Salina Art Center

What Salina Art Center does

Salina Art Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary art and education center founded in 1978 and headquartered in downtown Salina, Kansas. The organization operates three co-located facilities: a 6,000+ square foot main gallery for rotating exhibitions, a 69-seat Art Center Cinema for independent and international film, and a 4,500 square foot Warehouse Education Studio for hands-on classes in painting, ceramics, glass, photography, and mixed media. It serves residents of north-central Kansas and the broader Mountain Plains region, anchored by American Alliance of Museums accreditation held continuously since 1991.

The Center's product surface is built around rotating gallery exhibitions, the Mountain Plains Biennial (a regional juried show expanded to 10 states), curated cinema programming, and a year-round education schedule. Operations are supported by a small leadership team of six named staff across executive direction, education, marketing, exhibitions, cinema, and projection. Technology adoption is limited to operational AI tools for visitor experience automation and program-impact analytics, with human staff retaining review authority over all AI outputs; no proprietary models, research publications, or AI-driven products are part of the offering.

The business model blends earned and contributed revenue. Earned income comes from memberships, cinema ticket sales, class fees ($55-$200 per class), facility rentals, gift shop commissions on a 70/30 split with exhibiting artists, and Art-O-Mat vending machine sales. Contributed income comprises individual donations, business partnerships at $1K-$10K tiers, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kansas Arts Commission, and the City of Salina. The organization operates on an annual budget of $500K+ and holds an endowment valued at $1M+.

Name

Salina Art Center

Legal name

Salina Art Center, Inc.

Website

https://salinaartcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Salina Art Center is a nonprofit contemporary art and education organization in Salina, Kansas, founded in 1978. It operates a 6,000+ sq ft gallery, 69-seat cinema, and 4,500 sq ft education studio, serving north-central Kansas residents through exhibitions, film programming, and arts classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts & Cultural Center

NAICS

Museums (712110), Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Art education classes
• Independent cinema screenings
• Artist residency programs
• Community arts center

Headquarters

HQ city

Salina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Annual memberships at various levels providing household benefits, cinema passes, class discounts, and friend-level perks. Core recurring revenue stream supporting operations.
2. Cinema Ticket Sales: Revenue from independent and documentary film screenings at the 69-seat Art Center Cinema. Regular showings and special programming generate ticket revenue.
3. Donations and Grants: Annual fund gifts, individual donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and government funding from Kansas Arts Commission, NEA, and City of Salina. Over $500,000 raised annually.
4. Business Partnerships: Tiered annual business memberships ($1,000-$10,000) providing marketing, sponsorship, and employee benefits to local businesses.
5. Class Fees: Youth and adult art education classes at the Warehouse facility. Fees range from $55-$200 for classes, with studio memberships at $30/month.
6. Facility Rentals: Rental income from the gallery and cinema spaces for private events and functions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Salina Art Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary art and education center that operates rotating visual art exhibitions in its main galleries, a 69-seat cinema showing independent and documentary films, and a 4,500-square-foot education facility offering youth and adult art classes plus artist residencies. It generates revenue through memberships, ticket sales, class fees, facility rentals, business partnerships, donations, and grants.

Product overview

Salina Art Center is a nonprofit contemporary art and education center offering a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings include: Main Gallery Exhibitions featuring regional, national, and international contemporary visual art; Art Center Cinema, a 69-seat theater for independent and documentary films; and the Warehouse Education Studio, a 4,500 sq ft facility with artist-in-residence accommodations. Education programs span Youth Art Classes (SummerART), Adult Art Classes, Open Studio memberships, and Lunch & Learn programs. Additional offerings include the Gallery Gift Shop retail space, Art-O-Mat art vending machines, and the Salina Biennial/Mountain Plains Biennial regional exhibitions. The organization is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and serves as a catalyst for community dialogue through art.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Art Center Cinema: A sixty-nine-seat theater for first-run independent, documentary, and international films.
• The Warehouse
• Mountain Plains Biennial

