U.S. Department of Arts and Culture

What U.S. Department of Arts and Culture does

The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC) is a people-powered national action network, not a federal agency, founded in 2015 to connect artists, activists, and allies in cultural organizing for social change. The organization operates as an independent nonprofit without parent company, government affiliation, or traditional venture backing, funded primarily through individual donations via the ActionNetwork platform. USDAC's core products are programmatic rather than software-based: the Vital Conversations multimedia series (zines, comics, videos, music), the A People's WPA policy toolkit advocating for publicly funded artist employment, the No ICE in the Cup campaign, the Story Circles community dialogue methodology, downloadable guides and toolkits (including the now-sunsetted Honor Native Land toolkit with 45,000+ downloads), and national convenings like CULTURE/SHIFT.

USDAC's underlying technology consists of arts-based participatory engagement methods and cultural organizing frameworks, with the Story Circles methodology serving as a core facilitation tool for community dialogue. The organization distributes all resources for free through usdac.us and partner networks, with no pricing model. Its go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on network weaving across movement organizations (Beautiful Trouble, Climate Justice Alliance, MASSCreative, The Theater Offensive, Horizons Project) and direct community engagement through workshops, trainings, and advocacy campaigns. Customer segments are horizontal and persona-based, serving artists/cultural workers, activists/organizers, movement organizations, and community groups/educators, with no commercial transaction or revenue per user. The organization is governed by a National Cabinet and led by Co-Directors Jordan Seaberry and Carol Zou, with key staff in policy, strategy, and cultural organizing roles.

Name

U.S. Department of Arts and Culture

Legal name

U.S. Department of Arts and Culture

Website

https://usdac.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture is a people-powered nonprofit national action network founded in 2015 that connects artists, activists, and allies through cultural organizing programs, policy advocacy toolkits, multimedia publications, and community dialogue methodologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Organizing & Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAI

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations

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

Keywords

• Cultural organizing
• Arts advocacy
• Community dialogue
• Cultural policy
• Artist activism

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through ActionNetwork fundraising platform. The organization operates as a non-profit and relies on public donations.
2. Partnerships with Aligned Organizations: Collaborative programming with partner organizations for joint events, workshops, and campaigns that may include shared resources and funding.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC) is a people-powered national action network of artists, activists, and allies that develops and distributes cultural organizing programs, publications, toolkits, and advocacy campaigns. It provides free guides, training workshops, community dialogue methodologies (Story Circles), national convenings, and policy platforms to bridge cultural workers with social movement organizations working on equity, climate, democracy, and belonging.

Product overview

The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture is a national people-powered network (not a federal agency) composed of artists, activists, and allies. Rather than a unified software platform, it offers a portfolio of programs, publications, toolkits, and campaigns. Key offerings include: Vital Conversations (multimedia series with zines, comics, videos), A People's WPA (policy toolkit for artist employment), No ICE in the Cup (advocacy campaign), Guides and Toolkits (DIY guides for community dialogue and cultural organizing), Story Circles (dialogue methodology), CULTURE/SHIFT (national convenings), and the Standing for Cultural Democracy policy platform. These programs bridge cultural organizers, artists, and social change movements through political education, network weaving, policy advocacy, and play/performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vital Conversations: A multimedia series featuring conversations with thinkers, artists, and organizers resulting in public offerings like comics, zines, and videos.
• A People's WPA
• No ICE in the Cup
• Honor Native Land (Sunsetted)

