Islamic Arts Society

What Islamic Arts Society does

The Islamic Arts Society is a Houston-based nonprofit organization (Islamic Arts Society, Inc.) whose stated mission is to share the heritage of Islamic arts and promote mutual understanding between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in the United States. The organization operates without a brick-and-mortar facility and delivers programming through a portfolio of event-based cultural products anchored by its flagship annual Islamic Arts Festival, now in its 12th edition (held November 2025 at the University of Houston). The portfolio also includes the "Art for the Love of Muhammad (PBUH)" international art competition launched in 2020, Islamic Arts Day family education events, weekend art classes, traveling art displays, live demonstrations, and outreach events hosted at schools, libraries, churches, and mosques. The organization produces documentary films and a published coffee table book on Houston mosque architecture.

There is no proprietary technology platform underlying the business; operations rely on standard nonprofit tooling (Google Forms for registration, Eventbrite for ticketing, Amazon for merchandise, and mainstream social media for outreach). Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit mix: individual donations and fundraising (including a $30,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts awarded in 2024), event ticket sales, corporate sponsorships structured across 12 tiers ranging from $1,000 to $20,000, art competition prizes funded by the Aslam Saleemi Family through the Aslam Saleemi Art Prize ($11,000 first prize), and merchandise sales. The organization is volunteer-driven and serves four primary stakeholder groups: families and the general public, visual artists and calligraphers, schools and religious institutions, and corporate sponsors seeking multicultural audience engagement.

Name

Islamic Arts Society

Legal name

Islamic Arts Society, Inc.

Website

https://islamicartssociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Islamic Arts Society is a Houston-based nonprofit that promotes Islamic arts heritage through its annual Islamic Arts Festival, an international art competition, classes, and outreach events, serving families, artists, schools, and corporate sponsors in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts Education

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious & Spiritual Festivals/Observances (Public Events) (MPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA), Arts & Culture Appreciation (Art History, Film Appreciation, Music Appreciation) (EDAAAGAO)

Keywords

• Islamic arts education
• Cultural arts festival
• Arts nonprofit organization
• Art competition programs
• Cultural outreach programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization raises funds through direct donations from supporters. They received a $30,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts requiring equal fundraising from donors. The organization is verified as a charity by GuideStar/Candid.
2. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from selling tickets to events including the Moroccan High Tea Fundraiser and the annual Islamic Arts Festival. Tickets sold through Eventbrite platform.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at various tiers ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for the Islamic Arts Festival, including venue sponsorship, presenting sponsorship, entertainment program sponsorship, and various program sponsorships.
4. Art Competition Prizes: The organization runs the 'Art for the Love of Muhammad' competition with prizes including First Prize of $11,000, Second Prize of $5,000, Third Prize of $2,000, and Special Recognition of $100, funded by the Aslam Saleemi Family through the Aslam Saleemi Art Prize.
5. Merchandise Sales: Sale of hardcover coffee table books such as 'History Art & Architecture of Mosques in Houston' available on Amazon.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Islamic Arts Society is a nonprofit cultural organization that organizes Islamic arts programming, anchored by its annual Islamic Arts Festival (the largest and oldest in America). It complements the festival with weekend art classes, an international art competition (Art for the Love of Muhammad), family-oriented Islamic Arts Day events, live demonstrations, traveling art displays, outreach events at schools and religious institutions, documentary films, and published books on Islamic art and architecture.

Product overview

The Islamic Arts Society organizes a portfolio of cultural programs centered on Islamic arts. Its flagship offering is the annual Islamic Arts Festival, a multi-day event featuring visual art displays, live demonstrations, film screenings, spoken-word programs, academic seminars, comedy, and Sufi music performances. The society complements this with Islamic Arts Day (family education events), Outreach Events (partnership-based exhibits and demonstrations at schools, libraries, and mosques), Islamic Arts Classes (weekend workshops in painting, calligraphy, woodwork, and ceramics), Art Demonstrations (live interactive sessions in calligraphy, henna, Ebru, and painting), and Art Display events (traveling displays in galleries and museums). The society also runs the annual 'Art for the Love of Muhammad (PBUH) Competition' — an international open call with Traditional and Contemporary Islamic Art categories funded by the Aslam Saleemi Art Prize. Additional offerings include documentary films and a published coffee table book on Houston mosque architecture. The organization does not offer a software product or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Islamic Arts Festival: Annual flagship event organized by Islamic Arts Society, described as the Largest & Oldest Festival of Islamic Arts in America, attracting over 7,000 visitors.
• Art for the Love of Muhammad (PBUH)

