The Umbrella Arts Center

What The Umbrella Arts Center does

The Umbrella Arts Center is a private, nonprofit community arts center founded in 1982 (lease signed January 1983) in Concord, Massachusetts, operating from a 60,000 square foot facility at 40 Stow Street. It delivers an integrated mix of arts education, performing arts, visual arts, and environmental arts programming from a single site. Core offerings include over 170 annual classes and workshops, a 6-week summer camp, school vacation and afterschool programs, the Umbrella Stage Company (a 350-seat main stage and 100-seat black box theater with season subscriptions), a concert and film series, gallery exhibitions in the Allie Kussin Main Gallery and Wedge Gallery, a studio artists program housing 50+ working artists across ceramics, glass, fiber arts, jewelry, mixed-media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, woodworking, and writing, plus the Musketaquid Arts & Environment program (Earth Day celebrations running 30+ years). Youth enrollment exceeded 800 in 2021/2022 and average program capacity sits around 90%.

The business is funded through a combination of program revenue (class registrations, camp fees, theater ticket sales, gift certificates, facility rentals), philanthropic donations including a leadership giving society and the Artrageous Gala, and government grants including ongoing support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Go-to-market is event- and community-led: customers are acquired via email newsletters, Facebook and Instagram, the website, regional press, and partnerships with entities such as Lowell Public Schools, Concord Recreation Department, and Concord Kids Care (Bezos Family Foundation). Distribution is direct at the facility and through self-serve online registration and ticketing. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and an Advisory Council and has no parent company; it does not use proprietary technology platforms.

In 2024 the organization began a leadership transition after Executive Director Jerry Wedge's 12-year tenure ended on June 30, 2024, and in 2026 announced a new strategic plan with upcoming facility renovations focused on community service, artistic investment, and operational excellence. The Umbrella is recognized as a Massachusetts Cultural Council UP Designated Organization (accessibility/inclusion) and has received regional awards including multiple Norton Award nominations for its Stage Company.

Name

The Umbrella Arts Center

Legal name

Umbrella Arts Center

Website

https://theumbrellaarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Umbrella Arts Center is a nonprofit community arts center in Concord, Massachusetts, offering arts education, performing arts, visual arts, and environmental programming from a single 60,000 sq ft facility serving youth, adults, regional audiences, and 50+ resident studio artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Center

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Personal Enrichment & Creative Arts Programs (EDAAAEAG), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Community arts center
• Performing arts presentations
• Visual arts programs
• Arts education programs
• Studio artist residencies

Headquarters

HQ city

Concord

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Revenue: Revenue from performing arts ticket sales, class registrations, summer camp fees, workshop fees, and gallery art sales
2. Donations and Fundraising: Annual donations, major gifts, leadership giving society contributions, and gala event proceeds from the Artrageous Gala
3. Government Grants: Supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council
4. Facility Rentals: Revenue from renting facility spaces for private events, parties, and community gatherings
5. Gift Certificates: Sales of gift certificates for classes and performances

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Umbrella Arts Center is a single-site nonprofit community arts center that delivers paid and contributed programming across four integrated pillars: arts education (classes, workshops, ceramics studio, summer camp, vacation weeks, KidCare), visual arts (50+ working studio artists, gallery exhibitions, Winter Market, Open Studios), performing arts (Umbrella Stage Company theater productions, Concert Series, Film Series), and Arts & Environment (Musketaquid environmental arts). Programs are sold to individual consumers and partner organizations from a 60,000 sq ft facility in Concord, MA.

Product overview

The Umbrella Arts Center is a single-site community arts center operating as a unified program rather than a platform architecture. The center offers integrated arts programming across four core areas: Arts Education (classes, workshops, summer camps, ceramics), Visual Arts (studio artists, galleries, Winter Market, Open Studios), Performing Arts (theater productions, concerts, film series), and Arts & Environment (Musketaquid program). All programs operate from the 60,000 square foot facility at 40 Stow Street in Concord, MA, serving as a unified arts destination rather than separate modular offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arts Education Classes & Workshops Comprehensive arts education offering for children, teens and adults, including over 170 classes and workshops annually across visual and performing arts disciplines such as ceramics, painting, drawing, photography, fiber arts and writing, taught by faculty/instructors at The Umbrella's 40 Stow Street facility.
• Ceramics Studio Program Ceramics instruction and studio access program featuring soda-firing capabilities, with one of only a handful of soda ash kilns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; serves students at all skill levels via classes, workshops, and studio time.
• Summer Camp Six-week summer arts camp for children and youth, delivered on-site in partnership with the Concord Recreation Department and drawing enrollment exceeding 800 children and youth across the broader year-round arts education portfolio.
• Vacation Weeks Programs School vacation week arts programs for children, co-developed with partners including Concord Kids Care (Bezos Family Foundation), with themed projects such as the Clean Oceans artwork 'quilt' of 200 pieces.
• KidCare Shows Program School and family stage shows program offering theatrical productions appropriate for young audiences and school groups, integrated with the Stage Company's performance calendar.
• The Umbrella Stage Company (Theater Productions) Professional theater season performed in the 350-seat main stage and 100-seat black box theaters, including Season Subscriptions and Holiday Pops, with seven Norton award nominations/recognitions for past productions.
• Umbrella Concert Series Concert series of live musical performances that raises funds and awareness for The Umbrella Arts Center.
• Umbrella Film Series Curated independent and art-house film screening series hosted at The Umbrella, including the Concord Film Project.
• Studio Artists Residency Program Studio rental and residency program for more than 50 working artists in ceramics, glass, fiber arts, jewelry making, illustration, mixed-media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, woodworking and writing within The Umbrella's studio spaces.
• Gallery Exhibitions Rotating visual arts exhibitions in the Allie Kussin Main Gallery and Wedge Gallery showcasing contemporary work by community and regional artists.
• Winter Market Annual holiday market featuring dozens of participating artists, guest artisans and ceramicists selling their work, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025.
• Open Studios Annual public open-studios event held the first weekend of May, allowing community access to the working spaces of Umbrella Studio Artists.
• Arts & Environment Program (Musketaquid) Environmental arts program promoting nature-based creative work, Earth Month celebrations and public art installations; the Musketaquid Earth Day observance marked its 30th anniversary in 2020 (the 50th anniversary of International Earth Day).
• Parties & Events (Private Parties) Birthday parties and private event offerings at The Umbrella, leveraging its art studios and classrooms for hosted children's parties and group events.
• Facility Rentals Rental of The Umbrella's spaces for private events, parties and community gatherings, generating earned revenue outside of programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Enrollment exceeding 800 children and youth in 2021/2022 arts education programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 minor, secondary and core.

