Bell Arts Factory

What Bell Arts Factory does

Bell Arts Factory is a non-profit, community-based arts organization founded in 2006 and headquartered at 432 N. Ventura Ave in Ventura, California. The facility, a converted former mattress factory originally purchased by Bob and Janet Addison, houses 30+ resident artist studios (ranging from 100 to 1,000 sq ft with 24/7 access), community rooms, and an outdoor patio/courtyard. The organization operates a hybrid earned-and-contributed revenue model combining monthly studio rentals, low-cost or donation-based classes and programs (youth art, Arte en Español, Ballet Folklórico, Aztec Dance, Zumba, yoga, ceramics), event and facility rentals, and donations and grants including support from the California Arts Council.

Its programs serve multiple community segments: children and families through youth art classes and bilingual Spanish-language instruction; local artists seeking affordable studio space and exhibition opportunities; the Spanish-speaking community through Circulo de Amigas; and cultural arts enthusiasts via traditional Mexican and Indigenous dance programming. Distribution is primarily physical and community-led, with monthly First Fridays events and annual ArtWalk Ventura participation driving foot traffic, supported by an Instagram presence, Mailchimp newsletter, YouTube, and a WordPress website.

The organization is led by Executive Director Maribel Hernández (appointed June 2023, resident artist since 2006), Art Teacher Michele Foster, and a volunteer board. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capability, and no parent company or external equity ownership; operations are funded through rental income, program fees, individual donations via PayPal, and grants.

Name

Bell Arts Factory

Legal name

Bell Arts Factory

Website

https://bellartsfactory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bell Arts Factory is a Ventura, California non-profit founded in 2006 that provides affordable artist studios, youth and bilingual Spanish-language arts education, wellness and cultural programming, and community events for local artists, families, and the Spanish-speaking community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Center

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Community arts center
• Artist studio rentals
• Youth art education
• Multicultural arts programs
• Ceramics and wellness

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

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. Studio Rentals: Monthly rental of private artist studio spaces ranging from 100 to 1000 sq ft, available 24/7 to tenants. Studios include utilities, wifi, and access to common areas and kitchen.
2. Classes and Programs: Revenue from youth art classes, yoga classes, and other program fees. Yoga suggested donation is $10 per class. Classes include youth programs, Ballet Folklórico, Aztec Dance, and Zumba.
3. Facility and Event Rentals: Rental of community room, outdoor patio, and courtyard space for events, filming, photography, and special occasions including First Fridays vendor space.
4. Donations and Grants: Non-profit funding through individual donations via PayPal, corporate sponsorships, and government grants including California Arts Council Impact Project Grant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bell Arts Factory is a non-profit community arts organization that rents private artist studios (100-1,000 sq ft with 24/7 access, utilities, and WiFi), delivers multicultural arts education programs (youth art classes, Spanish-language Arte en Español, Ballet Folklórico, Aztec Dance, yoga, Zumba), and operates community gathering and event spaces including the First Fridays courtyard vendor event. The Círculo de Amigas program provides monthly Spanish-language art workshops for the Hispanic/Latino community in Ventura County, and the Clay Parlor offers ceramics classes and open studio time.

Product overview

Bell Arts Factory is a non-profit community arts organization offering a diverse portfolio of programs and services centered around arts education, cultural preservation, and creative workspace. The core offerings include youth art classes taught by professional artists (Youth Art Program, Programa de Arte en Español), wellness and cultural dance programs (Yoga, Ballet Folklórico, Aztec Dance, Zumba), and a cooperative gallery program (Circulo de Amigas). In addition to educational programming, Bell Arts Factory operates a significant facility rental business providing private artist studios (100-1000 sq ft, 24/7 access), community rooms for events, and outdoor patio spaces for community events like First Fridays. The organization also houses over 30 resident artists across its studios, creating a vibrant creative community in Ventura, California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Art Program

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Chispa Park (Alicia Morris)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Alicia Morris from Chispa Park joined Círculo de Amigas activities to offer Ayurveda classes including holistic nutrition, cooking, and health systems instruction.
• Primas ColectivasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017A group of women who teach yoga and sound bath healing classes in Spanish, joining Maribel Hernández's Círculo de Amigas programming for the Spanish-speaking community in Ventura.
• Ventura County SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with schools and private agencies to support multicultural arts education programs for youth and community members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Artspace: National nonprofit focused on developing affordable live/work and studio space for artists, with projects across the U.S. Comparable to Bell Arts Factory's studio-rental and community-development mission at a much larger national scale, serving as the broader-incumbent counterpart in affordable artist space.

Direct peers

• NIAD Art Center: Richmond, CA nonprofit art center providing studio space, arts instruction, and exhibition programs for adults with disabilities. Comparable to Bell Arts Factory as a small, community-rooted nonprofit blending studio access, art education, and exhibition opportunities in the San Francisco Bay Area region.
• Houston Center for Contemporary Craft: Houston-based nonprofit offering artist studio residency, craft-focused classes and workshops, and exhibitions in a repurposed industrial building. Mirrors Bell Arts Factory's maker-arts emphasis (ceramics, jewelry, mosaics) combined with studios and community education.
• Sawtooth School for Visual Art: Winston-Salem, NC nonprofit visual arts school offering studio space, classes for youth and adults, and community exhibitions. Closely matches Bell Arts Factory's combination of visual arts instruction, youth programs, and community gallery/exhibition programming in a mid-size community setting.
• Hyde Park Art Center: Chicago-based nonprofit community art center offering studio space, youth and adult art classes, exhibitions, and community programming. Closely mirrors Bell Arts Factory's hybrid model of artist studios + youth/adult arts education + community exhibitions, and similarly operates at modest nonprofit scale.
• Kala Art Institute: Berkeley, CA nonprofit combining artist studios, printmaking and ceramics classes, youth and community education programs, and exhibitions. Strong geographic and functional overlap with Bell Arts Factory, particularly its ceramics/printmaking instruction and youth focus in a Bay/Central California nonprofit context.
• Creative Growth: Oakland, CA nonprofit operating artist studios, exhibitions, and arts education programs for adult artists with disabilities. Comparable as a small, mission-driven California nonprofit that combines studio access, community-based arts education, and exhibition/sales opportunities in a single facility.
• Studio in a School: NYC nonprofit providing visual arts instruction and studio programming in schools and community sites. Comparable to Bell Arts Factory's youth arts-education mission and partnership-based delivery model, though operating at much larger scale and primarily as a partner rather than a facility operator.
• Torpedo Factory Art Center: A converted industrial building on the Alexandria, VA waterfront operating as a community art center with 80+ working artist studios, classrooms, and community events. Directly comparable to Bell Arts Factory in combining artist studio rentals, public arts education, and community open-studio events under a single repurposed facility.
• Penland School of Craft: North Carolina-based craft education center offering multi-week workshops in ceramics, jewelry, drawing, and other media, plus artist residencies. Comparable to Bell Arts Factory on the arts-education axis (craft instruction, ceramics, jewelry) while operating at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCb4-WGRjqVEk2V9Mc3r7-bg
• Instagraminstagram.com/bellartsfactory
• Xx.com/bellartsfactory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Bell Arts Factory