What Durham Arts Council does

Durham Arts Council (DAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1954 as Allied Arts and renamed in 1975, making it the second oldest arts council in the United States. The organization operates a 52,000-square-foot historic building at 120 Morris Street in downtown Durham under a management contract with the City of Durham. The facility, originally constructed in 1906 as Central High School and later serving as City Hall from 1926 to 1977, houses four galleries, two theatres, dance studios, meeting spaces, and event venues, and is open seven days a week. DAC serves approximately 2,000 artists, 300 arts and cultural organizations, and over 400,000 annual participants through its programs.

DAC's service portfolio spans four major lines: arts education (DAC School year-round classes and seasonal camps across visual arts, dance, theatre, music, and multidisciplinary disciplines, plus the CAPS in-school program reaching 27,000+ students across Durham, Granville, Orange, and Person counties); facility rentals (PSI Theatre, dance studios at $35/hour, meeting rooms, galleries, and the Pavilion); grants administration (136 grants totaling $884,916 in FY25 distributed to 94 arts organizations and 49 artists across six grant programs); and signature events (CenterFest, a juried fine arts festival drawing 40,000+ attendees; Art Walk Holiday Market; Third Friday; the Art of the Party Gala; and CAPS @ DAC Global Arts Series performances).

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of earned income (class and camp registration fees ranging from $140 to $500 per session, hourly facility rentals, event ticket sales, and auction proceeds from the annual gala) and contributed income (appropriations from the City of Durham, Durham County, North Carolina Arts Council, and National Endowment for the Arts; foundation grants from Triangle Community Foundation, Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, Fox Family Foundation, Anika James Foundation, and others; corporate sponsorships including Duke Arts; and individual donations via annual fund, monthly sustainer program, legacy giving, and donor-advised funds). DAC has no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on standard third-party SaaS including Rec1 for registration and Qgiv for donations.

Name

Durham Arts Council

Legal name

Durham Arts Council, Inc.

Website

https://durhamarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Durham Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a 52,000-square-foot historic multi-arts facility in downtown Durham, NC, serving 2,000 artists, 300 arts organizations, and 400,000+ annual participants through classes, camps, grants, exhibitions, facility rentals, and signature events including CenterFest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Arts education programs
• Community arts funding
• Arts facility rentals
• Arts festival management
• Nonprofit arts council

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham, NC

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Facility Rentals: Rental income from PSI Theatre, dance studios, meeting rooms, galleries, and event spaces within the 52,000 square foot historic building
2. Arts Education Programs: Class and camp registration fees for visual arts, dance, theatre, music, and multidisciplinary programs for all ages
3. Grants to Artists and Organizations: DAC distributes grants of cash and facility support to artists and arts organizations; funded by City of Durham, Durham County, North Carolina Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, foundations, and individual donors
4. Events and Exhibits: Free public events including CenterFest, Art Walk Holiday Market, Third Friday, and gallery exhibitions attract visitors and sponsors
5. Sponsorships and Donations: Annual fund donations, corporate sponsorships for events and festivals, legacy giving, IRA/stock donations, and donor advised fund contributions support operations
6. Gala and Special Events: Annual Art of the Party Gala generates fundraising revenue through ticket sales, auction items, and sponsorships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Durham Arts Council delivers arts education classes and camps for all ages, grants cash and facility support to artists and arts organizations, rents PSI Theatre and event spaces within its historic 52,000 sq ft downtown Durham building, and produces signature community events including CenterFest and the Art Walk Holiday Market. It also operates four free public galleries and the CAPS residency program that places professional teaching artists in schools across four counties.

