What Pump House Regional Arts Ctr does

Pump House Regional Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1977 (opened 1979) and headquartered in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin. It operates from a historic 1880 Romanesque Revival building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, housing three free-admission juried exhibition galleries, a newly renovated 130-seat jewel box theater (Dayton Theater) with t-coil hearing loop accessibility technology and telescopic riser seating, an art studio with pottery facilities, and meeting/event spaces. The organization delivers multi-disciplinary programming spanning visual arts (rotating exhibitions every two months), performing arts (resident company Grey Area Productions, live music, special events), film (Film Society with international cinema screenings), arts education (clay, drawing, painting, printmaking classes), and community programs (Be Green eco-art, Artspire festival, Mighty River Art Studio Tour, Art Adoption Center fundraiser).

The business model relies on diversified revenue streams including ticket sales (transaction fees of $15-$30 per ticket), tiered annual memberships starting at $125 Director Level with reserved seating benefits, venue rentals for weddings and private events ($600-$3,000 per booking), art classes and workshops ($115 for 5-week printmaking), bar/concession sales, and the Art Adoption Center fundraiser. Operating support is supplemented by donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants from federal, state, and local arts funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, Wisconsin Arts Board, Arts Midwest GIG Fund, La Crosse Community Foundation, and corporate sponsors such as Green Bay Packers Foundation, Xcel Energy Foundation, and Altra Federal Credit Union. Distribution combines a physical box office at 119 King Street, online ticketing via OvationTix, phone orders, and venue rental consultations, with marketing through website, email newsletter, social media, local media coverage, and event-driven community engagement.

The organization serves the La Crosse region and broader Coulee Region of Wisconsin, with a horizontally segmented customer base including art enthusiasts, theater and film patrons, visual artists, art students, event hosts, families, and youth. Strategic programming arms include partnerships with La Crosse Public Library, Explore La Crosse tourism, UW-La Crosse, Ho-Chunk Nation, and Bluff Country Tale Spinners, with the 'Confluence' trompe l'oeil mural by John Pugh (2014) and ongoing theater renovation (2020-2021) representing major capital and artistic investments.

Name

Pump House Regional Arts Ctr

Legal name

Pump House Regional Arts Center

Website

https://thepumphouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pump House Regional Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 operating from a National Register-listed 1880 building in La Crosse, Wisconsin, presenting visual, performing, and literary arts programming, exhibitions, classes, and venue rentals to the regional community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Center

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Performing arts center
• Visual arts gallery
• Arts education classes
• Venue rental services
• Community arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

La Crosse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from performing arts events, concerts, theater productions, film screenings, and special events through box office and online sales.
2. Membership Program: Annual memberships with tiered benefits including discounted tickets, reserved seating for Director Level and above, and other perks.
3. Venue Rentals: Rental income from private events including weddings, receptions, corporate events, and special occasions. Spaces include galleries, theater, courtyard, and conference rooms.
4. Art Classes and Workshops: Revenue from open studio memberships, wheel throwing, clay classes, painting and drawing classes, and printmaking workshops.
5. Art Adoption Center: Fundraiser selling donated art at affordable prices, with proceeds supporting Pump House programming in theater, visual arts, literary arts, and arts education.
6. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporate sponsorships, and grants from arts foundations supporting programming and facility maintenance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Pump House Regional Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community arts organization that operates a 250-seat theater, two visual arts galleries, and arts education classrooms in a National Register of Historic Places former pump house in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It produces and presents live theater performances, visual arts exhibitions, year-round arts education classes for youth and adults, a subscription film series, and rents its facility for weddings, corporate events, and community gatherings. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, memberships, class fees, venue rentals, art sales, donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

The Pump House Regional Arts Center is a nonprofit multi-disciplinary cultural center offering a unified portfolio of arts programming centered around its historic 1880 building. The organization operates three core program areas: Visual Arts (three free admission galleries with rotating juried exhibitions), Performing Arts (a newly renovated 130-seat jewel box theater hosting live performances, its resident theater company Grey Area Productions, and the Film Society with weekly international film screenings), and Arts Education (art studio classes in clay, drawing, and painting). Major annual events include Artspire La Crosse (free outdoor arts festival) and the Mighty River Art Studio Tour. Additional offerings include venue rentals for weddings and events, the Art Adoption Center fundraiser, Be Green eco art program, and the permanent 'Confluence' mural by John Pugh.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grey Area Productions: Theater production company presenting published and original works founded on accessible theater for all principles. Produces plays at the Pump House.
• Film Society
• Artspire
• Mighty River Art Studio Tour
• Be Green
• Art Adoption Center