Products and services

• Islamic Arts Festival Annual two-day flagship festival featuring visual Islamic arts displays, live demonstrations, film festival, spoken-word program, academic seminar, comedy show, and Sufi music program, attracting over 7,000 visitors to the University of Houston venue.
• Islamic Arts Day Family-oriented educational day event introducing Islamic arts to children and adults in a fun, interactive setting.
• Outreach Events Cultural and educational partnership programs providing art exhibits, live art demonstrations, and donated art pieces for charity auctions at schools, libraries, churches, mosques, and nonprofit organizations.
• Islamic Arts Classes Weekend art classes offered during summer and spring break providing hands-on instruction in painting, calligraphy, woodwork, and ceramics.
• Art Demonstration Live interactive art demonstrations featuring calligraphy, henna, Ebru (Turkish marbling), and live painting sessions provided as entertainment and education at events.
• Art Display Traveling Islamic art display events organized in art galleries, libraries, and museums to provide cultural education and entertainment to broad audiences.
• Art for the Love of Muhammad (PBUH) Competition International art competition inviting artists worldwide to express love, devotion, and reverence for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through non-figurative artistic expression, with Traditional and Contemporary Islamic Art categories and prize money up to $11,000 funded by the Aslam Saleemi Art Prize.
• IAS Documentary Films Documentary film productions about Islamic arts, including 'Finding Islamic Arts in the Bayou City' and other films highlighting Islamic art heritage.
• History Art & Architecture of Mosques in Houston (Coffee Table Book) Hardcover coffee table book documenting the history, art, and architecture of mosques in Houston, sold through Amazon retail channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,000 annual visitors to the Islamic Arts Festival, the largest Islamic arts event in America
• +4 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• University of HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host venue for the annual Islamic Arts Festival. The partnership enables large-scale cultural programming in a prestigious academic setting, with the Mayor of Houston inaugurating events at ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
• Ibn Sina FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored internationally acclaimed artists to appear at the Islamic Arts Festival, including world-famous mosque decorator Harouth Bastajian and multimedia artist Aisha Changezi. The foundation supports bringing distinguished artists to engage with the Houston community.
• Asia SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that supervised the children's art section at the 12th Islamic Arts Festival, bringing cultural education programming to young visitors.
• Children's Museum of HoustonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that supervised the children's art section at the 12th Islamic Arts Festival, providing educational programming for families.
• Museum of Fine Arts HoustonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that supervised the children's art section at the 12th Islamic Arts Festival, bringing museum-quality educational programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Museum of Islamic Art (Doha): World-leading museum showcasing Islamic art across centuries and geographies; comparable in mission to preserve and present Islamic artistic heritage, though at vastly larger institutional scale and with permanent galleries.
• Darat al Funun: Amman-based cultural foundation dedicated to art and artists from the Arab world, with exhibitions, workshops, and music programs — comparable in running a programming-driven nonprofit (rather than permanent collection) focused on regional arts.
• Aga Khan Museum: Toronto-based museum dedicated to Islamic arts and culture, with rotating exhibitions, educational programming, and community events — directly comparable to the Islamic Arts Society in mission and audience, though operating a permanent facility rather than festival-only.
• Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia: Southeast Asia's largest museum of Islamic decorative arts, with exhibits on calligraphy, ceramics, textiles, and architecture — directly comparable in subject matter and educational mission, with the addition of a permanent collection and physical facility.

Broad incumbents

• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Major U.S. art museum and direct programming partner of the Islamic Arts Society; comparable in operating art education programs and hosting cultural events in Houston, though covering the full spectrum of art history rather than Islamic arts.
• Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art: U.S. national museum covering Asian art including significant Islamic holdings (Freer Gallery, Sackler Gallery); comparable educational mission around Asian/Islamic arts, though with permanent collection and federal affiliation.
• Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: Operates the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival and cultural heritage programs — closely comparable in running a signature cultural festival as a flagship program, though covering global folk traditions rather than Islamic arts specifically.
• Asia Society: Active programming partner of the Islamic Arts Society (supervised the children's art section); broader pan-Asian cultural institution with comparable education, exhibition, and festival programming but covering all of Asia rather than Islamic arts specifically.

Others

• Children's Museum of Houston: Programming partner of the Islamic Arts Society (co-supervised children's art section); comparable in delivering cultural education to families in Houston, though as a permanent facility and broader in scope beyond Islamic content.

Emerging players

• Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts: UK-based educational institution teaching traditional arts including Islamic geometry, calligraphy, and craftsmanship — directly comparable to the Islamic Arts Society's art class offerings, though focused on degree-style education rather than public festivals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iashouston
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMy3wzwIJBOf8pAbuOBFTDw
• Facebookfacebook.com/IslamicArtsSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/islamic-arts-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/islamicartssociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Islamic Arts Society