The Foster Museum
The Foster Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum in Palo Alto, California that preserves and exhibits British plein air watercolorist Tony Foster's complete wilderness Journeys, serving art enthusiasts, educators, and the general public through free admission, traveling exhibitions, and digital programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Foster Museum does
The Foster Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art museum operated by the Foster Art & Wilderness Foundation at 940 Commercial Street, Palo Alto, California. Founded by Jane Woodward in 2013 (foundation) and opened to the public in February 2016, the museum exists to preserve and exhibit the complete watercolor wilderness Journeys of British plein air artist Tony Foster as intact bodies of work, preventing their dispersal to private collectors. The core product is the 14,000-square-foot LEED Silver exhibition space holding five complete Journeys (Journeys 1, 15, 16, 18, and 19), comprising over 546 paintings across 15 countries and four decades of fieldwork since 1982. The museum extends its reach through traveling exhibitions at partner institutions including the Yale Center for British Art, Denver Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, and the Royal Watercolour Society, supplemented by digital catalogs, virtual tours, and educational video content distributed via thefoster.org and YouTube.
The museum serves three primary customer segments: art and nature enthusiasts (the largest audience), educational institutions (schools and universities using the collection for art, environmental, and geography curricula), and the general public/families seeking free cultural experiences in the San Francisco Bay Area. Admission is free across all operating hours, with revenue generated through tax-deductible donations and fundraising (the dominant stream), museum shop sales of books, catalogs, and art-related merchandise, and private event/facility rentals of the museum venue. Distribution combines physical on-site visitation at the Palo Alto location, global traveling exhibitions to partner museums and institutions (including hospitality venues such as the Inn at Sundance Mountain Resort), and digital channels (virtual tours, downloadable digital catalogs for all 18 Journeys, a YouTube video channel, and a monthly newsletter). Marketing relies on earned media coverage in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Punch Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, and Ohio Magazine, combined with community partner programs targeting educators and conservation organizations.
The Foster Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Foster Museum
- Legal name
- The Foster Museum
- Website
- https://thefoster.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Foster Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum in Palo Alto, California that preserves and exhibits British plein air watercolorist Tony Foster's complete wilderness Journeys, serving art enthusiasts, educators, and the general public through free admission, traveling exhibitions, and digital programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Foster Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Museum / Cultural Institution
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)
Keywords
Where The Foster Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Foster Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Museum Admission: Currently free admission; the museum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with potential for future admission fees for special exhibitions.
- Museum Shop: Retail sales of books, catalogs, and art-related merchandise featuring Tony Foster's works and exhibition materials.
- Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations supporting the museum's mission to preserve and exhibit Tony Foster's wilderness watercolor Journeys.
- Private Events and Facility Rentals: The museum venue is available for private events, generating rental income.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Free |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Foster Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Foster Museum is a 14,000-square-foot nonprofit art museum in Palo Alto, California that preserves and publicly exhibits Tony Foster's complete watercolor wilderness Journeys—unique series of paintings paired with diary notes, maps, and symbolic 'souvenirs' collected during expeditions to remote wilderness locations. The museum offers free admission for viewing rotating on-site exhibitions, traveling exhibitions at partner institutions worldwide, educational programs for schools and the community, virtual tours, and a museum shop selling catalogs and merchandise.
Product overview
The Foster Museum operates as a single-venue physical museum combined with digital extensions. The museum's core offering is its permanent collection of Tony Foster's 19 watercolor wilderness Journeys, with four complete Journeys held intact: Travels without a Donkey in the Cévennes (Journey 1), Sacred Places (Journey 15), Exploring Beauty (Journey 16), and Watercolour Diaries from the Green River (Journeys 18 & 19). The physical venue at 940 Commercial Street in Palo Alto hosts rotating on-site exhibitions of these works. The museum extends its reach through digital products including virtual tours, educational videos, downloadable catalogs, and community programs. The portfolio includes the core museum experience supplemented by traveling exhibitions that bring Tony Foster's work to partner institutions globally, creating a unified ecosystem of physical and digital art experiences focused on wilderness documentation and conservation advocacy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- On-Site Museum Exhibitions Rotating exhibitions of Tony Foster's watercolor wilderness Journeys displayed at the 14,000-square-foot LEED Silver museum in Palo Alto, California. Current exhibitions include 'Exploring Beauty: Watercolour Diaries from the Wild' and 'Sacred Places: Watercolour Diaries from the American Southwest'. Free admission during open hours (Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday-Sunday 12-4pm).
- Traveling Exhibitions
Quantifiable outcome
- 546+ watercolor paintings created and preserved in institutional collections
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Foster Museum
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Foster Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Foster Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Yale Center for British ArtcoreTony Foster had his first solo US exhibition at Yale Center for British Art in 1985 (Thoreau's Country). Return exhibitions in 2019 and retrospective collections have been hosted, making it a key institutional partner for promoting British watercolor tradition.
- Museum of Northern ArizonacoreHosted Tony Foster one-person exhibitions in 2013 and 2019-2020, providing regional platform for the artist's American Southwest-themed Journeys.
- Whitney Western Art Museum, Buffalo Bill Center of the WestcoreHosted Tony Foster exhibition in 2023 and participated in group exhibition 'Inspiring Sights: Yellowstone through the Artists Eyes' in 2016. Key partner for Western American art documentation.
- Royal Geographical SocietycoreAwarded Tony Foster the Cherry Kearton Memorial Medal for geographical illustration. Foster exhibited at the Royal Geographical Society in London in 1999.
- Royal Watercolour Society, Bankside Gallery LondoncoreMultiple exhibition partner (2016, 2008, 1985) providing prominent UK venue for Foster's watercolor work, strengthening connections to his Cornish roots.
- Honduras Community (School and Medical Clinic)minorTony Foster funded a school and clinic in Honduras during his WaterMarks Journey in 2001, which continues to thrive as a community impact initiative.
- Nepal Earthquake Recovery EffortsminorFollowing the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake, Tony Foster raised funds to support recovery efforts through his artwork, demonstrating conservation through humanitarian aid.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Foster Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Museum of Northern Arizona: Regional museum in Flagstaff that has hosted multiple Foster one-person exhibitions (2013, 2019–2020). Comparable in combining art exhibitions with regional natural/cultural interpretation and nonprofit structure.
- Booth Western Art Museum: Georgia-based museum dedicated to Western American art. Closely comparable niche (American Western/wilderness art), nonprofit model, and single-theme curatorial identity.
- Gilcrease Museum: Tulsa-based museum focused on American Western art, history, and Native American culture. Comparable in thematic focus (American West / wilderness / cultural heritage) and nonprofit structure.
- Nevada Museum of Art: Reno-based nonprofit art museum that holds Foster's work in its public collection. Similar mid-sized art museum with a regional/nature-adjacent curatorial focus and comparable operating scale.
- Whitney Western Art Museum: Part of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, this museum specializes in Western American art and has hosted Tony Foster exhibitions in 2016 and 2023. Directly comparable in scale, regional art focus, and nonprofit operating model.
Broad incumbents
- Crocker Art Museum: Sacramento-based art museum of similar mid-sized scale with free general admission and rotating exhibitions. Comparable in operating model and California regional reach, though broader in curatorial scope.
- National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: Oklahoma City-based museum dedicated to Western heritage including Western art. Comparable in thematic focus on the American West and wilderness narrative, larger in scale and collection breadth.
- Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University: Free-admission university art museum located in the immediate Palo Alto area. Comparable in operating model (free admission, nonprofit, mid-sized footprint) and geography, though broader in collection.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Foster Museum social profiles
Digital presenceThe Foster Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Foster Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Foster Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Foster Museum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Foster Museum
What does The Foster Museum do?
The Foster Museum is a 14,000-square-foot nonprofit art museum in Palo Alto, California that preserves and publicly exhibits Tony Foster's complete watercolor wilderness Journeys—unique series of paintings paired with diary notes, maps, and symbolic 'souvenirs' collected during expeditions to remote wilderness locations. The museum offers free admission for viewing rotating on-site exhibitions, traveling exhibitions at partner institutions worldwide, educational programs for schools and the community, virtual tours, and a museum shop selling catalogs and merchandise.
Is The Foster Museum a public or private company?
The Foster Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Foster Museum founded?
The Foster Museum was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Foster Museum based?
The Foster Museum is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Foster Museum make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Museum Admission is the primary driver. The others are museum Shop, donations and Fundraising and private Events and Facility Rentals.
Who are The Foster Museum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Museum of Northern Arizona, Booth Western Art Museum, Gilcrease Museum, Nevada Museum of Art and Whitney Western Art Museum. Broad incumbents are Crocker Art Museum, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.
Does The Foster Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Foster Museum.
What industry is The Foster Museum in?
The Foster Museum's product category is Art Museum / Cultural Institution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAH, Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit), with a secondary code of BPAGAHAA, Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty). Its NAICS code is 712.