Walter Anderson Museum of Art

What Walter Anderson Museum of Art does

The Walter Anderson Museum of Art (WAMA) is a private, AAM-accredited non-profit museum founded in 1991 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the work of American artist Walter Inglis Anderson (1903–1965) and kindred artists. The institution anchors a single-site physical campus at 510 Washington Avenue that includes museum galleries and the Ocean Springs Community Center, which houses Anderson's 3,000-square-foot mural panels created circa 1951. WAMA's product surface spans rotating exhibitions and permanent collections, school tours, summer camps ($225–$275/week), workshops, monthly family programs, facility rentals for weddings and community events, and a museum store. Educational programming — including the Wide Horizons place-based STEAM program for middle schoolers, the National Geographic Slingshot Challenge for ages 13-18, and the Space Between the Trees Delta pilot — is delivered in partnership with universities, federal estuarine reserves, and foundations.

WAMA operates a diversified technology and digital content stack built around accessibility and educational reach rather than AI: a mobile app via the YourCultureConnect platform; The Audio Experience, a 65-stop immersive 360-degree audio tour co-developed with Goat in the Road Productions over five years; the Southern Art/Wider World digital humanities platform funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities; the ART+ digital learning initiative; and a standards-based Lesson Plan Library aligned with Mississippi College-and-Career Readiness Standards. The Mississippi Murals vinyl album (released September 2024 by Spaceflight Records) extends the brand into recorded music. Major forthcoming capacity is the $5MM+ Creative Complex campus expansion, which will add 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor educational and studio space.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid non-profit model combining admission fees ($10 adult, $8 senior/military, $5 student), annual memberships, summer camp tuition, facility rentals, retail merchandise, and substantial institutional and government funding from federal agencies (NEH, NEA), state arts agencies (Mississippi Arts Commission, Mississippi Humanities Council), county and municipal partners (Jackson County Board of Supervisors, City of Ocean Springs), and corporate sponsors (Hancock Whitney, Chevron, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Mississippi Power). Free memberships for students and educators across six lower Mississippi counties extend the institution's regional educational reach.

Name

Walter Anderson Museum of Art

Legal name

Walter Anderson Museum of Art

Website

https://walterandersonmuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Walter Anderson Museum of Art is an AAM-accredited non-profit museum in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, founded in 1991 to preserve and exhibit the work of Walter Inglis Anderson through physical exhibitions, immersive audio tours, school and youth educational programs, summer camps, and a $5MM+ campus expansion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum and Cultural Education Services

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Art museum exhibitions
• Cultural education programs
• Digital humanities learning
• Community arts programs
• Public art installations

Headquarters

HQ city

Ocean Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Museum admission charges for adults ($10), seniors/military ($8), and students ($5), with free admission for members and children 5 and under.
2. Facility Rentals: Rental of Community Center and spaces for weddings, baby showers, family reunions, and community gatherings.
3. Retail Store: Museum store selling merchandise, art reproductions, and the Mississippi Murals vinyl album.
4. Summer Camps: Week-long summer camp programs for various age groups (rising 1st-6th graders, 7th-10th graders, 4th-6th graders) priced at $225-$275.
5. Membership Program: Annual memberships providing free admission, with volunteer benefits including free membership after 40 hours of service.
6. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations supporting education and outreach programs, with matching pledges from corporate partners for the Creative Complex expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Walter Anderson Museum of Art operates a non-profit art museum in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, presenting exhibitions and permanent collections of Walter Inglis Anderson and kindred artists. It sells admissions and annual memberships, runs educational programs (school tours, summer camps, workshops, student art shows), delivers community-based STEAM and environmental programs (Wide Horizons, Slingshot Challenge, Space Between the Trees, Public Art Enterprise, Art in the Open), and offers digital humanities learning (ART+, Southern Art/Wider World, Lesson Plan Library). It also rents the Ocean Springs Community Center for events and operates a retail store including the Mississippi Murals vinyl album.

Product overview

Walter Anderson Museum of Art (WAMA) is a cultural institution in Ocean Springs, MS offering a unified museum experience centered on the art and philosophy of Walter Anderson. The product portfolio spans physical museum admissions and rotating exhibitions, the Ocean Springs Community Center housing Anderson's murals, and the Creative Complex expansion project. Digital offerings include a mobile app (YourCultureConnect) and The Audio Experience—an immersive 65-stop audio tour created with Goat in the Road Productions. Educational programs form a major pillar: school tours, workshops, summer camps (Fish & Flow, Cloth & Color, WAMA TV, The Pelican Press), student art shows, and outreach initiatives including Wide Horizons (environmental education for middle schoolers), Slingshot Challenge (National Geographic youth program), and Space Between the Trees. Digital learning is delivered through ART+ (digital modules), Southern Art/Wider World (humanities courses and live streams), and a Lesson Plan Library. Additional offerings include Little Room Sessions (music performances), Public Art Enterprise (community sculptures), Art in the Open (outdoor sculptures), and Mississippi Murals vinyl albums. The museum also operates a community rental venue and provides free memberships for regional students and educators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Admission and Rotating Exhibitions
• The Audio Experience
• WAMA Mobile App (YourCultureConnect)
• School and Docent-Led Tours
• Summer Camps
• Educational Workshops
• Words & Wonder (Early Childhood Program)
• Student Art Shows
• Mindful Motion (Outdoor Family Program)
• Wide Horizons Program
• Slingshot Mississippi (National Geographic Environmental Filmmaking)
• Space Between the Trees (Outdoor Learning Pilot)
• Free Coastal Mississippi Student & Educator Membership
• Ocean Springs Community Center Rentals
• Walter Anderson Museum Store (Retail)
• Mississippi Murals Vinyl Album
• Southern Art/Wider World (Digital Humanities Platform)
• Lesson Plan Library
• ART+ Digital Learning
• Little Room Sessions (Music Performance Series)

