnerships linking the venue into international circuits via Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the International Contemporary Ensemble.

Name

Performance Spaces for the 21st Century

Legal name

PS21, Inc.

Website

https://ps21chatham.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PS21 is a 501(c)(3) contemporary performing arts venue on a 100-acre Hudson Valley campus in Chatham, NY, presenting music, dance, theater, and multimedia premieres through ticketed performances, artist residencies, free community workshops, and venue rentals, funded primarily by donations, memberships, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), VIP Hospitality & Client Entertainment (Boxes, Suites, Hosted Experiences) (MPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Contemporary performing arts
• Performance venue rentals
• Artist residency programs
• Community arts workshops
• Performing arts nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatham

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Ticket sales for performances, workshops, and events. Ticket sales represent less than 10% of PS21's revenue by design, with prices set to welcome all.
2. Memberships: Annual membership program with multiple tiers ($100-$20,000) offering perks including free drinks at performances, exclusive events, priority seating, and access to donor-only activities.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals that form the foundation of PS21's revenue, enabling adventurous programming.
4. Venue Rentals: Rental of spaces for weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Site details include ceremonies, receptions, conferences, and performances with state-of-the-art technical capabilities.
5. Sponsorships: Business and community sponsors provide critical support for the season through advertising and sponsorship packages.
6. ReWraps Retail Store: Gently used and vintage clothing store in the Village of Chatham supporting PS21 and the performing arts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PS21 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit contemporary performing arts center operating a 100-acre campus in Chatham, NY with a 325-seat open-air Pavilion Theater, a 99-seat Black Box Theater, a Dance Barn, and on-site artist housing. It produces and presents contemporary music, dance, theater, and multimedia performance, hosts artist residencies, runs free/low-cost community workshops, and rents its spaces for weddings, corporate events, and private parties. The bulk of operating support comes from individual donations, memberships, and institutional grants, with ticket sales intentionally kept below 10% of revenue.

Product overview

PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance is a not-for-profit performing arts organization offering a multi-venue campus experience. The core portfolio includes the Pavilion Theater (325-seat open-air/100-seat black box hybrid) and Black Box Theater as primary performance venues, complemented by the Dance Barn for workshops and rehearsals, Artist Housing for residency participants, and 100 acres of public grounds and trails. Programming includes ticketed performances by leading and emerging artists, free/low-cost community workshops and classes through the Pathways program, artist residencies, and venue rentals. The organization also operates ReWraps, a vintage clothing store, and partners with Bloomberg Philanthropies for a digital guide app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pavilion Theater A 325-seat open-air proscenium stage protected by a pavilion roof with retractable risers enabling flexible seating configurations. Convertible in cooler months to a 99-seat geothermally heated black box theater. Features one of the only fully LED green theatrical lighting systems in the country. Used for ticketed contemporary performances open to the public.
• Black Box Theater A 99-seat geothermally heated and air-conditioned theater created by closing the proscenium doors of the Pavilion Theater, with a reconfigurable riser system. Functions as a sound stage for audio/video recording, rehearsals, and workshops, and as an intimate performance venue during cooler months.
• Dance Barn

