Shaker Arts Council

What Shaker Arts Council does

Shaker Arts Council (SHAC) is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 and incorporated in 2004 that builds community through the arts in Shaker Heights, Ohio and the surrounding Northeast Ohio region. The organization presents local and regional artists through a portfolio of programs including the Heart of the Arts ticketed performance series (poetry, music, and dance), the Shaker Art Circle (recurring artist gatherings at the Van Aken District Market Hall), the Painting the Town public art initiative (art-wrapped utility boxes with self-guided Blue Line and Green Line tours featuring QR codes and select augmented-reality components), an Artists' Directory, the Conversations in Courage documentary project, and seasonal Holiday Art Markets. Its core technology stack is conventional for a small nonprofit: PayPal and PayPal Giving Fund for donations and membership payments, Eventbrite for ticketing, and Mailchimp (eepurl.com) for email newsletters. SHAC maintains no paid staff, operating entirely through a nine-member volunteer Board of Directors plus community volunteers, with the website serving as the primary digital surface and in-person events as the principal engagement channel.

SHAC's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit mix combining individual memberships (Friend $50, Enthusiast $75, Patron $150, Benefactor $250), corporate memberships ($250), event sponsorships for the Heart of the Arts series (Community $50, Event $150, Presenting $300+), ticketed event admissions ($10–$15 advance, $20 at-door), private donations via PayPal and check, and grants from public funders (cumulative $70,814 from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture since 2009, with additional support from Ohio Arts Council and Flagstar Foundation). Its customer and stakeholder base spans three primary segments: local and regional artists seeking visibility, fair compensation, and exhibition opportunities; Shaker Heights residents and the broader Northeast Ohio community consuming cultural programming; and local businesses sponsoring SHAC events to reach the affluent Shaker Heights demographic. Strategic partnerships with the Shaker Heights city government, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, the Shaker Heights Public Library, Loganberry Books, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Museum of Art anchor the organization's programming capacity and venue access.

Name

Shaker Arts Council

Legal name

Shaker Arts Council

Website

https://shakerartscouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Shaker Arts Council (SHAC) is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that presents local and regional artists through ticketed performances, public art installations, and artist directory services for the Shaker Heights and broader Northeast Ohio community, funded via memberships, donations, sponsorships, and public grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts & Cultural Programming

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Business Associations (813910)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Community arts programming
• Public art installations
• Artist membership directory
• Cultural performance series
• Nonprofit arts advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cuyahoga Falls

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $50 (Friend) to $250 (Benefactor/Corporate), paid via PayPal or check.
2. Donations & Contributions: Tax-deductible donations accepted via PayPal, PayPal Giving Fund, and check. One-time and recurring giving options.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship tiers for Heart of the Arts series events (Presenting $300+, Event $150, Community $50). Sponsors receive promotional recognition.
4. Event Ticket Sales: Ticketed admissions for Heart of the Arts performances. Advance tickets $10-$15, at-door $20. SHAC members receive discounted pricing.
5. Grants & Public Funding: Funding from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (public grants), Ohio Arts Council, and Flagstar Foundation supporting the Painting the Town utility box art program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shaker Arts Council is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that builds community through the arts by producing the Heart of the Arts cultural performance series, hosting The Shaker Art Circle artist gatherings, and operating the Painting the Town public art utility-box program with self-guided tours. It also maintains a searchable Artists' Directory, runs membership and corporate sponsorship programs, and offers donations and ticketed event admissions to fund community arts programming in Shaker Heights and Northeast Ohio.

