Civic Design Studio
Civic Design Studio is a nonprofit Oakland-based community arts organization that designs, curates, and produces large-scale public artworks and youth apprenticeship pathways in partnership with Bay Area affordable housing developers, schools, and community groups.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Civic Design Studio does
Civic Design Studio is a nonprofit community arts organization founded in 2005 by creative director Tommy Wong in Oakland, California. The studio produces large-scale public artworks — murals, glass tile mosaics, kinetic wind installations, relief sculptures, and concrete floor designs — in partnership with affordable housing developers (MidPen Housing, Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, Mercy Housing), the Oakland Unified School District, Peralta Colleges, and community organizations across the Bay Area. Its operational model combines a small core staff of approximately 9 people with a Civic Art Squad apprenticeship network of 30+ artists and 8 lead designers, supported by a Castlemont High School fabrication lab used for production. The organization also runs recurring programs including the Civic Summer Studio youth program, Creative Expo annual celebration, and Harvest Festival, alongside the Propa initiative focused on ecology and green urban design.
Revenue flows from a mix of project fees (public art curation and production for housing developers), grants (including National Endowment for the Arts funding), individual donations processed through Philanthropic Ventures Foundation as fiscal sponsor, and corporate/individual sponsorships at three tiers ($1,000, $2,500, $5,000). All contributions are tax-deductible under the fiscal sponsor's 501(c)(3) status. Go-to-market is community-led, with projects emerging from local neighborhood voices, public schools, and cultural community hubs rather than top-down commissions, and annual community events serving as engagement and marketing channels alongside earned media in Oaklandside and the Los Angeles Times.
The company has accumulated significant industry recognition including the 2025 Gold Nugget Award for Best Affordable Housing Community, the SF Design Week 2025 Design Award, the SF International Design Awards 2023, Bay Area LEEDS 2023 Champion of Change, and Smithsonian archival inclusion of founder Tommy Wong's work, supporting its positioning as a credentialed, relationship-driven nonprofit in the community public-art space.
Civic Design Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Civic Design Studio
- Legal name
- Civic Design Studio
- Website
- https://civicdesignstudio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Civic Design Studio is a nonprofit Oakland-based community arts organization that designs, curates, and produces large-scale public artworks and youth apprenticeship pathways in partnership with Bay Area affordable housing developers, schools, and community groups.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Civic Design Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Arts and Public Design Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (81341)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC), Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
Keywords
Where Civic Design Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Civic Design Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorships: Tax-deductible sponsorships at three levels ($1,000, $2,500, $5,000) providing recognition benefits and custom art packages. Funded through Philanthropic Ventures Foundation fiscal sponsorship.
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations made through Network for Good portal for Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, supporting community impact projects.
- Grants: Funded by grants from various sources including National Endowment of the Arts and other public/private funders for specific projects.
- Project Fees: Fees for public art curation, design, and production services for affordable housing developers and community organizations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Creative Community Partner - $1,000 level |
| Subscription | Annual | Creative Community Pillar - $2,500 level |
| Subscription | Annual | Creative Community Leader - $5,000 level |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Civic Design Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Civic Design Studio is a nonprofit community arts organization that creates public art, delivers community-driven design services, and runs paid youth apprenticeship programs. It partners with affordable housing developers, schools, and community organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area to integrate art and design into the built environment and train local youth through the Civic Art Squad network.
Product overview
Civic Design Studio is a nonprofit community arts organization offering a portfolio of programs and services focused on connecting communities through art, design, education, and ecology. The core offerings include the Civic Art Squad (an artist apprenticeship pathway), Creative Expo (annual celebration), Civic Summer Studio (summer youth program), and Harvest Festival. The organization also provides public art curation and production services, creating large-scale permanent artworks including murals, mosaics, sculptures, and relief designs in partnership with affordable housing developers, schools, and community organizations. The Propa initiative represents their emerging focus on green urban design education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Propa: A multiyear initiative connecting green urban design education with community improvement efforts, focusing on water systems, ecology and connection to the land through art and design.
Products and services
- Public Art Commissions Design, fabrication, and installation of public art works embedded in affordable housing developments and civic spaces in the Bay Area. Delivered for affordable housing developers, public agencies, and community partners seeking site-specific, community-engaged artwork.
- Community Design Services Participatory, community-driven design services that engage local residents and stakeholders in shaping the design of housing developments, civic spaces, and community projects. Targeted at affordable housing developers, schools, and community organizations.