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Coastal MississippiflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Regional tourism organization coordinating America250 celebrations, with museum enhancements funded through Legacy America250 Grant for commemorative programming.
• Quapaw Canoe CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2021Clarksdale-based outdoor adventure company led by John Ruskey providing Mississippi River canoe excursions for Space Between the Trees pilot program.
• Jackson County Civic Action CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Local partner executing Lonnie Holley residency project with museum.
• Maritime & Seafood Industry MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner providing schooner transportation for Horn Island artist residency program.
• Goat in the Road ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Orleans-based theatre company collaborated with WAMA over five years to create the immersive Audio Experience, featuring interviews, imagined conversations, and nature sounds throughout the museum.
• National Geographic SocietyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSlingshot Challenge global youth initiative for environmental protection, with WAMA providing Mississippi-specific support through free museum admission, filmmaking workshops, and classroom visits.
• Grand Bay National Estuarine Research ReservecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner site for Wide Horizons program Art & Science Field Days, providing standards-based coastal habitat education experiences for 7th-8th grade students.
• University of Southern Mississippi - Marine Education CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Wide Horizons program providing marine science education and field experiences for Gulf Coast middle school students.
• Center for STEM Education (University of Southern Mississippi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting curriculum development and standards alignment for Wide Horizons art and science programming.
• Gulf Coast Community Design StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning Mississippi-based design team leading Creative Complex campus expansion design and planning.
• Tall ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMississippi-based architectural firm part of award-winning design team for Creative Complex expansion.
• Native HabitatscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental design partner contributing ecological expertise to Creative Complex landscape and outdoor classroom design.
• Mississippi Museum of ArtminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlingshot Mississippi partner institution expanding environmental filmmaking programs statewide.
• Mississippi School of the ArtsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlingshot Mississippi partner engaging student artists in environmental action filmmaking.
• Southern Documentary Project (University of Mississippi)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlingshot Mississippi partner providing documentary filmmaking expertise.
• Institute for Southern Storytelling (Mississippi College)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlingshot Mississippi partner contributing Southern storytelling methodologies.
• Center for the Study of Southern Culture (University of Mississippi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Southern Art/Wider World project providing scholarly expertise in Southern culture and humanities.
• Spaceflight RecordscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecord label releasing Mississippi Murals vinyl album by Luther Dickinson, inspired by Walter Anderson's murals.
• Luther Dickinson / North Mississippi AllstarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrammy-nominated musician leading annual Music Inspired by Seven Climates concert series interpreting Walter Anderson's murals through original compositions.
• Tallahatchie National Wildlife RefugecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal wildlife refuge serving as site for Space Between the Trees Days 2 and 3 programming.
• Delta State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProviding dormitory lodging and shuttle departure point for Space Between the Trees pilot program.
• Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManaging Charnley-Norwood House site hosting Art in the Open sculpture installations.
• Pascagoula River Audubon CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner site for Art in the Open outdoor sculpture exhibition.
• Grand Bay National Estuarine Research ReservecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner site for Art in the Open sculpture exhibition.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Lauren Rogers Museum of Art: A community-founded, AAM-accredited regional art museum in Laurel, MS with comparable operating scale, school programming, and permanent collection/gallery model—closely analogous to WAMA's structure and stakeholder mix.
• Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art: Another Gulf Coast (Biloxi, MS) art museum of comparable size and mission, focused on a single signature Mississippi artist (George Ohr) and combining permanent collections, education, and community programming on a similar scale to WAMA.
• Columbia Museum of Art: A community-rooted AAM-accredited art museum in Columbia, SC with collections, traveling exhibitions, school programming, and community events similar in structure and scale to WAMA.
• Gibbes Museum of Art: A historic regional art museum in Charleston, SC with comparable programming (exhibitions, school tours, community events) and an AAM-style museum operations model that closely mirrors WAMA's setup.
• Hunter Museum of American Art: A mid-sized accredited American art museum in Chattanooga, TN with a similar operating model—galleries, education programs, school tours, and community events—useful for revenue-mix and visitation benchmarking.
• Telfair Museums: Savannah, GA-based multi-site art museum (Telfair Academy, Jepson Center, Owens-Thomas House) offering a comparable blended-programming model with permanent collection, education, and community engagement at a similar community-museum tier.

Regional players

• Pensacola Museum of Art: A comparable-sized regional art museum on the Florida Gulf Coast with similar community education programming, exhibitions, and museum-school collaborations—useful for benchmarking Gulf Coast cultural-tourism visitation.
• Mobile Museum of Art: A regional art museum in Mobile, AL operating permanent collections, rotating exhibitions, art classes, and school programs at a scale and visitor model closely aligned with WAMA's Gulf Coast positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Mississippi Museum of Art: The state's flagship art museum in Jackson, MS—an AAM-accredited institution that delivers statewide programming including the Slingshot Mississippi partnership. Provides a benchmark for the larger peer against which WAMA's regional draw is measured.
• Ogden Museum of Southern Art: New Orleans-based museum dedicated to Southern art—a thematic overlap on Southern art and culture that makes it a relevant peer for programming, exhibition, and curatorial comparison, though larger in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIWKN5jxwKXHP1OOaJRUQWw
• Facebookfacebook.com/walterandersonmuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/wamamuseum
• Xx.com/WalterAMuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/walter-anderson-museum-of-art

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Walter Anderson Museum of Art