Museum of Craft and Design

What Museum of Craft and Design does

The Museum of Craft and Design (MCD) is a San Francisco-based nonprofit cultural institution founded in 2004 and incorporated in California (EIN 55-0830529). It is the only museum in San Francisco explicitly devoted to craft and design, operating as a non-collecting institution that presents rotating exhibitions across ceramics, textiles, glass, metal, fiber, and mixed media. From a single 2569 Third Street location in the Dogpatch neighborhood's American Industrial Center, MCD serves general public visitors, families, schools and educational groups, and accessibility-focused audiences, with supplementary programs including MakeArt workshops, a speaker series, after-hours MAKE events, and community outreach through a Mobile MakeArt van. Cumulative visitor count exceeded 500,000 by 2019, and the museum celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024 with four new exhibitions featuring 130+ artists and designers.

MCD's product portfolio centers on exhibition programming augmented by hands-on educational programs and accessibility-first design. Core offerings include the MakeArt Lab (skill-building workshops), MakeArt Accessible (tactile art classes, bilingual facilitation, and translated MakeArt Kits in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Arabic), MCD@Home (virtual at-home projects), the MCD Speaker Series, Designing Change (designer and changemaker profiles), and MAKE after-hours events. Distribution is multi-modal: in-person visits, an e-commerce store (shop.sfmcd.org), online ticketing via Eventbrite and Blackbaud, virtual exhibitions, and regional Mobile MakeArt Van outreach across the Bay Area. The museum's primary technology investment is the Ally AI Assistant, deployed in July 2025 in partnership with Envision, which uses natural language processing to provide verbal descriptions of exhibitions to blind and low-vision visitors.

MCD operates a hybrid nonprofit revenue model with five streams: transaction-based ticket sales, subscription-style membership tiers (unlimited access, reciprocal admission, store discounts, priority access), museum store retail, donations and fundraising, and fee-based MakeArt events. Major institutional supporters include the Windgate Foundation, Grants for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and a federal Institute of Museum and Library Services grant (IGSM-253544-OMS-23) supporting the MakeArt Accessible program. The organization is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant through its e-commerce provider and CCPA compliant, and physical operations are limited to Thursday–Sunday from 12:00–5:00 PM, which caps visit-driven revenue capacity.

