The Baum School of Art

What The Baum School of Art does

The Baum School of Art is a non-profit community visual arts school founded in 1926 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, by Dr. Walter Emerson Baum. It serves more than 3,200 students annually across five segments: children and teens (ages 5-17), adults, underserved youth, and seniors (65+), with 1,236 students receiving financial assistance and 378 additional students reached through off-site community partnerships.

The school's product surface is centered on in-person studio arts education delivered across 10 classrooms, 2 galleries, a ceramics studio, a darkroom, and a recently added digital lab with 15 iMacs. Curriculum spans traditional visual arts (painting, drawing, ceramics, photography) and digital media. Two on-site galleries support exhibition programming, and the campus is also rented for external events.

Revenue is generated through a non-profit funding mix: per-course tuition, an annual art auction, gala events, donations, facility rental, and gallery sponsorships. The school's strategic positioning — community-embedded, multi-segment, scholarship-supported — combined with its approaching centennial in 2026, frames it as a heritage institution rather than a scaling enterprise. No financial figures are publicly disclosed in the available input.

Name

The Baum School of Art

Legal name

The Baum School of Art

Website

https://baumschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Baum School of Art is a non-profit community visual arts school in Allentown, PA, founded in 1926, serving 3,200+ students annually across children, adults, underserved youth, and seniors through studio classes, galleries, and outreach partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Visual Arts Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA), Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Visual arts education
• Community art school
• Children art classes
• Summer art camp
• Fashion design academy

Headquarters

HQ city

Allentown

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Class Fees: Tuition and lab fees charged for classes, workshops, and summer camps. Youth art supplies included; adult students required to purchase most supplies.
2. Annual Art Auction: 41st Annual Art Auction in 2026 - major fundraising event with online bidding. Proceeds support financial assistance, discounts, scholarships, and tuition-free outreach programs.
3. Gala Events: Annual Fall Gala with ticket sales and silent auction. Flagship fundraising event celebrating the school's anniversary (Centennial in 2026).
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Donations accepted through Givecloud platform. Funds support financial assistance, discounts, scholarships, and tuition-free outreach programs.
5. Facility Rental: Fowler Community Room available for rental for meetings, retreats, and small to medium-sized events. Contact Lauren Faurl for rental inquiries.
6. Gallery Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorships for exhibitions and galleries (e.g., Bob and Sandy Lovett, City Center Group, Zelenkofske Family).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Baum School of Art is a non-profit community school that provides year-round visual arts instruction to children (ages 5-17), adults, and seniors across media including drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, fashion design, digital art, manga/comics, and black-and-white photography. Offerings are delivered through Fall, Spring, and Summer sessions of classes and workshops, eight one-week Summer Art Camps, The Fashion Academy, gallery exhibitions, the Annual Art Auction, and tuition-free community outreach programs.

Product overview

The Baum School of Art is a community school offering visual arts education through multiple program formats: Children & Teens Classes (ages 5-17), Adult Classes, Summer Art Camps (8 one-week sessions), The Fashion Academy (fashion design for ages 9-17), and Workshops. The school operates gallery spaces for rotating exhibitions showcasing student, faculty, and professional artist work, including an annual Art Auction. Additional services include field trips, financial assistance programs (Liny's Kids, STAR Program), community outreach programs, merit scholarships, and community room rental. The school serves approximately 3,200+ students annually (2022-2023 data) with over 1,200 receiving financial assistance. In 2026, the school celebrates its Centennial (100th anniversary) following major renovations including building additions and expanded gallery space.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Children & Teens Classes

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,200+ students served annually across all programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Allentown School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for Allentown Neighborhood Arts Program running 30+ years. Serves elementary, middle, and high schools within ASD. Students study drawing, painting, sculpture, fashion design, graphic design, digital illustration, and comic book illustration in a 10-week program.
• Autism SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer Creative Abilities - a fun in-person art class for teens with autism. Students explore various art materials for painting, drawing, and sculpture projects.
• Grace Montessori SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents attend weekly art classes at The Baum School as part of their art curriculum for the school year. Students learn various artistic techniques in drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media.
• Lehigh County ProbationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung Artists Program for teens on probation to complete community service requirements in a creative learning environment. Students build artistic skills while contributing artwork for community causes. Program includes exhibition and graduation ceremony.
• Mercy School for Special LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities attend art classes at The Baum School for two sessions over the year.
• Healing Through the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Hope & Healing Exhibition and competition where students create artwork promoting hope and healing. All work is donated to healthcare and wellness facilities in the region.
• Casa Guadalupe CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership for off-site outreach programs serving additional 378 students in 2023-2024.
• The Refugee CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership for off-site outreach programs serving refugee populations in the Lehigh Valley.
• Lehigh Art AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for An Artistic Discovery Congressional Art Competition - distributing awards to high school students in the 7th Congressional District.
• C. Leslie Smith Silversmith ShopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFifth anniversary partnership hosting annual Faculty Show featuring creative work of The Baum School's talented faculty.
• KULA Children's CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity outreach partnership for children's programming.
• CAI Learning AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity outreach partnership for alternative education programming.
• Commonwealth Charter AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharter school partnership for outreach programs.
• Roberto Clemente Charter SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharter school partnership for outreach programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA): Degree-granding professional art college in Baltimore offering continuing education, pre-college, and youth programs. Broader institution overlapping with Baum's community education offerings, especially youth and adult continuing-education tracks.
• Cleveland Institute of Art: Degree-granting professional art college in Cleveland operating continuing-education and pre-college youth programming. Larger incumbent with overlapping community-class offerings and exhibition programming comparable to Baum's gallery model.

Direct peers

• Fleisher Art Memorial: Philadelphia community art school offering low-cost studio instruction in painting, sculpture, ceramics, and digital arts for children and adults. Directly comparable mission-driven, non-profit community visual arts school model.
• Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA): Historic Philadelphia-based art school founded in 1805 offering studio-based visual arts instruction, exhibitions, and community programs. Most direct Pennsylvania regional peer to Baum with overlapping adult continuing-education and youth programming.
• The Art Students League of New York: Historic community-based visual arts school offering open-enrollment studio instruction in drawing, painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Closely aligned non-degree, multi-age, community-funded art school model.
• Creative Growth Art Center: Oakland-based nonprofit art center serving adults with disabilities through studio practice and exhibition. Comparable non-degree community art school model with strong outreach/accessibility focus akin to Baum's Creative Abilities and Young Artists Programs.
• Torpedo Factory Art Center: Alexandria, Virginia art center housing studios, galleries, and art classes in a historic facility. Comparable community-focused studio art school with exhibition programming and accessible class offerings.
• The Art League: Alexandria, Virginia-based nonprofit art center providing studio instruction, exhibitions, and community art programs for all ages. Closely matched non-degree, multi-generational, tuition-and-donation funded visual arts school.
• Main Line Art Center: Nonprofit community art center in Haverford, Pennsylvania offering classes, workshops, and exhibitions across visual arts media for all ages. Most direct Philadelphia-metro peer to Baum School.
• Silvermine Guild School of Art: Connecticut community art school offering classes and workshops for children, teens, and adults in drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, and digital media. Direct peer with parallel studio-based, community-school operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBaumSchoolofArt
• Instagraminstagram.com/the.baum.school.of.art
• Xx.com/baumschoolofart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Baum School of Art