Products and services

• A People's WPA A storytelling and policy advocacy program that publishes toolkits, illustrations, and policy frameworks to convince policymakers to invest in publicly funded artist jobs programs at local, state, and federal levels.
• Vital Conversations A multimedia series producing videos, zines, comics, and music focused on social justice and liberatory change, featuring conversations with thinkers, artists, and organizers.
• No ICE in the Cup A national advocacy campaign using public art, community soccer matches, and cultural events to demand ICE-free zones around World Cup festivities and protect immigrant communities.
• Guides and Toolkits A library of free DIY guides and toolkits for community dialogue, cultural organizing, and Citizen Artist practice, including 'Imaginings: A DIY Guide to Arts-Based Community Dialogue' and 'Art & Well-Being: Toward A Culture of Health'.
• CULTURE/SHIFT National Convening A national convening bringing together artists, activists, and cultural workers for workshops, plenaries, and strategy sessions on cultural organizing and social change.
• Standing for Cultural Democracy A ten-point policy and action platform outlining approaches to nurture cultural democracy, including a template Cultural Impact Statement and Policy on Belonging.
• Honor Native Land Toolkit A land acknowledgment toolkit and educational resources for restoring and naming the bond between Indigenous peoples and land; resources remain available despite sunset of active program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 400 survey responses in COVID-19 listening initiative demonstrating network reach
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Horizons ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Partnership for 'No ICE in the Cup' campaign demanding safe World Cup celebrations for immigrants. Coalition includes artists, organizers, lawyers, athletes, and community members across the country.
• Beautiful TroublecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2025Partnership for artist activism training programs including 'Creative Strategies to Resist Authoritarianism' and 'Artists Against Authoritarianism'. Beautiful Trouble provides methodology and facilitation for resistance strategy training for cultural workers.
• The Theater OffensivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2021Collaboration on the 2021 Poetic Address to the Nation, producing virtual performance event featuring Boston-based and national performers. TTO brings queer and trans communities of color expertise and liberation-focused artistic programming.
• MASSCreativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2021Partnership on the Poetic Address to the Nation. MASSCreative advocates for equitable creative sector in Massachusetts and brings grassroots organizing and policy advocacy expertise.
• Climate Justice AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2019Featured partner in Green New Deal Summer Call Series. CJA provides Just Transition framework expertise and represents frontline communities in climate justice movement.
• Sunrise MovementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partner in Green New Deal programming with artist/illustrator Josh Yoder. Sunrise Movement is youth-led climate organization advocating for Green New Deal.
• Groundwater ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partner with Ronee Penoi and Tara Moses presenting #GreenNewTheatre initiative. Groundwater Arts focuses on cultural strategy for climate and social justice.
• 400 Years of Inequality: A People's ObservanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Citizen Artist Salon: 'Creative Strategies for Commemorative Justice' exploring place-based strategies for truth-telling and collective healing.
• Cooperation JacksonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Green New Deal Call Series. Led by Kali Akuno, Cooperation Jackson is building Just Transition infrastructure including community land trusts and worker cooperatives in Jackson, Mississippi.
• Just ActminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy Prototype project - theatre-based catalyst for healing change in Philadelphia. Just Act received micro-grant to integrate arts-based approaches into planning commission processes.
• Inside Out Playback TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy Prototype project - bilingual storytelling performances with migrant workers on Virginia's Eastern Shore partnered with Legal Aid Justice Center.
• Remember2019minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy Prototype project by Notch Theatre Company focusing on commemorative justice for 1919 mass lynching in Phillips County, Arkansas.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fractured Atlas: National nonprofit providing fiscal sponsorship, insurance, and resources to independent artists and cultural organizations. Comparable as a supporting infrastructure platform for cultural workers seeking professional and organizational capacity, though USDAC is more advocacy-focused.
• Beautiful Trouble: Methodology platform providing creative training and strategy tools for activist movements. Direct strategic partner of USDAC with overlapping audience of artist-activists and complementary training/methodology focus.
• Americans for the Arts: Largest national nonprofit arts advocacy organization in the US, conducting policy advocacy, research, and convenings for the arts sector. Directly comparable to USDAC as a nonprofit network advocating for public investment in arts and culture, with similar policy and movement-building function.
• Creative Time: New York-based nonprofit producing public art projects at the intersection of art and social justice. Comparable in producing socially engaged arts programming and convenings, with similar artist-activist audience.
• MASSCreative: Massachusetts-based arts advocacy coalition working on policy and grassroots organizing for the creative sector. Direct strategic partner of USDAC and a state-level comparable with similar policy advocacy and grassroots organizing model.

Emerging players

• The Laundromat Project: NYC-based nonprofit making arts and culture accessible to communities of color through resident-led projects. Comparable community-driven arts organizing model with similar focus on cultural democracy and equity.
• A Blade of Grass: National nonprofit supporting socially engaged art and artists working on social change. Comparable mission at the intersection of arts and social justice, with grantmaking and field-building functions similar to USDAC's programs.
• Createquity: Research and commentary platform examining arts and culture policy and funding. Comparable in providing intellectual frameworks and analysis for arts advocacy, though more thought-leadership oriented than USDAC's grassroots organizing model.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC): National advocacy organization supporting Latino arts organizations and practitioners. Comparable as a cultural advocacy network with policy, leadership development, and grantmaking programs serving a culturally specific artist constituency.
• National Endowment for the Arts: Federal agency funding and supporting artistic excellence and cultural engagement nationwide. Comparable as the largest national arts funder and convener; USDAC positions itself as a 'people-powered' alternative to this government body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usartsdept
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/u-s-department-of-arts-and-culture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 U.S. Department of Arts and Culture