East Side Arts Council

What East Side Arts Council does

East Side Arts Council (ESAC) is a St. Paul, Minnesota-based nonprofit community arts organization founded in 1991, with grassroots origins in a 1989 residents' committee convened under the Phalen Area Community Council. It serves the East Side of St. Paul — a multicultural area encompassing Hmong, Italian, African, and Latino communities that constitutes roughly half of the city's population — by delivering free or low-cost arts programming to youth, seniors, and the broader community.

The organization's core programs include Artmobile (a mobile art van delivering free, drop-in classes to 12+ neighborhood parks and rec centers reaching approximately 1,000 youth annually), Arts Infusion (in-school artist residencies at five named East Side schools), Arts for Youth (school and rec center classes), Creative Connections for Seniors 55+ (delivered at 7+ partner sites), and Arts at Home (virtual video tutorials). Physical assets include the storefront East Side Art Gallery at 977 Payne Avenue, Phalen Poetry Park (with the Poets' Post and Book Benches), the Beacon Bluff Education Hub sculpture garden with the Saint Paul Port Authority, and Poems of Payne Avenue. The organization maintains a roster of 40+ teaching artists representing diverse cultural backgrounds.

ESAC's revenue model is grant-dependent and nonprofit: Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grants (voter appropriation), National Endowment for the Arts grants, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council grants, private foundation grants (McKnight, McNeely), and individual donations through GiveMN. All programs are free or low-cost to participants; there is no fee-based revenue. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Sarah Fehr, an original founding committee member. Strategic differentiation rests on deep community roots, distribution through Artmobile and school partnerships, and culturally responsive programming aligned with the East Side's demographic profile.

Name

East Side Arts Council

Legal name

East Side Arts Council

Website

https://eastsideartscouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

East Side Arts Council is a St. Paul, Minnesota nonprofit founded in 1991 that delivers free, multicultural arts programming — including mobile art classes, school residencies, senior programs, and public art — to youth, seniors, and residents of the East Side of St. Paul.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK), Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils) (EDAAAFAD), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA), Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH)

Keywords

• Community arts programs
• Arts education
• Public art installations
• Nonprofit arts organization
• Artist residencies

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Grants and Government Funding: Primary revenue from government arts agencies including Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grants (voters of Minnesota appropriation), National Endowment for the Arts grants, and Metropolitan Regional Arts Council grants. These are recurring operational support grants.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from private foundations including McKnight Foundation, McNeely Foundation, and other regional funders for specific programs and projects.
3. Individual Donations: Individual contributions from community members and supporters, accepting donations of various amounts through GiveMN platform.
4. Donated Supplies and Services: In-kind support including business sponsorships for Artmobile van signage, donated art supplies, and volunteer time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

East Side Arts Council is a nonprofit community arts organization that delivers free or low-cost arts programming to the East Side of St. Paul. Its offerings include mobile art classes (Artmobile), in-school artist residencies (Arts Infusion), youth and senior arts classes, a retail gallery showcasing local artists, and public art installations such as Phalen Poetry Park and Beacon Bluff Education Hub. Programs are delivered through partnerships with schools, recreation centers, libraries, and parks, serving a multicultural population that includes Hmong, Italian, African, and Latino communities.

Product overview

East Side Arts Council is a community arts organization offering a portfolio of accessible, free, or low-cost arts programs led by professional artists. The core offerings include Artmobile (mobile summer art program), Arts for Youth (school and rec center classes), Arts Infusion (artist residencies in schools), Arts at Home (virtual workshops), Creative Connections for Seniors (55+ programming), and the East Side Art Gallery. Public art initiatives include Phalen Poetry Park, Beacon Bluff Education Hub, and Poems of Payne Avenue. The organization also maintains an Artist Roster of teaching artists and offers community engagement through newsletters, volunteer opportunities, and donations. Programs serve the multicultural East Side population of St. Paul, with a focus on youth and seniors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Artmobile: A summer program offering free, drop-in art classes taught by professional artists at parks and rec centers across the East Side of St. Paul.
• Arts Infusion
• Arts at Home
• Senior Arts
• East Side Art Gallery
• Phalen Poetry Park