Product overview

Durham Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a multi-arts venue and community arts hub. The organization offers a unified portfolio of arts programs and services centered around its historic 52,000 square foot DAC Building at 120 Morris Street in downtown Durham. Core offerings include DAC School (year-round classes and camps for all ages), the CAPS arts education program, facility rentals (PSI Theatre, dance studios, galleries, meeting spaces), grant programs for artists and organizations, and signature events including CenterFest, Art Walk, and Third Friday. The organization also operates four free public galleries and provides volunteer and donation support opportunities. The portfolio functions as an integrated arts ecosystem supporting creation, education, exhibition, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DAC School (Arts Education Classes)

Quantifiable outcome

• $233,059,155 in economic activity generated for Durham in 2022
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

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

• North Carolina Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary state arts funding agency and program partner. Provides funding for CAPS programming and general operations. DAC is part of NC Arts Council's SmART Communities initiative.
• City of DurhamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDAC manages City-owned building at 120 Morris Street through management contract. Strong partnership for facility stewardship and creative economy development.
• Durham CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty government partner providing funding support for arts programming and facilities.
• Downtown Durham, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership advancing SmART Initiative and creative placemaking in downtown Durham corridor.
• Durham Arts NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-promotion and resource sharing network for Durham arts organizations.
• Durham Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner for CAPS program bringing arts education to 25,000+ students annually.
• Triangle Youth BalletmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Cirque de Danse summer dance intensive program for ages 7-12.
• Duke ArtsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of CenterFest with 'We The People' theme connecting arts, history, and civic engagement.
• Durham Convention & Visitors BureauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPromotes DAC events and facilities to visitors and tourism.
• Duke University ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity arts partner supporting creative economy and arts programming.
• Durham Parks and RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for American Dance Festival Project Dance outreach program.
• City of Raleigh Arts CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Piedmont Laureate literary arts program.
• Orange County Arts CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Piedmont Laureate literary arts program.
• United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Piedmont Laureate literary arts program.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Americans for the Arts: National arts advocacy and research organization that produced the AEP6 economic impact study cited by DAC. Not a direct competitor but a sector umbrella body whose research and advocacy shape the operating environment for arts councils like DAC.

Regional players

• American Dance Festival: Major Durham-based performing arts organization running summer festivals and year-round dance programming. Overlaps with DAC's dance education and event programming mission in the same city, though focused specifically on dance rather than multi-arts.
• Nasher Museum of Art: Duke University's art museum located in Durham, exhibiting collections and offering educational programming. Comparable as a Durham-based arts institution serving overlapping audiences, though operating under a university umbrella with different funding mechanics.

Direct peers

• Durham Art Guild: Visual arts-focused nonprofit housed inside the DAC building that supports local artists through exhibits and programs. Directly comparable as a Durham-based arts-support organization serving the same artist constituency, though narrower in scope (visual arts only).
• Pitt County Arts Council: NC-based community arts council providing classes, exhibits, and grants in eastern NC. Operates with a similar county-level model of programming, exhibitions, and artist support — a same-state structural comparable.
• United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County: Regional arts council serving Wake County, NC — directly comparable to Durham Arts Council as a county-level grantmaker, arts advocate, and programming organization. Already a co-sponsor of the Piedmont Laureate program with DAC, indicating direct functional overlap in the same geography.
• City of Raleigh Arts Commission: Municipal arts agency for Raleigh that co-sponsors the Piedmont Laureate program with DAC. Functions as a direct public-sector peer distributing grants and supporting cultural programming in an adjacent NC city.
• Orange County Arts Commission: Adjacent NC county arts agency that co-sponsors the Piedmont Laureate program with DAC. Functions as a public-sector peer distributing arts grants and supporting cultural programming in a neighboring county.
• Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County: County-level arts council in another NC region providing grantmaking, arts education, and community programming. Operates with a similar business model of distributing public and private arts funding while running cultural programming — making it one of the closest functional comparables to DAC in NC.

Broad incumbents

• Blumenthal Performing Arts: Larger NC-based multi-venue performing arts operator in Charlotte. Comparable as a multi-discipline arts venue operator with theaters, classes, and rentals, though more focused on presenting versus community arts services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/durham_arts/?hl=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjPK8Y_5EkCxqL9AgehWEBQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/DurhamArts
• Instagraminstagram.com/durham_arts/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/durham-arts-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Durham Arts Council