OZ Arts Nashville

What OZ Arts Nashville does

OZ Arts Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary art and performance center located at 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 2013 and operating with 11-50 employees, the organization presents and produces significant performing and visual art works by leading national and international artists whose contributions influence the advancement of their fields. Its 2025-26 season drew artists from six continents across dance, theater, multimedia, and music. The venue is a converted cigar warehouse that hosts core live-performance presentations, plus ancillary programming including the Brave New Works Lab (a Nashville artist-incubator in its 5th/6th year), the Art Wire creative-writing fellowship (run with The Porch), the Brave New Art podcast, a STEAM Video Library, and the Stage to Surface cross-disciplinary gallery exhibition series in partnership with Red Arrow.

The organization's business model is a four-stream nonprofit revenue model: (1) earned revenue from individual tickets (typically $20-$45 per performance), season ticket packages, and gift cards sold via its website and the Ovations ticketing platform; (2) individual donations and a tiered membership program ranging from $100 Members up to $25,000+ Producer's Circle; (3) corporate and family-foundation sponsorship at Producer's Circle ($25,000+), Director's Circle ($10,000+), and Vanguard Circle ($5,000+) levels — with Amazon, Advance Financial Foundation, HCA Healthcare Foundation, Gibson Gives, Ozgener Family Foundation, Sandra Schatten Foundation, and the Milton and Denice Johnson Family Foundation among the most visible institutional supporters; and (4) public-sector arts funding from Metro Arts (Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission) and the Tennessee Arts Commission. Annual benefit events (Beyond Bourbon and Conversations at OZ) and selective presenting partnerships (Nashville Shakespeare Festival, The Porch, Red Arrow) anchor the development and partnership pipeline. The organization's go-to-market is event-driven, with audiences acquired through direct ticket sales, season subscriptions, member cultivation, and a multi-channel digital presence across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, email, and podcast.

Name

OZ Arts Nashville

Legal name

OZ Arts Nashville

Website

https://ozartsnashville.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OZ Arts Nashville is a nonprofit contemporary art and performance center in Nashville, Tennessee, producing and presenting live performances, artist-development programs, and community engagement initiatives for Middle Tennessee audiences and visiting contemporary artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Center

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Contemporary performing arts
• Live performance venue
• Arts education programs
• Artist development programs
• Nonprofit arts center

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual performance tickets, season ticket packages, and event admissions for the organization's programming including Brave New Works Lab, Manual Cinema performances, and other presentations.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable contributions from individuals, including annual donations, legacy society memberships, and major gifts. Fundraising events include Beyond Bourbon annual gala and Conversations at OZ benefit dinner.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Support from corporate sponsors at various levels (Presenting Sponsors, Supporting Sponsors, Media Sponsors) for events and programming.
4. Membership Program: Annual memberships at various contribution levels including Producer's Circle ($25,000+), Director's Circle ($10,000+), Vanguard Circle ($5,000+), Patrons ($2,500+), Supporters ($500+), and Members ($100+).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OZ Arts Nashville is a nonprofit contemporary art and performance center that produces and presents live performances in dance, theater, multimedia, and music by local, national, and international artists. It operates from a converted cigar warehouse venue in Nashville and supports its programming with artist development initiatives (Brave New Works Lab), educational programs, gallery exhibitions, and annual fundraising events.

Product overview

OZ Arts Nashville operates as a nonprofit contemporary art and performance center offering a unified portfolio of live performance presentations, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives. The core offering centers on events and performances featuring national and international contemporary artists across dance, theater, multimedia, and music disciplines, available through individual tickets and season packages. Supporting programs include the Brave New Works Lab (annual artist development laboratory), Art Wire Fellowship (creative writing partnership with The Porch), Brave New Art Podcast, STEAM Video Library, and Stage to Surface gallery exhibitions. Annual fundraising events (Beyond Bourbon and Conversations at OZ) sustain operations. The organization functions as an arts presenter and producer rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brave New Works Lab: Annual incubator program supporting the development and presentation of contemporary performance by local Nashville artists.
• Art Wire
• Brave New Art Podcast
• Stage to Surface

