Centre des arts visuels | Visual Arts Centre

Name

Centre des arts visuels | Visual Arts Centre

Legal name

Visual Arts Centre

Website

https://visualartscentre.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA), Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Visual arts education
• Art school programs
• Contemporary art gallery
• Community art outreach
• Bilingual art education

Headquarters

HQ city

Westmount (Montréal)

HQ country

Canada

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. Course Registration Fees: Students pay registration fees for progressive art courses spanning 8–12 week sessions, as well as summer camps and one-day workshops. The Centre transitioned to the Amilia platform for all registrations.
2. Community Outreach Programme Funding (Éveil des arts): ARTreach (Éveil des arts) community outreach programme is funded through grants, public support, and proceeds from private workshops and events. Point de Contact cultural mediation programme generates fees ($50 per guided visit outside gallery hours; $150 per workshop per group).
3. McClure Gallery Exhibitions and Publications: The McClure Gallery publishes bilingual exhibition catalogues sold at $5–$20 per copy. Gallery admission to exhibitions is generally free. Some exhibition-related events and fundraising activities (e.g., En couleur auction) generate revenue.
4. Summer Arts Camp: The Centre runs an 8–9 week Summer Arts Camp for children aged 6–12, generating camp registration fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Visual Arts Centre is a non-profit bilingual art school and contemporary gallery operating as three integrated pillars: the School of Art offering over 300 progressive visual arts courses (drawing, painting, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, mixed media) across 8-12 week sessions for adults, teens, and children; the McClure Gallery presenting contemporary art exhibitions with bilingual publications; and ARTreach (Éveil des arts), a free community outreach programme providing art education to underserved populations. The Centre also runs an 8-9 week Summer Arts Camp for children aged 6-12, ceramic open studio sessions, an Artist-in-Residency programme, Art Hive community events, and a Cultural Mediation (Point de contact) programme for school and community groups.

Product overview

Centre des arts visuels | Visual Arts Centre is a non-profit art education and exhibition organization operating as three integrated pillars: the School of Art (offering over 300 courses in drawing, painting, ceramics, jewelry, textiles and more for beginners to professionals), the McClure Gallery (a contemporary art exhibition space with artist-in-residency programs), and ARTreach (a free community outreach program). The organization also runs summer camps, open studio sessions, Art Hive community events, and a cultural mediation program connecting exhibitions to educational groups. The centre serves approximately 4,000 registrations annually and is Canada's largest independent bilingual art school.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000 student registrations per year across 300+ courses
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avataq Cultural Institute (Institut culturel Avataq)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership (since 2015) producing circumpolar Indigenous art exhibitions and trilingual publications. Collaborated on Ullumimut (2015), Illirijavut (2018), Avec les saisons (2022), and Vulge oaggut (2025). The Centre also partners with Aumaaggiivik, Avataq's Nunavik Arts Secretariat.
• Sámi Center for Contemporary Art (Sámi Dáiddaguovddáš)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for the circumpolar artist residency exchange programme. Artists from Ivujivik (Nunavik) and Sápmi (Norway) participate in joint residencies with results exhibited at McClure Gallery.
• Westmount Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with the Visual Arts Centre on the McEntyre Literary Competition, hosting the annual exhibition of student artworks at Victoria Hall Gallery.
• Wagar Adult Education CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing daily partnership since 2022: Wagar students (adults with special needs) have dedicated art studio space at the VAC and exhibit their work annually at the McClure Gallery through the Art-Seen programme.
• Connected NorthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirtual learning partnership delivering online art workshops to Indigenous students in remote Nunavut communities (Iqaluit) via live interactive sessions.
• Dr. Janis Timm-BottosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginator of the Art Hives community art-making model, developed at arthives.org, which the Centre has adopted and adapted for its free community Art Hive events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO): Large Canadian art museum with extensive education programming, exhibition catalogues, and community outreach. Comparable to the McClure Gallery and ARTreach pillars in mission, but as a substantially larger incumbent with broader scope.
• Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts): Degree-granting Canadian art school offering studio-based instruction in visual arts and craft disciplines. Comparable in course offering structure (drawing, painting, ceramics, jewellery, textiles) and bilingual Canadian context, but with a much larger formal academic footprint.
• National Gallery of Canada: Canada's national art museum with significant education, publication, and outreach programming. Comparable to the McClure Gallery and ARTreach pillars in publishing bilingual catalogues and delivering public education, but as a substantially larger federally-funded institution.
• Canadian Museum of Contemporary Art / Musée canadien des civilisations: National-level Canadian cultural institution with exhibition, education, and outreach mandates. Comparable as a higher-tier incumbent in the same bilingual EN/FR Canadian cultural-institution space.

Others

• Avataq Cultural Institute: Nunavik Inuit cultural organization and current strategic partner of the Visual Arts Centre on circumpolar Indigenous art programming. Listed as a peer due to direct operational collaboration on residencies, exhibitions, and trilingual publications.

Emerging players

• Domestika: Global online learning marketplace for creative disciplines including painting, illustration, ceramics, and crafts. Adjacent competitor that addresses the same beginner-to-intermediate adult learner segment but through on-demand digital delivery rather than in-person studio instruction.

Regional players

• Kootenay School of the Arts (Selkirk College): Western Canadian studio-based fine arts program within Selkirk College offering certificates and diplomas in visual arts. Comparable in pedagogical model and craft-based curriculum focus, though operating in a different regional market.
• Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal: Major Montreal contemporary art institution offering exhibitions, educational programming, and workshops. Comparable to the McClure Gallery pillar in mandate, though operating at significantly larger scale with different funding profile.

Direct peers

• Ottawa School of Art: Independent non-profit bilingual art school in Ottawa offering studio-based courses in drawing, painting, ceramics, and printmaking for adults and youth. Closest direct peer to the Visual Arts Centre's School of Art pillar with overlapping course catalogues and community-gallery programming.
• Saidye Bronfman Centre / Segal Centre for Performing Arts: Montreal-based non-profit cultural institution delivering visual and performing arts education, exhibitions, and community programming. Operates a comparable integrated education + exhibition + community engagement model in the same city.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6eOtliveLVIjaMBfBq9QqA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CentreDesArtsVisuelVisualArtsCentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visual-arts-centre
• Instagraminstagram.com/centre_des_arts_visuels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Centre des arts visuels | Visual Arts Centre