• A La LuzminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Visual Arts Program partnered with A La Luz to present the Into the Oceanic documentary film and creative projection event.
• Barefoot BookssecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with Concord-based global multicultural children's book publisher to host immersive family arts experiences celebrating Barefoot Books' 30th anniversary. Included exhibitions, author talks, and live stage performances.
• Lowell Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYearlong afterschool arts program partnership with two elementary and two middle schools, providing comprehensive arts education outreach to Lowell students.
• Concord Recreation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on summer camp offerings, combining Umbrella arts programming with Concord's recreational infrastructure.
• Concord Kids Care (Bezos Family Foundation)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal affiliate of the Bezos Family Foundation's global Students Rebuild project. Partnered on April Vacation Week to create stunning 'quilt' of 200 artworks on a Clean Oceans theme.
• Massachusetts Cultural CouncilcoreOthersMajor governmental arts funding agency that provides ongoing financial support to The Umbrella. The Umbrella is grateful to be supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
• Concord 250secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Concord's 250th anniversary commemorations, including the world premiere of a documentary about the history of slavery in the Concord region.
• Concord DEI CommissionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives including documentary screenings and community programming.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum: Lincoln, MA-based (adjacent to Concord) contemporary art museum and sculpture park operated by The Trustees. Comparable as a nearby New England visual arts destination serving overlapping donor and audience bases in the western Boston suburbs.
• Concord Players: Long-running community theater company based in Concord, MA producing mainstage plays and musicals. Comparable as a peer performing arts organization in the same Concord community, competing for theater audiences and volunteers.

Direct peers

• Cotuit Center for the Arts: Cape Cod-based nonprofit arts center combining performing arts productions, visual arts gallery exhibitions, and arts education classes. Directly comparable in offering a community hub model spanning theater, gallery, and education programs.
• Zeiterion Performing Arts Center: New Bedford, MA-based nonprofit performing arts venue presenting theater, music, dance, and family programming. Comparable as a Massachusetts community performing arts center with similar stage size (~1,200 seats), education programs, and nonprofit governance.
• Boston Center for the Arts: Boston-based nonprofit multi-disciplinary arts center operating the Cyclorama, Mills Gallery, and resident theater companies. Directly comparable to The Umbrella as a community-based multi-vertical arts center (visual arts, performing arts, education), though operating at urban scale.
• Worcester Center for Crafts: Central Massachusetts nonprofit arts education center offering classes, workshops, and exhibitions across ceramics, glass, fiber arts, and other fine crafts. Highly comparable as a New England nonprofit focused on arts education, studio rentals, and gallery programming.
• New England Quilt Museum: Lowell, MA-based nonprofit textile arts museum offering rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and community events. Comparable as a small New England nonprofit cultural institution focused on visual/fiber arts programming and education.

Broad incumbents

• Old Sturbridge Village: Large-scale living history museum in central Massachusetts operating as a major New England cultural tourism destination. Comparable as a regional nonprofit cultural institution with similar programming pillars (education, exhibits, community events), though at much larger scale.

Others

• Mass Cultural Council: Massachusetts state arts agency providing grants, designations, and programming support to cultural nonprofits including The Umbrella. Relevant as a key funding and recognition partner (UP Designated Organization program), though not a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Montserrat College of Art Galleries: Beverly, MA-based art college operating public galleries, continuing education classes, and community arts programming. Comparable as a small New England institution combining arts education, exhibition, and community programming.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theumbrellaarts
• Instagraminstagram.com/theumbrellaarts/?hl=en
• Xx.com/follow

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Umbrella Arts Center