Springfield Regional Arts Council

What Springfield Regional Arts Council does

Springfield Regional Arts Council (SRAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1978 and headquartered at The Creamery Arts Center, a 35,000-square-foot city-owned facility in Jordan Valley Park, Springfield, Missouri. SRAC operates as a regional arts council supporting visual, performing, literary, and film/media arts organizations across a 27-county service area in southwest Missouri — the largest geographic footprint of any arts nonprofit in the state. The organization functions as both a convener and a service provider, coordinating equitable K-8 arts education through the Kennedy Center's Any Given Child initiative (one of only 28 cities selected nationally), delivering the Growing Up in the Arts program, administering a roughly $120,000 annual Arts and Culture Grant Program funded in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation, and operating exhibition venues at The Creamery Arts Center and the Sky Gallery at Springfield-Branson National Airport.

SRAC's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit mix: membership dues from Creators, Patrons, and Organization/Corporate tiers ($50–$500 range), event proceeds from Artsfest ($5/admission × ~18,000 attendees), First Friday Art Walk, the $100 and Under Art Market, and the Annual Art Auction; grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Missouri Arts Council, and private foundations; individual donations; custom corporate sponsorships; and a portion of the local hotel/motel tax. It maintains a lean staff of six full-time employees (Executive Director Leslie Forrester since 2013, Director of Programs, Director of Finance & Administration, Director of Marketing and Communications, Programs Manager, Operations Coordinator) supported by a 21-member Board of Directors, university interns, and volunteers. The organization does not sell a technology product — its "platform" is physical infrastructure (The Creamery Arts Center), event programming, and a partnership network that includes 12+ arts organizations, Springfield Public Schools, and corporate sponsors such as Great Southern Bank and Brightspeed.

SRAC's market footprint is concentrated in southwest Missouri with no national or international distribution. Its economic impact is documented through a 2023 Arts & Economic Prosperity Study 6 partnership with Americans for the Arts and 39 area organizations, which attributed $89.2 million in direct economic activity, 1,160 supported jobs, and $50.9 million in personal income to Springfield's arts and culture sector. Strategic priorities identified in 2025–2026 include the "Creamery 2.0" facility expansion with a 2030 completion target and the introduction of new programming such as Tremendicon 2027.

Name

Springfield Regional Arts Council

Legal name

Springfield Regional Arts Council

Website

https://springfieldarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Springfield Regional Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1978 that serves as the largest regional arts council in Missouri, supporting K-8 arts education, grantmaking, exhibitions, and community events across a 27-county region from The Creamery Arts Center in Springfield.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Advocacy and Education Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD), Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Arts education programs
• Community arts advocacy
• Arts grant funding
• Nonprofit arts council
• Community arts events

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual memberships for Creators (individual artists), Patrons (individual supporters), and Organizations/Corporate members. Membership fees support organizational operations and provide member benefits.
2. Event Proceeds: Revenue from Artsfest admissions ($5/person), $100 and Under Art Market, Annual Art Auction, and other community events. Artsfest is southwest Missouri's largest fine arts festival with approximately 18,000 annual attendees.
3. Grants and Government Funding: Funding from National Endowment for the Arts, Missouri Arts Council, Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation, and local hotel/motel tax revenues. Operating Support Grants ($20,000 annually for three years to 5 Springfield arts organizations) and Program Support Grants (up to $10,000 per organization, $120,000 total allocation).
4. Sponsorships: Custom corporate sponsorship packages for Artsfest, Ozzie Awards, exhibitions, and programs. Sponsors receive brand exposure through events, social media, and website recognition.
5. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations and charitable contributions supporting arts education programs including Growing Up in the Arts and exhibition openings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Springfield Regional Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that provides community arts advocacy, education, and cultural programming across a 27-county region in southwest Missouri. Its core offerings include arts education programs (Growing Up in the Arts, Any Given Child, Arts Integration Conference), grant funding for nonprofit arts organizations, exhibitions and artist support services, community events such as Artsfest and First Friday Art Walk, and operation of The Creamery Arts Center as a multi-tenant arts facility.

