The Union for Contemporary Art

What The Union for Contemporary Art does

The Union for Contemporary Art is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization headquartered at 2423 North 24th Street in North Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in the early 2010s, with its Fellowship program operating continuously since 2012, the organization operates an integrated multi-venue campus that includes the Blue Lion building (galleries, library, studios), the Shirley Tyree Theater (performing arts), Co-Op Studios (ceramics, printmaking, photography, sewing), the Abundance Garden, and the Studio 24 Residency. Programming spans exhibitions of contemporary work, theater productions, youth summer camps (Camp Union), teen workshops (Co-op Art Academy), adult fee-based Co-op workshops, and the Populus Fund ($10,000 public art grants).

The organization serves four primary customer segments: the North Omaha community (geographic), youth and families (ages 8-17), emerging artists (Fellowship and Studio 24 Residency), and theater/performing arts audiences. Over 60 artists have been supported through the Fellowship program since 2012, with five fellows selected annually. The business model is donation- and grant-dependent (501(c)(3)), supplemented by workshop fees ($65-$185), summer camp tuition ($400), membership subscriptions, and ticket sales for performing arts productions. Distribution occurs through on-site visits, online ticketing via Simpletix, donation processing via Square, and off-site outreach including Populus-funded public art.

Operational scope is regional — primarily North Omaha and the broader Omaha metro area, with some Midwest reach through the Fellowship program's national artist participants. The organization runs a small staff (11-50 employee range) and partners with Joslyn Art Museum, No More Empty Pots, and the Great Plains Theatre Conference. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

The Union for Contemporary Art

Legal name

The Union for Contemporary Art, Inc.

Website

https://u-ca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Union for Contemporary Art is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a multi-venue North Omaha campus that delivers contemporary art exhibitions, performing arts, youth camps, artist fellowships, and community workshops for residents, families, and emerging artists in the Omaha metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts and Cultural Center

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils) (EDAAAFAD), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Community arts programming
• Artist fellowship programs
• Arts education workshops
• Performing arts theater
• Nonprofit cultural center

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies heavily on charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The website features a Square payment portal for donations and the organization is a 501c3 nonprofit.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from performing arts tickets and event admissions through their ticketing platform.
3. Workshop and Program Fees: Fees collected for Co-op Art Academy, Camp Union, Co-op workshops, and other educational programming. Registration fees apply on top of program costs.
4. Fellowship Program Support: The fellowship program provides studio space, professional development, and financial support to emerging artists annually. Funded through grants and donor contributions.
5. Membership Program: The organization offers membership options with benefits including co-op passholder status for discounted workshop pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Union for Contemporary Art is a nonprofit arts organization that delivers community-based contemporary arts programming through gallery exhibitions, performing arts productions, shared studio workshops, youth arts education, a community garden, artist residencies, and fellowship grants. It provides free and low-cost access to arts experiences, studio space, and professional development for emerging artists and the North Omaha community from a single integrated campus.

Product overview

The Union for Contemporary Art operates as a unified nonprofit arts organization offering an integrated portfolio of programs centered on community arts engagement. The core programming includes the Fellowship Program (annual artist fellowships with studio space and mentorship), Exhibition Program (rotating gallery exhibitions), Co-Op Studios (shared creative workspaces with workshops in ceramics, printmaking, photography, and fiber arts), and Performing Arts (theater productions in the Shirley Tyree Theater). Supporting programs include Youth Engagement, Camp Union (summer day camp), Co-op Art Academy (teen workshops), Abundance Garden (community garden), Studio 24 Residency, and the Populus Fund grants. The organization functions as a single integrated mission rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, with all programs supporting the core goal of fostering an inclusive artistic community in North Omaha.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Co-op Studios: Studio spaces and workshops for artists providing equipment access including ceramics, screen printing, and darkroom facilities.
• Abundance Garden
• Studio 24 Residency
• Populus Fund

Named customers4 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Joslyn Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGallery Talking & Photography Walking is a community partnership with Joslyn Art Museum. Joint programming includes museum visits to the Through the Lens exhibition followed by photography walks at The Union's Abundance Garden with darkroom printing sessions. Special pricing offered to both Union and Joslyn members.
• No More Empty PotscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary arts collaboration with No More Empty Pots for Camp Union. Students harvest ingredients from the Abundance Garden and learn to prepare fresh meals during the culinary arts portion of camp, promoting sustainable food practices and nutrition education.
• Great Plains Theatre ConferenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Great Plains Theatre Conference for performing arts programming. The play 'Tell Martha Not to Moan' was previously presented at the 6th annual GPTC mainstage reading before being produced at The Union. 'The Blues of Knowing Why' was also made possible through this partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hyde Park Art Center: Community art center in Chicago combining exhibitions, artist residencies, and studio-based art classes. Direct peer: matches The Union's gallery-plus-education-plus-residency model and community-engagement orientation.
• The DoSeum: San Antonio children's museum emphasizing hands-on art, creativity, and STEM education for youth. Direct peer: comparable youth-arts education mission, summer camp programming, and focus on underserved family audiences.
• The Fabric Workshop and Museum: Philadelphia museum combining contemporary exhibitions with working artist residencies and studio programs. Direct peer: structurally similar fusion of museum, artist residency, and hands-on studio programming.
• Project Art: National nonprofit delivering contemporary art education programs in underserved communities. Direct peer: same community-arts education philosophy, youth-focused programming, and reliance on local partnerships.
• Elsewhere: Greensboro, NC nonprofit operating artist residencies, exhibitions, and community programming in a converted building. Direct peer: parallels The Union's residency-plus-public-engagement model and creative reuse of physical space.
• Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: Omaha-based nonprofit focused on contemporary art with artist residencies, exhibitions, and public programming. Direct peer: same city, comparable contemporary-art mission, similarly multi-disciplinary, and competes for the same donor and audience base in North Omaha.
• Lux Center for the Arts: Lincoln, Nebraska nonprofit offering studio access, ceramics, printmaking, and art classes for adults and youth. Direct peer: identical community-arts education model with workshops, youth programming, and exhibitions in the same regional market.
• KANEKO: Omaha creative and cultural exploration space offering exhibitions, performances, and community programming. Direct peer: same city, overlapping contemporary-arts audience, and comparable hybrid gallery-plus-programming model.

Broad incumbents

• Contemporary Arts Center: Long-established Cincinnati contemporary art museum with exhibitions and education programming. Broad incumbent: significantly larger institution with overlapping exhibitions and community education, but does not specialize in the Union's community-rooted residency and youth focus.

Regional players

• Great Plains Theatre Conference: Omaha-based theater conference and new-works festival. Regional peer: active partnership with The Union, shares a performing-arts audience and pool of local playwrights, but is a conference rather than a year-round venue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheUNIONOmaha
• Xx.com/TheUNIONOmaha
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-union-for-contemporary-art

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Union for Contemporary Art