Name

Museum of Craft and Design

Legal name

Museum of Craft and Design

Website

https://sfmcd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Museum of Craft and Design is a San Francisco nonprofit museum, founded in 2004 and the only institution in the city devoted to craft and design, serving public visitors, families, and schools through rotating exhibitions, MakeArt workshops, accessibility programs, and a mobile outreach van.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Craft design exhibitions
• Contemporary art museum
• Hands-on art workshops
• Museum membership programs
• Public arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Daily exhibition admission tickets sold to visitors, both online and at the museum front desk.
2. Membership Program: Tiered membership program offering unlimited exhibition access, reciprocal admission, store discounts, and priority access to signature programs and events.
3. Museum Store Retail: Online and in-person retail store selling unique accessories, home goods, books, gifts, and children's toys featuring artist-made goods and design objects.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable contributions from individuals and organizations supporting the museum's mission and programs.
5. MakeArt Events: Virtual and in-person hands-on craft workshops and events booked for groups, families, and parties, with project kits sold or shipped.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Museum of Craft and Design operates a non-collecting art museum presenting rotating craft and design exhibitions across ceramics, textiles, glass, metal, fiber, and mixed media, accompanied by hands-on public programming including MakeArt workshops, speaker series, after-hours events, and accessibility initiatives. Earned revenue is generated through daily exhibition admission tickets, a tiered membership program, an on-site and online museum store, and paid MakeArt group events; contributed revenue comes from donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Museum of Craft and Design operates as a non-collecting institution offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on craft and design exhibitions and education. The core offering consists of rotating exhibitions featuring artists and designers across multiple craft disciplines, supplemented by MakeArt programming (Labs, Family Days, Accessible, Mobile Van, and Events) that provides hands-on workshops and craft education. Additional offerings include MCD@Home for virtual engagement, the MCD Speaker Series for artist talks, Designing Change for changemaker profiles, and MAKE after-hours events. The museum also operates an MCD Store and membership program. Virtual exhibitions extend accessibility beyond physical visits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Museum Exhibitions Rotating craft and design exhibitions featuring artists and designers across ceramics, textiles, glass, metal, fiber, and mixed media, presented at the museum's Dogpatch location in San Francisco.
• Museum Membership Tiered annual membership program offering unlimited exhibition access, reciprocal admission, store discounts, and priority pass to signature programs, events, tours, and more.
• Daily Exhibition Admission Standard daily admission tickets granting access to current exhibitions, sold online and at the museum's front desk.
• MCD Store Museum store offering unique accessories, home goods, books, gifts, and children's toys featuring artist-made goods and design objects, available online and in-person at the San Francisco location.
• MakeArt Lab Workshops Hands-on craft and design skill-building workshops in collaboration with local artists, fostering deeper engagement with exhibition themes through immersive practice.
• MakeArt Events Virtual and in-person hands-on craft workshops for groups exploring craft techniques, available for booking with project kits shipped or delivered in bulk, with standard and rush pricing options.
• MakeArt Accessible Program Accessibility program partnering with community allies to develop inclusive experiences, including tactile art classes, bilingual program facilitation, and translated MakeArt Kits for visitors with disabilities.
• MCD Speaker Series In-gallery and online signature speaker events featuring exhibiting artists, designers, architects, and guest curators discussing their work and craft-related themes.
• MCD@Home Virtual Programs Virtual at-home craft projects developed with exhibitions, local artists, and partner organizations, featuring downloadable instructions and creative prompts for remote participation.
• Virtual Exhibitions Online exhibitions and virtual experiences accessible remotely, including immersive digital presentations of craft and design exhibitions extending the museum's reach beyond physical visits.
• Mobile MakeArt Van Outreach Mobile outreach program distributing MakeArt Kits to food banks, local schools, community partners, and events throughout the Bay Area, extending the museum's craft programming beyond its physical facility.
• Ally AI Accessibility Assistant AI-powered accessibility assistant deployed in partnership with Envision that provides conversational verbal descriptions of museum exhibitions for visitors who are blind or low vision, enabling more inclusive art experiences.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• R & CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2026Organized in partnership with R & Company for the landmark OBJECTS: USA exhibition. R & Company is a globally recognized design gallery based in New York. The partnership brings historic and contemporary works by leading artists and designers into conversation, featuring over 70 works.
• EnvisioncoreTechnology or Integration · 22 July 2025Technology partnership to deploy Ally, an AI accessibility assistant for visitors who are blind or low vision. Ally is described as the most accessible AI assistant for museum visitors with visual impairments.
• LightHouse for the Blind and Visually ImpairedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for accessibility programs including tactile art classes, bilingual program facilitation, and translated MakeArt Kits. Collaborates on Access After Hours events.
• Creativity ExploredcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOakland non-profit dedicated to bringing artists with disabilities into the contemporary art space. Collaborates on artist spotlight projects and educational content for MCD@Home.
• Catharine Clark GallerymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition partnership for Al Farrow: Divine Ammunition. Gallery represents Al Farrow in San Francisco alongside Forum Gallery, New York.
• Forum GallerymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganized exhibition partnership for Al Farrow: Divine Ammunition originally debuted at Forum Gallery. Represents Al Farrow in New York alongside Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco.
• Minnesota Street ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent venue partner for Designing Change speaker series events. Located in the Dogpatch district near MCD.
• Craft in AmericaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOBJECTS: USA is part of Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, presented by Craft in America, a national initiative celebrating American craft.
• c2-curatorsquaredcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuratorial partnership with Ginger Gregg Duggan and Judith Hoos Fox for virtual exhibitions including Imagining Data and Design by Distance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Museum of Arts and Design (MAD): New York City museum dedicated to art and design across craft media including ceramics, glass, fiber, and wood. Directly comparable as a non-collecting craft-and-design museum with rotating exhibitions, hands-on programming, and a museum store.
• Craft Contemporary: Los Angeles museum (formerly Craft and Folk Art Museum) focused on contemporary craft with rotating exhibitions and education programs. Closely comparable as a craft-focused non-collecting institution on the West Coast.
• Houston Center for Contemporary Craft: Houston-based nonprofit craft institution with exhibitions, artist residencies, and hands-on programs. Directly comparable mission and business model (non-collecting, exhibition-and-education driven).
• Bellevue Arts Museum: Pacific Northwest museum focused on art, craft, and design with rotating exhibitions and community programs. Comparable as a mid-sized regional craft/design museum with similar operating model.
• Contemporary Craft: Pittsburgh nonprofit presenting contemporary craft exhibitions and studio programming. Comparable as a craft-focused museum with hands-on education and maker engagement.

Regional players

• Heath Ceramics: San Francisco Bay Area ceramics manufacturer and retailer with showroom, factory tours, and tile work. Comparable as a Bay Area craft-and-design brand that bridges craft production with retail and education, though operating primarily as a commercial business.

Emerging players

• Penland School of Craft: North Carolina craft education institution offering workshops and residencies across ceramics, glass, metals, wood, and textiles. Comparable on the hands-on craft education and workshop programming side of MCD's MakeArt offering.

Others

• Creativity Explored: Oakland-based nonprofit studio and gallery for artists with developmental disabilities. Listed as an MCD community partner and comparable in its disability-inclusion programming and contemporary craft positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum: Smithsonian design museum in New York with rotating exhibitions and education programming. Overlaps with MCD on design-focused exhibitions and craft material exploration, though at much larger scale.
• Renwick Gallery (Smithsonian American Art Museum): Smithsonian craft and decorative arts gallery in Washington, D.C. Comparable as a major craft-focused institution; also the previous employer of MCD's 2024–2025 Executive Director Nora Atkinson, signaling direct talent overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sf_mcd
• Facebookfacebook.com/MuseumofCraftandDesign
• Instagraminstagram.com/museumofcraftanddesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/museum-of-craft-and-design

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Museum of Craft and Design