Paint Creek Center for the Arts

What Paint Creek Center for the Arts does

Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community arts center headquartered at 407 Pine Street in Downtown Rochester, Michigan, founded in 1982 with the Art & Apples Festival dating back to 1966. The organization delivers year-round art education through its Art School (300 classes annually covering painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, and multimedia), summer day camps, private lessons, and workshops for all ages from preschool through adult. It also operates free rotating gallery exhibitions (5–7 per year), an Art Market featuring exclusively Michigan artists' work through consignment, and a Holiday Art Market. Its signature event, the Art & Apples Festival, is a nationally recognized juried art fair ranked 11th of 200+ in Sunshine Artist magazine's 2025 Top 200 Fine Art & Design Shows, drawing 60,000+ attendees annually and accounting for nearly half of the organization's annual budget.

PCCA generates revenue across six discrete streams: festival gate donations (suggested $5/person), annual memberships starting at $30 per 365-day period, class/camp registration fees (workshops from $30), marketplace commissions on consigned art (30% member / 40% non-member), scout badge programs ($200–$250 per group of up to 10 scouts), and gift cards / merchandise. The organization is supported by grants from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and Michigan Humanities, plus corporate sponsors led by Genisys Credit Union (presenting sponsor of Art & Apples) and Meijer (Kids Art Zone). Community outreach is delivered through Art Anywhere (offsite programming within an hour of headquarters), Culturize Your Classroom (school tours), and scout programs. Leadership comprises Executive Director Shaun Hayes and a Board of Directors chaired by Teckla Rhoads, with Mark Albrecht added in March 2026.

The technology stack is entirely commodity SaaS — ActiveNet for class and membership registration, Square for gift card and in-person payments, JotForm for exhibition applications, WooCommerce for the online store, and Constant Contact for the 1,500+ subscriber eNewsletter. No proprietary technology, AI capabilities, or mobile applications are identified. Distribution is regional, concentrated in Southeast Michigan and the Greater Rochester area, with no international presence claimed. The organization operates a non-traditional hub-and-spoke model: the downtown Rochester headquarters anchors the studio/gallery/market, while Art Anywhere and festival programming extend the geographic footprint to a roughly one-hour radius.

Name

Paint Creek Center for the Arts

Legal name

Paint Creek Center for the Arts

Website

https://pccart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paint Creek Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community arts center in Rochester, MI offering year-round art education, exhibitions, and marketplace programs. It serves Southeast Michigan communities through classes, camps, and the nationally ranked Art & Apples Festival.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Education and Cultural Programming

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAAAA

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Arts & Creative Enrichment (Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance)

SECONDARYBPAGAHAC

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYTHAJADAA

Art Museums

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYEDAAAFAD

Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

• Community arts education
• Art classes and workshops
• Juried art festivals
• Fine art exhibitions
• Nonprofit arts center

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Art & Apples Festival Donations: Suggested $5 donation per person at festival entrances; portion shared with area nonprofits and community gate groups. Festival responsible for nearly half of annual budget.
2. Membership Dues: Annual memberships provide discounts on classes and reduced commission rates (30% vs 40% for non-members). Membership starts at $30 per 365-day period.
3. Art Classes and Camps Registration: Revenue from registration fees for art classes across all age groups (preschool through adult), summer camps, and private lessons. Workshops start at $30.
4. Art Market Sales Commission: Consignment sales of Michigan artists' work. Commission rate is 40% for non-members and 30% for members. Work priced $2-$300 in regular market.
5. Exhibition Sales Commission: Commission on artwork sold during exhibitions. Commission rates: 30% for members, 40% for non-members.
6. Scout Program Fees: Badge program sessions for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts: $200-$250 per group of up to 10 scouts.
7. Gift Cards and Merchandise: Digital gift cards for classes/camps, virtual gift cards for Art Market. PCCA t-shirts sold in Art Market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Paint Creek Center for the Arts is a nonprofit community arts center that delivers year-round art education (classes, summer camps, private lessons, and workshops) for all ages, operates rotating gallery exhibitions and a curated Art Market featuring exclusively Michigan artists, and produces the Art & Apples Festival as its signature annual juried art fair. Programming is supported by membership dues, donations, sponsorships, and grants, and extends offsite through Art Anywhere outreach, school tours, and Scout badge programs.

