The Arts Partnership

What The Arts Partnership does

The Arts Partnership (TAP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts council founded in 1970 (originally as the Lake Agassiz Arts Council, rebranded in 2009) that serves as the designated local arts intermediary for the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo metropolitan area. The organization's mission is to support, advocate, and promote artists and arts organizations to broaden inclusion, interest, access, and participation in the arts. It operates with a 26-person staff led by Executive Director Tania Blanich (appointed 2023) and an 11-member Board of Directors with senior representation from regional employers including Gate City Bank, Microsoft, Razor Tracking, and Alerus Financial.

The Arts Partnership delivers its mission through a portfolio of grant programs, programs, and digital infrastructure. It administers four grant programs - City Arts Partnership Grants, Community Arts Partnership Grants, Individual Artist Grants, and Art for All Grants (the last funded by Choice Bank) - which collectively distributed $117,550 in 2026. Its programs include ArtWORKS (paid exhibition and performance opportunities), the Artist of Color Cohort (mentorship for emerging artists), Aptitude Creative Arts Studios (an artist incubator at West Acres shopping center), and Community Supported Art (a subscription art-share model). The organization maintains a Partner Directory of local artists, organizations, and businesses, an Event Calendar used by 6,000+ community members weekly, a weekly "Connecting the Dots" newsletter, and a Support Local Art merchandise line.

Revenue is generated through tax-deductible individual donations (one-time and sustaining), tiered partnership memberships for artists, organizations, and businesses, merchandise sales, and the pass-through administration of grants from national bodies including Americans for the Arts and Arts Midwest. The organization led the regional participation in the national Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 study, documenting that the local nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $55.4 million in economic activity, supports 1,384 jobs, and produces $10.1 million in tax revenue across 41 participating organizations. The Arts Partnership does not develop proprietary technology products; its competitive position rests on 55+ years of community incumbency, the Partner Directory and Event Calendar as default discovery infrastructure, and its role as the region's primary arts-policy and economic-impact data authority.

Name

The Arts Partnership

Legal name

The Arts Partnership

Website

https://theartspartnership.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arts Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts council founded in 1970 that serves as the designated local arts intermediary for the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo metro, distributing grants, running artist development programs, and maintaining a Partner Directory and Event Calendar used by 6,000+ community members weekly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Council Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Service/Support Organizations (Networks, Advocacy, Capacity Building) (BPAGAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)

Keywords

• Arts council services
• Nonprofit arts advocacy
• Artist grant funding
• Community arts programming
• Creative sector support

Headquarters

HQ city

Fargo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization accepts one-time and sustaining donations from individuals and supporters. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, charitable donations are tax-deductible.
2. Partnership/Membership Dues: Annual partnership memberships for artists, arts organizations, and businesses with tiered benefits including promotional opportunities, professional development, networking, access to grants and stipends, and paid opportunities to exhibit and perform.
3. Grants to Artists and Organizations: The organization distributes grant funding to nonprofit arts organizations and individual artists through four grant programs: City Arts Partnership Grants, Community Arts Partnership Grants, Individual Artist Grants, and Art for All Grants. Awarded $117,550 in grants in 2026.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Support Local Art merchandise including t-shirts, classic crew and baby onesies through partner Shirts From Fargo.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Arts Partnership is a nonprofit local arts council that supports, advocates for, and promotes artists and arts organizations in the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo metro area. Its core offerings include four annual grant programs (City Arts Partnership, Community Arts Partnership, Individual Artist, and Art for All Grants) that distributed $117,550 in 2026, an online Partner Directory of local artists and organizations, an arts incubator (Aptitude Creative Arts Studios), mentorship programs such as the Artist of Color Cohort, an online community event calendar, and a Community Supported Art (CSA) program connecting subscribers with local artists.

Product overview

The Arts Partnership operates as a nonprofit arts council serving the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo communities since 1970. The organization offers a portfolio of grant programs including City Arts Partnership Grants, Community Arts Partnership Grants, Individual Artist Grants, and Art for All Grants, collectively distributing approximately $117,550 annually to nonprofit organizations and artists. Its programs include ArtWORKS (connecting artists with paid opportunities), the Artist of Color Cohort (mentorship for emerging artists), Aptitude Creative Arts Studios (artist incubator at West Acres), and Community Supported Art (CSA). The organization also maintains a Partner Directory of local artists and organizations and operates an Event Calendar serving over 6,000 weekly users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• City Arts Partnership Grants

Quantifiable outcome

• $55.4 million in local economic activity generated by nonprofit arts sector
• +3 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Choice BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Funded the Art for All Grants program encouraging health and human services nonprofits to incorporate arts into their mission-based work.
• Americans for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022National arts advocacy organization that conducted the Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 study. The Arts Partnership led Greater Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo's participation in this economic and social impact study of the nation's nonprofit arts and culture industry.
• Chamber of Fargo, Moorhead and West FargocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Regional Chamber of Commerce supported The Arts Partnership's participation in the AEP6 economic impact study, recognizing the arts' role in economic development.
• FM Convention and Visitors CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Convention and visitors bureau supported participation in the AEP6 study, highlighting arts as an economic driver for tourism.
• Arts MidwestminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Regional arts organization supported local participation in the national AEP6 study.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Arts Midwest: Regional arts service organization that partnered with The Arts Partnership on the AEP6 study. Comparable as a regional arts intermediary that convenes, funds, and advocates for artists and organizations across a multi-state footprint.
• Minnesota Citizens for the Arts: Statewide nonprofit arts advocacy coalition that mobilizes civic support for arts funding and policy. Comparable to The Arts Partnership's advocacy function, but operating at the state level rather than the metro level.
• Local Arts Council of the Moorhead Area (LAC): Moorhead-based local arts council serving part of the same metro area as The Arts Partnership. Comparable in mission and scale, illustrating intra-regional peer dynamics that The Arts Partnership navigates.

Broad incumbents

• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit arts service organization that produced the Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 study that The Arts Partnership led locally. Comparable as the umbrella advocacy and capacity-building body for the U.S. nonprofit arts sector, but operating nationally rather than at a single-metro level.
• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA): Membership organization that supports and convenes U.S. state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Comparable as an arts-sector intermediary focused on advocacy, capacity building, and policy — a one-level-up peer to The Arts Partnership.

Emerging players

• Creative Capital: National nonprofit that provides grants and advisory services to individual artists across the U.S. Overlaps with The Arts Partnership's Individual Artist Grants program but operates nationally with a different funding model.
• Grantmakers in the Arts: Membership network of arts funders and arts grantmakers that provides research, advocacy, and convening. Comparable as a peer intermediary, though focused on the funder side of the arts funding flow rather than directly funding artists like The Arts Partnership.

Direct peers

• Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council: Local arts council serving the Pittsburgh metro with advocacy, grants, professional development, and arts programming — a near-identical operating model to The Arts Partnership in a different metro market.
• Greater Columbus Arts Council: Local arts council providing grants, community programs, and advocacy for the Columbus metro. Operates a comparable mix of grant rounds, partner directory, and cultural programming that mirrors The Arts Partnership's portfolio.
• Indianapolis Arts Council: Local arts council for the Indianapolis metro that provides grants, advocacy, and programs for individual artists and arts organizations. Directly comparable in scope and service mix to The Arts Partnership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ARTS_TAP
• Facebookfacebook.com/theartspartnershipfargo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-arts-partnership
• Instagraminstagram.com/TheArtsPartnership

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 The Arts Partnership