Products and services

• Events & Performances Live performance presentations featuring national and international contemporary artists across disciplines including dance, theater, multimedia, and music, offered as individual tickets and season packages to general audiences in Middle Tennessee.
• Brave New Works Lab Annual laboratory program inviting Nashville-based contemporary performance artists to create and premiere new works and works-in-progress at OZ Arts, featuring multimedia experimentation and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Art Wire Fellowship Ongoing creative writing fellowship offered in collaboration with The Porch, in which a cohort of 10 writers (5 adult, 5 teen) experience OZ Arts performances and respond with original writing including poetry, prose, hybrid forms, and spoken word.
• Brave New Art Podcast Podcast exploring the beauty, quirks, and challenges of creation with artists making an impact in the Nashville community, featuring conversations about artistic practice and creative processes.
• STEAM Video Library Video library combining science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics content that supports educational engagement programs for students and teachers.
• Stage to Surface Curated visual art exhibition program that presents works inspired by and in dialogue with live performance programming at OZ Arts, featuring artists from Tennessee, Birmingham, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
• Education & Engagement Programs Community-focused educational initiatives connecting students, educators, and the public with contemporary art and performance through workshops, masterclasses, and school partnerships.
• Season Ticket Packages Multi-performance ticket packages providing access to the full season of presentations at discounted rates compared to individual ticket purchases.
• Beyond Bourbon Annual fall fundraising event featuring spirits tastings, food, auctions, and entertainment benefiting OZ Arts' mission to create innovative artistic opportunities.
• Conversations at OZ Annual seated dinner and dialogue event pairing guests with prominent community figures for conversations on contemporary topics in arts, culture, business, and social issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Brave New Works Lab has become one of the most important resources for daring Nashville-based artists working in contemporary performance
• +1 more outcomes

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nashville Shakespeare FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNashville Shakespeare Festival serves as the presenting partner for Manual Cinema's production of 'The 4th Witch' at OZ Arts in June 2026. The partnership includes a joint talkback event featuring Nashville Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Jason Spelbring moderating a discussion with Manual Cinema Co-Artistic Directors.
• The PorchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt Wire is an ongoing creative writing fellowship collaboration between OZ Arts and The Porch. Each season, a cohort of 10 writers (5 adult and 5 teen) is selected to attend performances and respond with original writing. Writers are mentored by The Porch mentors, with group discussions and feedback sessions throughout the season.
• Nashville SceneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as media sponsor for Manual Cinema's 'The 4th Witch' production.
• nFocus Magazine / Nashville FocusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as media sponsor for Beyond Bourbon 2026 and Conversations at OZ 2026 events.
• Red ArrowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Arrow presents the 'Stage to Surface' pop-up exhibition at OZ Arts, curated by Ashley Layendecker. The exhibition features visual artists' works inspired by spring and summer performances, creating cross-disciplinary exchange between visual and performing artists.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Fusebox Festival: Austin-based contemporary performance festival featuring international experimental artists; comparable in curatorial focus and international scope, though festival-format rather than venue-anchored.

Broad incumbents

• Wexner Center for the Arts: University-affiliated multidisciplinary contemporary arts center presenting performance, film, and visual art; significantly larger but shares the contemporary arts presenter mission.
• MASS MoCA: Large-scale contemporary arts institution presenting multidisciplinary performance alongside visual arts; broader scope and scale but overlapping contemporary-programming approach.

Direct peers

• Performance Space New York: Nonprofit presenting experimental performance and supporting artist development with a venue-based model; comparable contemporary arts presenter scale and programming philosophy.
• The Kitchen: NY-based nonprofit presenting experimental contemporary performance across dance, music, and multimedia; closest mission match to OZ Arts' contemporary performance and artist-development model.
• New York Live Arts: Nonprofit presenter and producer of contemporary dance and performance with an international artist residency program; directly analogous to OZ Arts' season model.
• DiverseWorks: Houston-based nonprofit presenting contemporary dance, theater, and multidisciplinary performance through a comparable presenter/development model.
• The Chocolate Factory Theater: Small NYC nonprofit venue commissioning and presenting new multidisciplinary performance work with artist residencies, similar in scale and curatorial focus to OZ Arts.

Regional players

• Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC): Nashville's largest presenting venue for Broadway, dance, and music; competing regional venue drawing from the same Nashville/Middle Tennessee audience pool.
• Frist Art Museum: Nashville nonprofit visual arts center presenting exhibitions and cultural programming; regional peer for local audience and donor pools with overlapping visual-arts focus via Stage to Surface.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OZArtsNashville
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OZArtsNashvilleTN
• Facebookfacebook.com/OZArtsNashville
• Instagraminstagram.com/ozartsnashville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oz-arts-nashville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 OZ Arts Nashville