CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas)

What CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas) does

CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based nonprofit arts organization founded around 2010 and operating with approximately 6 employees. Its mission is to foster Latinx artistic talent in the United States by providing artist residencies (Residencias Artísticas), cultural literacy education (How I Became an Artista), public programming (CALA Presenta, Crossfade LAB conversations), and professional development workshops (smART). The organization serves three primary constituencies: Latinx and Latin American emerging and mid-career artists seeking resources and exhibition opportunities; the Metro-Phoenix community seeking cultural literacy programming; and arts institutions (notably ASU Art Museum and Phoenix Art Museum) seeking curatorial partnerships.

The organization's programming is delivered through in-person workshops, exhibitions at partner museum and gallery venues, intimate conversation events, and an annual culinary benefit dinner (Sabor). In June 2025, CALA opened CASA CALA, a permanent creative studio and cultural hub at 1005 E. Madison St., Phoenix, marking its 15th anniversary. Its underlying operating model is nonprofit arts curation rather than technology products; the organization uses a Squarespace-hosted website and online storefront (La Tienda) for merchandise and publication sales, but does not develop proprietary software.

Revenue is diversified across four streams: institutional grants from foundations (The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Terra Foundation for American Art, Ford Foundation, Center for Cultural Power, and the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture); individual donations and fundraising campaigns (including the Juntos Community Event Series, processed via Network for Good); ticketed events (Sabor benefit dinners, workshops); and merchandise/art sales through La Tienda (publications at $15, original artwork $350-$1,800, t-shirts at $25). Pricing is unit-based with no subscription or recurring revenue model. Customer concentration rests heavily on a handful of major foundation funders rather than commercial buyers.

Name

CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas)

Legal name

CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas)

Website

https://calaalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CALA Alliance is a Phoenix-based nonprofit arts organization that supports Latinx and Latin American emerging and mid-career artists through residencies, exhibitions at partner museum and gallery venues, cultural literacy programs, and professional development workshops across the Metro-Phoenix community and nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Cultural Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Artist residency programs
• Cultural literacy education
• Community arts programming
• Latinx art exhibitions
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Merchandise and Art Sales: La Tienda (The Store) sells artwork, publications, and merchandise including t-shirts, art prints, and exhibition catalogues. Prices range from $15 for publications to $1,800 for original artwork.
2. Event Revenue: Ticketed events including Sabor benefit dinners, workshops, and performances generate revenue. Sabor CDMX tickets support organizational programming.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Annual fundraising campaigns (Juntos Community Event Series targeting $15,000), individual donations via Network for Good platform, and corporate sponsorships support operations.
4. Institutional Grants: Funding from foundations including The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Terra Foundation for American Art, Ford Foundation, and City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CALA Alliance is a nonprofit Latinx arts organization that fosters artistic talent from the Americas through artist residencies, exhibitions, cultural literacy workshops, professional development, and community events. Its core offerings include the Residencias Artísticas residency program, How I Became an Artista cultural literacy program, smART business skills workshops, CALA Presenta public programming, Crossfade LAB conversations, Sabor culinary benefit events, and La Tienda merchandise/publications store.

Product overview

CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas) is a Phoenix-based Latinx arts organization that operates as a multi-program cultural institution rather than a technology product company. Its offerings center on artist residencies (Residencias Artísticas), cultural education (How I Became an Artista), public programming (CALA Presenta, Crossfade LAB), professional development for artists (smART workshops), and community engagement events (Sabor culinary celebrations, Juntos series). The organization also operates La Tienda as its publication and merchandise store. All programs work together to advance CALA's mission of nurturing Latinx artistic talent and positioning Metro Phoenix as a site for Latinx art promotion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Residencias Artísticas: Residency program for Latinx artists providing resources to realize innovative new work
• How I Became an Artista
• CALA Presenta
• Crossfade LAB
• smART
• Sabor
• La Tienda
• CASA CALA

Products and services

• Residencias Artísticas Artist residency program fostering Latinx artistic talent in the United States by providing artists with resources, studio space, and stipends to realize innovative, ambitious new work. Targets emerging and mid-career Latinx artists in the US.
• How I Became an Artista (HIBAA)

Quantifiable outcome

• 25+ exhibitions organized at partner venues including ASU Art Museum and international galleries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ASU Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional partner for exhibitions and residency programming. Co-organizes major exhibitions featuring CALA resident artists including 'Rough Rider' by José Villalobos (2025), 'Muddy Terrains' by Mariana Ramos Ortiz and Estephania González (2024-2025), and group exhibitions. Alana Hernandez serves as Senior Curator at ASUAM while maintaining role with CALA.
• Phoenix Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Sabor annual benefit dinners and Amplified Vol. 4 festival featuring CALA resident artists. Partnership enables high-profile events reaching broader audiences.
• Xico Inc GallerymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for Público group exhibition addressing civic engagement and voting rights. Provides venue for workshops and community programming.
• Arizona Commission on the ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for smART professional development workshops providing grant writing and budgeting instruction. Staff member Delia Ibañez co-facilitates workshops.
• Phoenix Office of Arts and CulturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for smART workshop series providing budgeting and grant writing expertise. Staff member Elida Acosta leads community engagement programming.
• Trans Queer PueblomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Día de los Muertos workshop with José Villalobos and ongoing collaborative programming. Part of Community of Practice for exhibitions.
• El LaboratoriomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for Agua Es Vida water conservation campaign and Carving Pathways performance art initiative.
• Network for GoodminorOthersDonation platform hosting CALA Alliance fundraising campaigns including Sabor quinceañera celebration.
• Latchkey Gallery (NYC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew York gallery venue hosting Alejandro Macias 'Land of Wolves' exhibition, providing national visibility for CALA resident artists.
• Calderón Gallery (NYC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew York gallery venue hosting Sam Frésquez 'Second Place is the First Loser' exhibition extension, providing national visibility.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Hispanic Cultural Center: Albuquerque-based, much larger state-affiliated Latinx cultural institution with visual arts, performing arts, and education — broader incumbent operating at significantly greater scale.

Regional players

• Mesa Arts Center: Large Phoenix-area multidisciplinary arts venue hosting exhibitions, residencies, and education — comparable regional arts programming and partnership role though at materially larger scale.
• Arizona Commission on the Arts: State arts agency funding and supporting Arizona arts organizations including CALA — comparable statewide arts-development role, though operating as a government entity rather than a peer nonprofit.

Direct peers

• National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC): National membership and grantmaking body serving Latino arts organizations across the US — comparable member-driven Latinx arts intermediary serving similar institutional audience.
• Mexic-Arte Museum: Austin-based Latinx art museum focused on Mexican and Latin American art through exhibitions and education — directly comparable Latinx visual arts institution.
• Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center: San Antonio-based Latinx cultural nonprofit combining residencies, exhibitions, performing arts, and community education — directly comparable multi-program Latinx arts organization.
• Xico Inc: Phoenix-area Latinx and Indigenous arts nonprofit with gallery and printmaking programming — a regional peer and existing CALA programming partner with directly comparable mission and constituency.
• Self Help Graphics & Art: East LA Chicano/Latinx arts nonprofit offering artist residencies, exhibitions, and community programming — closely mirrors CALA's residency-plus-education model and target constituency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/calaalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cala-alliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/calaalliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas)