Community Folk Art Center

What Community Folk Art Center does

Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) is a nonprofit cultural arts organization founded in 1972 and operating as a unit of Syracuse University's Department of African American Studies within the College of Arts & Sciences. The center is headquartered at 805 E. Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY, and houses the Herbert T. Williams Gallery and Blackbox Theatre for exhibitions, performances, and workshops. CFAC's mission centers on promoting artists of the African Diaspora through exhibitions, education, and community engagement, supporting four primary customer segments: youth and students from local schools, adult community members, artists of the African Diaspora, and local schools and educators.

CFAC's product portfolio comprises gallery exhibitions (in-house and virtual), the Creative Arts Academy for youth, the STEM From Dance Camp (a three-week summer program for girls ages 8-18 integrating dance with AI, robotics, and coding), adult music and movement classes (piano, ballet, African drumming), ceramics classes, the 54-year-old Annual Teenage Competitive Art Exhibition, the Rooted & Rising artist residency program (launched 2026 with NEA funding), the Black Arts Speak film series, an annual film festival, and the Masterminds Chess Club. The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its platform is a physical facility augmented by a virtual gallery at cfacgallery.org and event ticketing via Eventbrite.

The revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit structure: program fees ($10 drop-in or $75 monthly pass for adult classes), event ticket sales ($15-$40 depending on event type), grants from federal (NEA) and state (New York State Council on the Arts) sources, corporate sponsorships (KeyBank, National Grid), individual donations through the 'Support CFAC' program, and institutional support from Syracuse University. Many programs — including STEM From Dance Camp and most community exhibitions — are offered free of charge. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on partnerships with local schools (Syracuse City School District, Lafayette, and others), The Links Incorporated, and word-of-mouth within the Central New York region. There is no proprietary technology stack; the closest digital infrastructure is the virtual exhibition platform and event calendar.

Name

Community Folk Art Center

Legal name

Community Folk Art Center, Inc.

Website

https://communityfolkartcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Folk Art Center is a Syracuse University-affiliated nonprofit cultural arts center founded in 1972 that promotes artists of the African Diaspora through gallery exhibitions, youth and adult arts education programs, and community events serving Central New York residents, local schools, and diaspora artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts Education and Exhibition Center

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Cultural & Folk Dance Performances (MPAGADAD), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Community arts center
• Arts education programs
• Cultural exhibitions
• African Diaspora arts
• Youth creative classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

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. Program Fees and Class Passes: Revenue is generated through fees for classes, workshops, and programs. The center offers monthly class passes and individual class payments for adult education programs including piano, ballet, and African drumming.
2. Event Tickets and Admissions: Ticketed events including theatrical performances, film festivals, and special exhibitions generate admission revenue. Pricing varies by event type with discounts for students and seniors.
3. Grants and Institutional Funding: The center receives grant funding from organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts. It also benefits from support through Syracuse University as a unit of the Department of African American Studies.
4. Donations and Support: The center receives charitable donations and community support through its 'Support CFAC' program. Corporate sponsors and individual patrons contribute to programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Community Folk Art Center delivers cultural programming focused on artists of the African Diaspora through gallery exhibitions, youth and adult arts classes (piano, ballet, African drumming, ceramics, dance), signature annual events (Teenage Competitive Art Exhibition, Film Festival), and the NEA-funded Rooted & Rising artist residency. Programs are delivered in-person at its Syracuse, NY facility with supplemental virtual exhibits, supported by grant funding, ticket sales, and donations.

Product overview

Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) is a cultural and artistic hub affiliated with Syracuse University's Department of African American Studies. Rather than a single unified technology product, CFAC offers a portfolio of cultural programs and services centered on the promotion and development of artists of the African Diaspora. The core offerings include gallery exhibitions (in-house and virtual) displayed in the Herbert T. Williams Gallery, educational programs including the Creative Arts Academy (CAA) for youth and Adult Music & Movement Classes for adults, signature events such as the Annual Teenage Competitive Art Exhibition (now in its 54th year) and annual Film Festival, the STEM From Dance Camp combining dance with technology education, the Rooted & Rising Artist Residency Program for artists of the African Diaspora, and various community workshops. Public programming includes exhibitions, film screenings, gallery talks, and studio arts courses in dance, ceramics, piano, and African drumming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STEM From Dance: A national program with the mission of encouraging youth to pursue a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The program teaches video production, AI frameworks, and dance styles including ballet, contemporary, and hip hop.
• Creative Arts Academy
• Rooted & Rising