Product overview

Shaker Arts Council (SHAC) is a volunteer nonprofit organization that enriches the cultural fabric of Shaker Heights by establishing the arts as a vibrant and integral part of the community. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including the Heart of the Arts series (cultural performances featuring poetry, music, and dance), The Shaker Art Circle (artist community gatherings), the Public Art Tour/Painting the Town initiative (art-wrapped utility boxes with self-guided tours), an Artists Directory, membership programs, corporate sponsorships, and seasonal events. Funding comes primarily through membership dues, private donors, local grants (including Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and Ohio Arts Council), and corporate sponsorships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 new art-wrapped utility boxes have been installed citywide since 2015 through the Painting the Town program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Diamond Signs & GraphicsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Diamond Signs & Graphics prints and installs the utility box art designs for the Painting the Town program. This is a recurring vendor partnership for production services.
• Craft KindshipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SHAC partnered with Craft Kindship (a collective of Cleveland Institute of Art alumni) to present a Holiday Art Market on December 13, 2025 at the Van Aken District Market Hall. 20% of proceeds support SHAC.
• Beachwood Arts CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SHAC collaborated with the Beachwood Arts Council in 2019 to present 'Good Neighbors,' a juried art exhibit featuring four Beachwood and four Shaker Heights artists at the Beachwood Community Center Gallery.
• Platform Beer Co.GTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Platform Beer Co. sponsored craft beers at the SHAC Pops Up at the Dealership event (October 2016) as part of Cleveland Beer Week programming.
• Verb BalletsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Verb Ballets performed as part of SHAC's Aha! (At Home with the Arts) series in 2015. Listed as a corporate member. Directed by Dr. Margaret Carlson.
• Shaker Heights City GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHAC works with city government to install art-wrapped utility boxes on public infrastructure. The city purchases and installs sculptures (e.g., 'Arachne Weaves her Web' purchased for Horseshoe Park) and coordinates locations for public art installations.
• Loganberry BooksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLoganberry Books (13015 Larchmere Blvd) hosts SHAC events including the Heart of the Arts poetry reading with Donald King (July 30, 2026) and houses the Loganberry Books Mural by Gene Epstein (2011) as the start of the Green Line Public Art Tour.
• Unitarian Universalist Congregation of ClevelandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland (21600 Shaker Blvd) serves as a venue host for Heart of the Arts music events including Sam Hooper (October 23, 2026) and Von James Xperience (May 22, 2026).
• Cleveland Museum of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHAC is organizing a curated docent-led experience at the Cleveland Museum of Art (October, date TBA) as an additional SHAC event, pairing museum docents with Shaker Heights arts leaders.
• Shaker Heights Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHAC partners with the Shaker Heights Public Library on Trail Tales (a sequential image display initiative launching June 2026) and previously on SHAC on TRAC events and the summer reading program.
• Corporate Members (Botnick Law Firm, Brown Forward, Taylor World Travel, Graziani Multimedia, Laurel School, Levine Architecture & Design, Loganberry Books, Verb Ballets)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSHAC's corporate members provide financial support through membership fees and sponsorship. Listed corporate members include law firms, travel companies, multimedia firms, schools, architecture firms, bookstores, and performing arts organizations. They receive visibility on the SHAC website and at events.
• Cleveland Photo FestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleveland Photo Fest is featured in SHAC's Art News section, promoting the One Million Photos exhibition (November 2022) as an opportunity for local and global photographers.
• NoteWorthy Federal Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNoteWorthy Federal Credit Union, described as 'the arts community's credit union,' is featured in SHAC's Art News section, offering financial products for artists and musicians including checking, savings, credit cards, and musical instrument loans.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Beachwood Arts Council: Beachwood Arts Council is a directly comparable Ohio-based community arts council that SHAC has collaborated with (the 2019 'Good Neighbors' juried exhibit). Both organizations operate as small volunteer-led nonprofits supporting local artists and community arts programming in adjacent inner-ring suburbs.
• Cleveland Public Art: Cleveland Public Art is a nonprofit organization dedicated to public art commissions and installations throughout Greater Cleveland, with the most direct overlap to SHAC's Painting the Town utility-box program. Sibling organization in the same local public art ecosystem.
• Arts Cleveland: Arts Cleveland is the regional arts and culture service organization serving Cuyahoga County, providing advocacy, marketing, and capacity-building for arts groups including community councils like SHAC. Comparable mission scope at the regional level.
• Lakewood Arts Council: Lakewood Arts Council is another Northeast Ohio community arts council operating a similar mix of public art, exhibitions, and member-driven programming. Directly analogous small nonprofit arts council model in a neighboring geography.
• Heights Arts (Cleveland Heights): Heights Arts is a community arts organization serving Cleveland Heights, OH, with a directly analogous model: local artist directory, public art, exhibitions, and ticketed performances funded through memberships and grants. Closest geographic and operational peer to SHAC.

Regional players

• Ohio Arts Council: Ohio Arts Council is the state-level public arts agency funding SHAC's Painting the Town and Trail Tales programs. Operates one tier above SHAC in the same public-arts funding chain with overlapping grantees.
• Cuyahoga Arts & Culture: Cuyahoga Arts & Culture is the regional public grantmaker funding SHAC's Painting the Town program ($70,814 cumulative since 2009). As a county-level arts funder, CAC operates a parallel but larger-scale mission in the same Northeast Ohio geography.
• Valley Arts Council (Akron): Valley Arts Council serves Summit County and the greater Akron area with a comparable community arts council model including exhibitions, performances, and public art. Adjacent Northeast Ohio peer with similar programming categories.

Emerging players

• Verb Ballets: Verb Ballets is a Cleveland-based professional ballet company that SHAC has featured in its Heart of the Arts series and counts as a corporate member. Comparable Northeast Ohio performing arts peer with overlapping audience and funder base.

Broad incumbents

• Americans for the Arts: Americans for the Arts is the national nonprofit advocacy organization for the arts sector, supporting local arts councils including community-based ones like SHAC. Operates at a much broader scale but serves the same constituency of community arts organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shacshakerarts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Shaker Arts Council