Products and services

• Live Theater Performances Mainstage and community theater productions presented in a 250-seat theater equipped with telescopic riser seating, an induction hearing loop, and a 1500-watt theatrical dimmer system, open to general audiences with member, non-member, student, senior, military, and pay-what-you-can ticket options.
• Visual Arts Gallery Exhibitions Rotating exhibitions of contemporary visual art presented in two dedicated gallery spaces — a main floor gallery and an upper level mezzanine gallery — accessible to the public during regular venue hours.
• Arts Education Classes and Workshops Year-round arts education classes, workshops, and outreach programs for youth, school groups, and adults, delivered on-site and through partnerships with local schools and the 4-H Artsiders youth club.
• Facility and Venue Rentals Rental of the historic Pump House facility, including the 250-seat theater, upper level, and main floor, for weddings, corporate events, meetings, receptions, and private parties seven days a week, with on-site bar service and accessible parking.
• La Crosse Area Film Society Series Subscription-based film series presented on the Pump House stage in partnership with the La Crosse Area Film Society, offering curated film screenings to members and series subscribers.
• Art Adoption Center An on-site art retail program that places visual artworks with supporters through a purchase or adoption model, providing direct sales opportunities for exhibiting artists and a public channel for art acquisition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free gallery admission maintained
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ho-Chunk NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Indigenous art exhibitions like People of the Woodland Tribes featuring Ho-Chunk artists Robert Blackdeer as curator.
• University of Wisconsin – La CrossecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for workshops and community programming, hosting deer hide art workshops with Ho-Chunk artists on campus.
• Explore La CrossecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism organization partnering for Dark La Crosse Trolley Tours and community event programming.
• La Crosse Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic library partner for Storytime for Adults and collaborative literacy/arts programming.
• Bluff Country Tale SpinnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStorytelling organization presenting La Crosse Storytelling Festival and children's storytelling events.
• L & M CafeminorOthersCatering partner providing light meals for Film Society events after screenings, included with ticket.
• La Crosse PolytechnicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEAM education partner for Be Green program creating environmental awareness through art.
• School District of La CrosseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Be Green environmental art program exploring student concerns about sustainability.
• UFAHminorOthersArts organization member supporting regional arts ecosystem.
• WDRTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal radio station partner in community arts promotion and sponsorship.
• Courtyard by Marriott Downtown La CrosseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel partner supporting arts events and providing accommodations for visiting artists and performers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pendulum Center for the Performing Arts: Small Iowa-based regional arts center presenting theater, music, and visual arts programming in a community-focused venue. Comparable scale, mission, and programming mix for a regional multi-arts venue.
• The Phipps Center for the Arts: Multi-disciplinary community arts center in Hudson, WI offering galleries, theater performances, film series, and arts classes. Comparable small Wisconsin nonprofit operating a comparable programming mix from a single historic-style facility.
• John Michael Kohler Arts Center: Wisconsin-based multi-disciplinary arts center combining visual arts exhibitions, performing arts, and arts education with artist residencies. Closely comparable nonprofit mission, programming structure, and Wisconsin regional footprint.
• The Grand Theater: Regional performing arts venue in Wausau, WI hosting touring productions, films, and community programming. Comparable Wisconsin nonprofit performing arts venue of similar scale and regional catchment.
• Wave Hill: Public cultural center combining visual arts exhibitions, performing arts, and arts education within a historic property. Comparable multi-disciplinary nonprofit operating galleries, performances, classes, and venue events from a singular cultural site.
• Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts: Historic estate-based arts venue offering concerts, theater, art exhibitions, and arts education programming. Comparable multi-disciplinary model pairing a historic property with diversified arts programming and venue rentals.

Broad incumbents

• Overture Center for the Arts: Larger Wisconsin-based nonprofit performing arts center in Madison presenting touring theater, dance, music, and visual arts. Overlapping mission and programming, but materially larger scale and broader catchment than Pump House.
• Marcus Center for the Performing Arts: Major Wisconsin-based nonprofit performing arts venue in Milwaukee hosting touring productions, concerts, and community programming. Comparable mission and Wisconsin footprint but operates at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_ftPGFYOhyVwvlOiA-5n3Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/thepumphouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/pumphousearts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pumphousearts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Pump House Regional Arts Ctr