Product overview

Springfield Regional Arts Council (SRAC) is a nonprofit arts organization that offers a portfolio of programs and events rather than a unified technology product. Core programs include Arts and Culture Grants (Operating Support and Program Support), Growing Up in the Arts (K-8 arts education), Any Given Child (Kennedy Center national initiative), Corporate Art Program/Structure Galleries, and the annual Arts Integration Conference. SRAC also operates major community events including Artsfest, First Friday Art Walk, Bad Art By Good People, $100 and Under Art Market, and Annual Art Auction. The organization manages The Creamery Arts Center as its headquarters venue. Tremendicon is a related convention event. SRAC does not offer a technology platform, API, or software-as-a-service product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arts and Culture Grant

Quantifiable outcome

• $89,230,070 in direct economic activity generated by Springfield arts organizations (2023)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Any Given Child)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013National initiative (1 of only 28 cities nationwide) assisting communities in developing equitable arts education plans for K-8 students. SRAC serves as host organization for Springfield Any Given Child program.
• Springfield-Greene County Park BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic parks agency providing support for SRAC and co-develops educational programming (nature art activities). Partner in maintaining The Creamery Arts Center grounds.
• Springfield-Branson National AirportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Sky Gallery exhibitions featuring local and regional artists. Partnership enables art displays in high-traffic airport terminal reaching travelers daily.
• Visual Artist Alliance of SpringfieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for juried exhibitions at Sky Gallery. Alliance of visual artists working with SRAC to showcase member talent through airport exhibitions.
• Missouri Citizens for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide grassroots advocacy organization. SRAC partners annually for Missouri Arts Advocacy Week during legislature budget season to advocate for public arts funding.
• Springfield Public SchoolsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary education partner for Any Given Child program ensuring all K-8 students have access to arts experiences annually. Enables school-based programming with transportation to performances.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves1 record

Broad incumbents

• Missouri Arts Council: State arts agency and one of SRAC's primary funders. Operates at a statewide level providing grants, training, and advocacy — a broader incumbent that channels funding to SRAC and similar regional councils.
• Mid-America Arts Alliance: Regional nonprofit arts organization serving multiple states including Missouri with grantmaking, training, and artist exchange programs. Comparable as a larger regional intermediary and capacity-builder for community arts.
• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit that provides research (Arts & Economic Prosperity studies), advocacy, and programming for the arts sector. SRAC is a direct partner through the economic impact study — an umbrella national player in the same ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis: St. Louis-based regional arts commission providing grants, programs, and advocacy across the Missouri region. Direct peer with overlapping geographic footprint in Missouri and similar arts council mandate.
• ArtsKC (Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City): Regional arts council serving the Kansas City metro with grantmaking, advocacy, and arts programming. Directly comparable as a Missouri/mid-Missouri regional arts council with a similar funding mix of grants, memberships, and event revenue.
• Arts Council of Indianapolis: Indianapolis-based regional arts council with grantmaking, advocacy, and community programs. Comparable as a regional arts council serving a single metro area with a multi-stream funding model.
• Greater Columbus Arts Council: Columbus, Ohio-based arts council providing grants, programs, and community arts services. Comparable mid-sized city-level arts council with similar advocacy, education, and grantmaking functions.
• ArtsWave (Greater Cincinnati): Regional arts council and funder serving Greater Cincinnati with community campaigns, grants, and arts programming. Comparable as a mid-sized regional arts council with a similar mix of grantmaking, events, and donor-driven funding.

Others

• Community Foundation of the Ozarks: Regional foundation in southwest Missouri providing philanthropic funding across the region, including arts grants. Listed as a funder/partnership rather than direct competitor, but comparable as a regional civic ecosystem player.
• Kennedy Center (Any Given Child national program): National performing arts center that runs the Any Given Child initiative (SRAC is one of 28 host cities). Listed as a strategic ecosystem partner rather than competitor — they set program standards and provide training to SRAC's education team.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SpringfieldArts
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpringfieldArts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/springfield-regional-arts-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Springfield Regional Arts Council