Products and services

• Artmobile A summer mobile art program delivering free, drop-in art classes taught by professional artists to East Side neighborhood parks and recreation centers, reaching approximately 1,000 youth annually across a dozen sites and festivals. The Artmobile van carries art supplies, musical instruments, and teaching artists directly to underserved neighborhoods.
• Arts for Youth Brings professional artists to schools, recreation centers, and public spaces to teach classes in hip-hop dance, Hmong dance, visual arts, theater, and more. Works with St. Paul Public Schools Flipside program and offers arts classes at parks and recreation centers across the East Side.
• Arts Infusion (Artist Residencies) An award-winning arts integration program that brings teaching artists into school classrooms to boost learning of core curriculum through innovative artistic working methods. Currently serves Txuj Ci HMong Language and Culture, Highwood Hills Academy, Hope Community Academy, Nokomis Montessori North Campus, and Creative Arts Secondary School.
• Arts at Home Virtual workshops with local professional artists providing art projects for youth ages 8-16 using supplies easily found at home. Includes video tutorials for origami, embroidery, painting, puppet-making, and other crafts.
• Creative Connections for Seniors A senior arts program serving adults 55+ on the East Side, offering classes in visual arts, storytelling, and poetry under guidance of professional artists. Partners include Indigenous Roots Cultural Center, Labor Plaza Senior Apartments, CLUES, Arlington Hills Community Center, and other community sites.
• East Side Art Gallery A physical gallery space at 977 Payne Avenue showcasing and selling work from local artists including greeting cards, jewelry, sculpture, handbags, artwork, pottery, and fiber art. Open Monday-Friday 10AM-2PM.
• Phalen Poetry Park An urban park created and maintained by ESAC featuring the Poets' Post with changing poetry by local poets and students, giant Book Benches, and the Dragon Garden. Located at 1000 Wheelock Parkway in Phalen Regional Park.
• Beacon Bluff Education Hub A creative place-making sculpture garden partnership with the Saint Paul Port Authority focusing on best practices in next-generation energy use and storm water management. Sculptures depict water, wind, and sun as resources, created by artists Philip Blackburn and Gita Ghei.
• Poems of Payne Avenue A community poetry collaboration project where poet and playwright Saymoukda Vongsay walked Payne Avenue businesses collecting poetry inspired by people and places of historic Payne Avenue, with neighbor contributions.
• Artist Roster A roster of multidisciplinary teaching artists providing quality arts instruction for programs, including Caroline Alkire, Mayumi Amada, Ananya Dance Theatre, Eric Carranza, Diane Jarvenpa, Tamina Muhammad, and many others specializing in visual arts, dance, poetry, music, puppetry, and more.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches 1,000+ youth annually through Artmobile program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

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AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Saint Paul Port AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership for Beacon Bluff Education Hub, a creative place-making project focused on next generation energy use and stormwater management.
• Saint Paul Parks & RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for Artmobile, Rec Check summer program, and programming at recreation centers. Partner for Art for Summer Blast program.
• Saint Paul Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner for in-school artist residencies through Flipside program and direct school partnerships.
• Art@967 PayneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio space partner hosting resident artists. Co-presented Solidarity Street Gallery event.
• Minnesota Humanities CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Hope is a Force poetry reading event celebrating National Poetry Month.
• 21st CenturyminorOthersCommunity partner organization listed among supporters.
• Cambric Senior ApartmentsminorOthersSite for Creative Connections for Seniors programming.
• CLUES (Comunidades Latinas En Servicio)minorOthersLatino community organization serving as partner site for senior arts programming.
• East Side EldersminorOthersSenior services organization as partner site for Creative Connections for Seniors program.
• YMCAminorOthersCommunity partner listed among supporters.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Ananya Dance Theatre: Twin Cities-based company creating cultural-specifc dance reflecting communities of color; comparable as a roster partner and multicultural performing-arts organization within ESAC's teaching-artist network.
• Minnesota Humanities Center: Minnesota statewide humanities nonprofit partnering on cultural and community programs; relevant comparator as a partner organization for ESAC's Hope is a Force poetry event and as a fellow state-level cultural funder-adjacent nonprofit.

Direct peers

• Springboard for the Arts: St. Paul-based nonprofit that supports artists and communities through creative placemaking, workforce, and residency programming; directly comparable as a Twin Cities community-arts nonprofit working with individual artists and neighborhoods.
• Forecast Public Art: Minnesota-based public art nonprofit advancing the field through programs, grants, and artist fellowships; closely comparable because ESAC's Phalen Poetry Park, Beacon Bluff, and Poems of Payne Avenue sit in the same public-art practice area.
• COMPAS: Minnesota community-artists program that places professional artists in schools, community centers, and public settings; directly comparable operating model to ESAC's Arts Infusion and Artmobile residency delivery.
• Intermedia Arts: Minneapolis nonprofit supporting artists and community-based arts programming across cultures and disciplines; directly comparable as a community-arts nonprofit delivering multicultural programming and residencies in the Twin Cities.
• Public Art St. Paul: St. Paul nonprofit dedicated to public art and creative placemaking; directly comparable to ESAC's Beacon Bluff, Phalen Poetry Park, and Payne Avenue poetry projects operating in the same city.

Regional players

• The Soap Factory: Minneapolis contemporary art nonprofit operating a gallery/exhibition space and community programming; comparable to ESAC's East Side Art Gallery and public-art exhibition programming within the same Twin Cities ecosystem.
• The Loft Literary Center: Twin Cities literary-arts nonprofit offering classes, residencies, and community programming; comparable to ESAC's poetry and storytelling components (Phalen Poetry Park, Poems of Payne Avenue) though focused on literary rather than multidisciplinary arts.
• Mixed Blood Theatre: Minneapolis-based theater using arts to drive community engagement and dialogue around race and culture; comparable to ESAC's multicultural community-arts mission though primarily a performing-arts venue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-side-arts-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about East Side Arts Council