Products and services

• Main Gallery Exhibitions Rotating contemporary visual art exhibitions featuring regional, national, and international artists across multiple media; free admission to the public.
• Art Center Cinema 69-seat theater showing first-run independent, documentary, and international films with regular screenings, Oscar Shorts Festival, and special programming.
• Warehouse Education Studio 4,500 sq ft facility with pottery wheels, kilns, printing press, and equipment; includes living and working space for artists-in-residence.
• Youth Art Classes (SummerART) Art education classes for children ages 4-14 covering ceramics, drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, and mixed media.
• Adult Art Classes Art education for adults including ceramics, portrait drawing, collaborative printmaking, and ceramic vessel workshops.
• Open Studio Membership Monthly or annual membership providing unlimited access to studio equipment including pottery wheels, easels, saws, Hollander beater, hydraulic press, printing press, and light table.
• Gallery Gift Shop Retail space offering paintings, pottery, glasswork, and jewelry from Kansas artists and local artisans with a 70/30 commission split.
• Art-O-Mat Vintage cigarette vending machines repurposed to dispense original contemporary art pieces for $5 each, expanding access to artists' work.
• Salina Biennial (Mountain Plains Biennial) Regional biennial exhibition featuring contemporary art from Mountain-Plains states (Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming).
• Artist-in-Residence Program Residency program providing living and working space for artists at the Warehouse facility, culminating in solo exhibitions.
• Power of Small Pop-Up Exhibition Call for artists exhibition in the Community Gallery challenging participants to create works smaller than 5x7 inches, celebrating intimate-scale art.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 230 artists submitted 600+ works for 2020 Biennial
• +1 more outcomes

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

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Salina Arts & HumanitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on film programming including the production of '4 Days in June' in partnership with Salina Arts & Humanities and Smoky Hill River Festival. Joint funding and programming support for cultural initiatives.
• Salina Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Reel Film Fans program - collaborative film programming initiative. Library card holders access films through Kanopy platform. Joint Lunch & Learn programming on literature and empathy topics.
• Kevin & Cathy WillmottcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors of Reel Film Fans film discussion program at the Art Center Cinema.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Wichita Art Museum: Wichita's regional art museum with a permanent collection and rotating exhibitions. Comparable as a Kansas nonprofit visual arts institution, though larger in scale and collection-focused rather than multi-disciplinary.
• Spencer Museum of Art: University of Kansas art museum in Lawrence featuring a global collection with regional programming. Comparable as a Kansas-based art institution serving the same Mountain Plains region and audience, though university-affiliated and broader in scope.
• Mulvane Art Museum: Topeka-based nonprofit art museum affiliated with Washburn University, featuring exhibitions and education programs. Comparable as a Kansas nonprofit serving similar audiences with exhibitions and art education in the same regional footprint.

Direct peers

• Cedarhurst Center for the Arts: Mount Vernon, Illinois nonprofit arts campus offering visual art exhibitions, arts education classes, performance programming, and special events. Closely mirrors Salina Art Center's multi-disciplinary model with galleries, education, and community events in a smaller Midwestern city.
• Ragtag Cinema: Columbia, Missouri independent nonprofit cinema showing first-run independent, documentary, and international films. Directly comparable to Art Center Cinema's programming model and mission of bringing curated film to a Midwestern college town market.
• Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: Omaha-based nonprofit supporting contemporary artists through residencies, exhibitions, and public programs. Highly comparable to Salina Art Center as a Midwest nonprofit combining exhibition space, artist residencies, and community programming in a mid-size city.
• Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment: Huntsville, Alabama's largest independent arts facility, operating as a multi-building campus with artist studios, galleries, classes, and events. Similar physical model to Salina Art Center's three-facility (gallery + cinema + warehouse) approach to community-centered arts programming.
• Charlotte Street Foundation: Kansas City nonprofit connecting artists and audiences through exhibitions, residencies, and public programming. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit arts hub supporting artists and presenting contemporary work to a Midwest audience.

Broad incumbents

• Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art: Kansas City nonprofit contemporary art museum offering free admission, exhibitions, and education. Highly comparable free-admission contemporary art model serving the broader Kansas/Missouri region overlapping with Salina Art Center's Mountain Plains audience.
• Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art: Johnson County Community College's contemporary art museum in Overland Park, Kansas. Comparable as a Kansas contemporary art institution accredited by AAM, though larger in scale and embedded in a community college rather than community-driven.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SalinaArtCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/salinaartcenter

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Salina Art Center