Product overview

Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA) is a nonprofit community arts center offering a comprehensive portfolio of arts programming. The organization operates as a single unified service offering centered around art education, exhibition, and community engagement. Core offerings include: Art School with year-round classes for all ages (adults, high school, children, preschool) in drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, and mixed media; Summer Day Camps; Private Lessons; and Workshops. Exhibition programming includes rotating gallery shows, the Art Market (featuring Michigan artists), and Holiday Art Market. The signature event is the Art & Apples Festival, a nationally recognized juried art fair celebrating its 60th year in 2026. Community outreach includes Art Anywhere (offsite programming), Culturize Your Classroom (school tours), and Scout Programs. Additional offerings include gift cards, PCCA merchandise, and Holiday Silent Auction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Art & Apples Festival: Annual juried art fair held at Rochester Municipal Park, PCCA's signature fundraising event now in its 60th year
• Art School
• Art Market
• Art Anywhere
• Holiday Art Market
• Petite Creek

Products and services

• Art School Classes Year-round studio art classes for all ages and skill levels covering painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, and multi-media, running during Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter terms on Mondays through Saturdays.
• Summer Day Camps Multi-week summer art camps for children, organized by week throughout the summer months.
• Private Lessons One-on-one art instruction for individuals seeking personalized attention and customized learning.
• Art Market A contracted consignment opportunity featuring Michigan artists' original artwork, limited reproductions, and handmade goods, located on the first floor of PCCA with merchandise ranging from $2 to $300.
• Holiday Art Market Annual seasonal market transforming PCCA into a festive retail experience featuring handcrafted gifts by Michigan artisans, with opening reception and silent auction.
• Art Exhibitions Free rotating gallery exhibitions including Members Biennial, Student & Faculty exhibits, themed exhibitions (The Reality Show, Midwest, Haunted, Surreal, Monstrous), and Michigan Watercolor Society travel exhibitions.
• Art & Apples Festival Annual signature fundraising event and nationally recognized juried art fair featuring 250+ artists, entertainment, food vendors, and children's activities; celebrating 60 years in 2026 and ranked 11th nationally by Sunshine Artist magazine.
• Art Anywhere Outreach Program Community outreach program bringing fine art classes, team building activities, and make-and-take projects to businesses, bars, breweries, wineries, and senior facilities within an hour of PCCA.
• Culturize Your Classroom School program providing guided tours of exhibitions and traveling art history lessons for public schools and homeschool groups.
• Scout Programs Badge-earning art programs for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts including Webelos Artist, Brownie Painting/Potter, Junior Drawing, and Boy Scout Art Merit badges, priced $200-$250 per group of up to 10 scouts.
• Gift Cards Digital and virtual gift cards for use towards classes, camps, workshops, Art Market purchases, and gallery exhibits.
• Holiday Silent Auction Annual event featuring silent auction of work from Art & Apples Festival artists.
• EMERGE Student Sale One-day sale on PCCA's back lawn featuring emerging artists' work including ceramics, fiber art, paintings, and prints.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ festival attendees annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Echoes in the IronminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2026Multimedia project partner for Music in the Gallery event. Organized the DuPont Phillips performance in partnership with PCCA.
• Rochester Avon Parks and Recreation (RARA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2025New partnership for 2025 where RARA takes lead role in organizing Meijer Kids Art Zone. RARA brings expertise in children's activities, dance, sports and community programming to enhance festival experience.
• OPC Social & Activity CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2025Provides free shuttle transportation to/from Rochester High School for festival attendees, with wheelchair lift-equipped buses for accessibility.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Flint Institute of Arts: Regional Michigan art museum with permanent collection, exhibitions, and education programming. Comparable as a nonprofit arts institution serving a Michigan community, though materially larger and collection-based.
• Cranbrook Art Museum: Michigan-based art museum with exhibitions and educational programming. Comparable as a regional nonprofit arts institution, though anchored to a larger campus and broader scope.
• Detroit Institute of Arts: Major Michigan art museum with extensive education programming. PCCA's marketing coordinator previously worked there, and DIA competes for the same donor and student audiences in Southeast Michigan.

Direct peers

• Torpedo Factory Art Center: Community-based nonprofit art center with artist studios, classes, and exhibitions. Comparable operating model as a multi-tenant nonprofit arts facility with mixed education and exhibition programming.
• Ann Arbor Art Center: Michigan-based nonprofit community art center offering classes, exhibitions, and an art fair. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping geography, programming mix, and nonprofit operating model.
• Cherry Creek Arts Festival: Top-ranked U.S. juried art fair with a similar festival-driven nonprofit model. Comparable as a benchmark for attendance scale, sponsorship mix, and artist juried-selection economics.
• Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center: Southeast Michigan nonprofit art center offering art classes, exhibitions, and a long-running art fair (the Birmingham Art Fair). Closely comparable in scale, programming, and donor-supported model.
• Sausalito Art Festival: Long-running, nationally ranked juried art fair with similar Sunshine Artist Magazine profile to Art & Apples. Comparable as a flagship regional art fair driving nonprofit/community arts revenue.

Regional players

• Grand Rapids Art Museum: Michigan-based art museum offering exhibitions and educational programs. Comparable nonprofit model but in a different Michigan region and at substantially larger scale.
• Toledo Museum of Art: Regional art museum with strong education and class programming across Ohio and Southern Michigan. Comparable as a nonprofit arts institution with classes, exhibitions, and community programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PaintCreekArts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC33ExjVzpDWMrzmxB0U6AEA
• Facebookfacebook.com/PaintCreekCenterfortheArts
• Instagraminstagram.com/paintcreekcenterforthearts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paint-creek-center-for-the-arts

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Paint Creek Center for the Arts