- Civic Art Squad Youth Apprenticeship Program Paid apprenticeship program that trains Bay Area youth in public art, design, and fabrication skills while contributing labor to partner projects. Delivered in partnership with schools, after-school programs, and youth workforce programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2025 Gold Nugget Award for Best Affordable Housing Community (Ancora Place)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Civic Design Studio
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Civic Design Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Civic Design Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Oakland Unified School DistrictcoreOUSD is a primary partner for youth apprenticeship programs, career pathway development, and the Linked Learning initiative. Civic was honored as OUSD's Internship Host of the Year in 2024, working with over 60 young artists through the ECCCO summer internship program.
- Peralta CollegescorePeralta Colleges is a key educational partner in the Creative Expo and youth pathway programs, collaborating on fashion, arts, media and entertainment pathways with hundreds of students.
- Satellite Affordable Housing AssociatesflagshipSAHA partnered with Civic Design Studio on the Gold Nugget Award-winning Ancora Place project, creating 10,000 sq ft murals and permanent relief sculptures with local artists for over 140 residents.
- MidPen HousingflagshipMidPen Housing is the developer for Brooklyn Basin projects including Vista & Paseo Esteros where Civic created 70+ permanent artworks with 200+ youth and master artists over a 2-year span during COVID pandemic.
- Mercy HousingflagshipMercy Housing is the development partner for Sunnydale Hub project in San Francisco, where Civic curated and creative-directed permanent artwork with 8 local Sunnydale-affiliated artists, funded by National Endowment of the Arts.
- EastSide Arts Alliance and Cultural CentercoreAll-women crew of muralists from EastSide Arts Alliance collaborated on Ancora Place project. Civic principal Tommy Wong worked at EastSide Art Alliance for 15 years, connecting to personal and community roots.
- The Dellums Institute for Social JusticecoreCollaborated on San Leandro Creek metal art signs project with 16 steel cut designs permanently installed along creek walkways, in partnership with Friends of San Leandro Creek and Sogorea Te' Land Trust.
- Oakland Public Library - Main BranchcorePartner in Past Present Futures multiyear art effort with Oakland International High School, displaying immigrant student artwork in gallery shows and culminating in February 2025 exhibit.
- Oakland International High SchoolcoreOIHS students learned papercut and stencil techniques for immigrant story artwork in Sara Stillman's freshman Art 1 class. Artwork promoted by Civic in Oakland, SF and Paris.
- Castlemont High SchoolcoreCastlemont FabLab is the production facility home base for Civic Art Squad. Students engaged in creating relief sculpture designs for various projects including the Past Present Futures initiative. Also hosts Harvest Festival with school farm and creek.
- E14 GalleryminorCo-creator of the Creative Expo annual celebration, partnering with Civic Design Studio, Old Oakland Merchants, and OUSD's Fashion, Arts Media & Entertainment Pathways.
- Old Oakland MerchantsminorLocal business partners in Creative Expo, with 30+ Old Oakland restaurants and merchants participating in the annual community block party event.
- Bay Area LEEDSminorCivic received Bay Area LEEDS 2023 Champion of Change - Career Pathways Award, aligning with LEEDS mission to develop collaboration among business, labor, government, K-12, and post-secondary education.
- Asian Branch LibraryminorPartner in 88 Lanterns revitalization effort in Oakland Chinatown, with displays throughout the neighborhood including hanging installations, painted glass and window displays.
- HKIT ArchitectsminorArchitecture partner for Brooklyn Basin Vista & Paseo Esteros project, working with Civic on permanent artwork installations for affordable housing development.
- Nibbi ConstructionminorConstruction partner for Brooklyn Basin project, collaborating on the execution of affordable housing development with integrated public art components.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Civic Design Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Civic Design Studio social profiles
Digital presenceCivic Design Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Civic Design Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Civic Design Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Civic Design Studio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Civic Design Studio
What does Civic Design Studio do?
Civic Design Studio is a nonprofit community arts organization that creates public art, delivers community-driven design services, and runs paid youth apprenticeship programs. It partners with affordable housing developers, schools, and community organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area to integrate art and design into the built environment and train local youth through the Civic Art Squad network.
Is Civic Design Studio a public or private company?
Civic Design Studio is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Civic Design Studio founded?
Civic Design Studio was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Civic Design Studio based?
Civic Design Studio is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Civic Design Studio make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, grants and project Fees.
Does Civic Design Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Civic Design Studio.
What industry is Civic Design Studio in?
Civic Design Studio's product category is Community Arts and Public Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAH, Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAC, Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government). Its NAICS code is 81341.