Products and services

• Gallery Exhibitions

Quantifiable outcome

• Free STEM education and arts programming for youth ages 8-18 through STEM From Dance Camp
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Syracuse University - Department of African American StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFAC is a proud unit of the Department of African American Studies, College of Arts & Sciences at Syracuse University. This institutional relationship provides academic credibility, operational support, student engagement opportunities, and access to university resources and facilities.
• The Syracuse (NY) Chapter of The Links, IncorporatedflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for the Annual Teenage Competitive Art Exhibition, now in its 54th year. The Links, Incorporated collaborates with CFAC and the Syracuse City School District to provide exhibition opportunities for African American, Asian, Latino, and Native American students.
• Syracuse City School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for annual teen art exhibition and ongoing educational programming. Local high schools including Nottingham, Corcoran, and Henninger regularly participate in CFAC exhibitions and programs.
• National GridminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partnership for professional development events. Collaborated with Hip Hop Education Center and CFAC for an event bridging hip-hop and STEM education for families and educators.
• Hip Hop Education CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for professional development events connecting hip-hop culture with STEM education. The collaboration aims to increase accessibility and equity in STEM for underrepresented communities.
• CNY ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional arts organization providing leadership fellowship and support for community arts programming.
• Black Artist Collective CNYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal arts collective co-founded by Martikah Williams, contributing guest speakers and community programming support.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Studio Museum in Harlem: A leading institution supporting Black artists and communities in Harlem through exhibitions, education, and the Artist-in-Residence program. Shares CFAC's mission of nurturing African Diaspora artists via residencies and exhibitions, though operating at national scale with a much larger endowment.
• African American Museum in Philadelphia: Philadelphia's museum dedicated to the African American experience, offering exhibitions, public programs, and education. Directly comparable to CFAC's gallery-plus-programming model targeting African American artists and audiences, but at larger institutional scale.
• Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture: Maryland's state museum for African American history, offering rotating exhibitions, educational programming, and community events. Comparable to CFAC in combining gallery exhibitions with classes, workshops, and signature community programming around the African Diaspora.
• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: A New York Public Library research center in Harlem dedicated to preserving and promoting the global Black experience through exhibitions, programs, and residencies. Directly comparable to CFAC's African Diaspora cultural mission and residency-style programming, but at significantly larger scale.
• Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History: Detroit's museum of African American history and culture, operating exhibitions, educational programming, and community events. Comparable to CFAC in cultural-center mission and focus on African American arts/heritage, though operating at significantly larger institutional scale.

Direct peers

• August Wilson African American Cultural Center: A Pittsburgh-based cultural center that presents performing arts, visual art, and community programs celebrating the African American experience. Most closely comparable to CFAC in offering a multi-disciplinary mix of exhibitions, performances, classes, and community programming under a single facility.

Regional players

• Everson Museum of Art: Syracuse's regional art museum, offering exhibitions and educational programming in Central New York. Operates in the same local market and serves the same geographic community as CFAC, though its mission is broader (modern and contemporary art) rather than focused on African Diaspora arts.
• Syracuse Stage: A professional regional theater company in Syracuse affiliated with Syracuse University's Department of Drama, producing mainstage plays and educational programming. Comparable to CFAC's performing arts and university-affiliated programming model in the same local market.

Others

• CNY Arts: The regional arts council for Central New York that provides funding, services, and advocacy for cultural organizations including CFAC itself. Listed as a CFAC partner; relevant as a peer ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Black Arts MKE: A Milwaukee-based organization supporting Black arts and artists through residencies, exhibitions, and community programming. Comparable to CFAC as a smaller, mission-driven African Diaspora arts center with residency offerings, though operating in a different regional market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/communityfolkart805
• Facebookfacebook.com/communityfolkartcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-folk-art-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfacsyracuse
• TikToktiktok.com/@communityfolkartcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Community Folk Art Center