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• International Contemporary EnsemblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPS21 collaborates with the International Contemporary Ensemble (described as 'America's foremost new-music group' by The New Yorker) through the Cheswatyr Incubator, a collaboration with the Cheswatyr Foundation. The inaugural project 'Listen to the Cry of the World' by Jessie Cox was developed through workshops at the Ensemble's Brooklyn headquarters and a week-long residency at PS21, culminating in a world premiere performance. The Ensemble has premiered over 1,000 works and plays a pivotal role in shaping contemporary music careers.
• Edinburgh International FestivalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeoff Sobelle's 'Clown Show' was commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival, with additional commissioning support from PS21. The world premiere was held at PS21 in July 2026, with the show subsequently embarking on an international tour.
• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAM provided developmental support for Geoff Sobelle's 'Clown Show' and has collaborated with PS21 on multiple productions, including hosting touring works. BAM Next Wave has featured Sobelle's previous works.
• Monira Foundation / MANA ContemporaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonira Foundation/MANA Contemporary provided developmental support for Geoff Sobelle's 'Clown Show'. The foundation supports artists and experimental work in New York.
• Farmstead Hudson ValleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner establishment providing local gift boxes ('This Wild Garden') for PS21 Gala VIP ticket buyers as part of the event perks.
• Hudson Wine MerchantsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine merchant providing two-month subscription to their wine club as perk for PS21 Gala Fiddlehead Fern and higher ticket tiers.
• Berkshire Opera FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBOF is using PS21 as the venue for their inaugural Resident Artist Program, premiering Grétry's 'Zémire et Azor'. BOF is an integral part of the Berkshire cultural landscape producing world-class opera.
• Performance Space New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Artistic Director Vallejo Gantner led Performance Space New York for 12 years before joining PS21, bringing established relationships and curatorial approaches from that institution.
• Stanford UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided additional commissioning support for Geoff Sobelle's 'Clown Show' alongside PS21 and other institutions.
• Arizona State University GammageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided additional commissioning support for Geoff Sobelle's 'Clown Show' alongside PS21 and other institutions.
• Lincoln Center for the Performing ArtsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLincoln Center commissioned Andrew Schneider's 'FIELD' (with PS21) and provided Collider Fellowship residency. The work will be performed at Lincoln Center in October 2026 after its PS21 premiere.
• Harvard Radcliffe InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndrew Schneider is a member of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute Fellowship for 2025-26. 'FIELD' was developed in residency via their support.
• Rewraps Consignment PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDonors provide gently used clothing and items to ReWraps, PS21's gently used and vintage clothing store in the Village of Chatham that supports PS21 and performing arts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MASS MoCA: Large-scale contemporary arts campus in North Adams, MA combining galleries, performance venues, and residencies on a multi-building site. Highly comparable as a rural-adjacent, multi-discipline contemporary arts campus with commissioning activity and significant institutional funding.
• Jacob's Pillow: National historic landmark dance festival and center in Becket, MA in the Berkshires. Comparable as a Hudson Valley/Berkshires-region dance and performance venue with residencies, world premieres, and a multi-building campus model.
• Kaatsbaan Cultural Park: Hudson Valley dance and performance center in Rhinebeck, NY offering residencies, festivals, and performance programming. Direct geographic and programmatic peer focused on supporting emerging and established artists through residencies and premieres.
• EMPAC (Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center at RPI): Troy, NY-based venue presenting experimental music, dance, film, and time-based art with state-of-the-art technical capabilities. Comparable for its experimental/technology-forward programming and upstate New York location serving a regional audience.
• Fisher Center at Bard College: Hudson Valley performing arts venue at Bard College presenting music, opera, dance, theater, and film with two architecturally distinctive performance spaces. Comparable as a Hudson Valley venue commissioning new work with national institutional reach.
• The Yard: Martha's Vineyard dance and performance venue offering residencies, choreography commissions, and community programming. Comparable as a small, residency-driven contemporary performance venue with a strong community-engagement mandate.
• Performance Space New York: NYC experimental performance venue supporting emerging and established artists across dance, theater, and music. Directly comparable through Gantner's 12-year tenure there; PS21 inherits his curatorial network and approach.
• The Kitchen: NYC non-profit arts institution presenting experimental performance in music, dance, video, and visual art since 1971. Comparable as a long-established non-profit venue supporting boundary-defying contemporary performance.

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM): Major NYC performing arts institution presenting dance, music, theater, and opera across multiple venues. Comparable as a co-commissioner and developmental partner for many of the same artists (e.g., Geoff Sobelle) that PS21 presents, but at a much larger institutional scale.

Emerging players

• Pioneer Works: Brooklyn-based artist-run non-profit combining residencies, performance, music, and science programming in a single campus. Comparable as an interdisciplinary contemporary arts venue with residency programming and similar organizational scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/ps21chatham
• Facebookfacebook.com/PS21Chatham
• Instagraminstagram.com/ps21chatham
• Xx.com/ps21_central
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ps21-inc-performance-spaces-for-the-21st-century

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Performance Spaces for the 21st Century