Blue Door Art Center

What Blue Door Art Center does

Blue Door Art Center (also known as BDAC or Blue Door Gallery) is a private nonprofit community arts organization founded in 2001 by Luis Perelman, Julie Cousens, and Delma Hairston, incorporated and operating in New York State from a single storefront gallery at 13 Riverdale Avenue in Yonkers, NY. The organization supports visual artists, writers, children, families, and broader Westchester audiences through a curated program of rotating gallery exhibitions, themed open calls, four membership tiers (Avant-Garde Student, Cubism Artist, Impressionism Friend, Picasso Sponsor), weekly children's art workshops for ages 5-12, writing workshops and Community Writing Projects led by Yonkers' first Poet Laureate Golda Solomon, the monthly Po'Jazz poetry-and-jazz performance series (operating since 1999), monthly open mics, gallery rentals, and a retail shop for books and journals including the Community Writing Project Journal.

The technology stack is minimal and not differentiated: a WordPress-based website (powered by a Yootheme template) functions as the primary digital surface, hosting 100+ member artist portfolio pages, event listings, a membership signup form, an online shop, and an exhibition-fee payment portal, with Constant Contact used for email newsletter distribution. There is no proprietary platform, no mobile app, no public API, and no SDK; the only commercial "infrastructure" is a member-portfolio CMS that doubles as online visibility for artists.

Blue Door Art Center's monetization is typical of a small community-arts nonprofit: memberships ($35-$100+/year on annual billing), per-piece exhibition installation fees ($25 in-gallery and $10 online for artist members, higher for non-members), tax-deductible donations (suggested $25-$1,000 with monthly recurring options), donations-as-sponsorships tied to program costs ($300 per workshop, $500 per reception, $1,500 partial exhibit, $3,000 full exhibition), gallery rental income, and modest shop sales (e.g., the Community Writing Project Journal at $55 in-store or $65 mailed). Pricing strategy is intentionally low-ticket and volume-distributed across hundreds of artist members and donors rather than concentrated on large institutional contracts. Its go-to-market is community-led via the website, email newsletter, ArtsWestchester co-marketing, and recurring calls for artists.

The organization's revenue base is materially supplemented by grant funding from ArtsWestchester (funded via Westchester County Government), Poets & Writers, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and Rockefeller, and it receives in-kind physical space/programmatic collaboration from Westhab (storefront in the Wydham Building), Yonkers City Government (public sculpture garden at City Hall), and Beczak Educational & Environmental Center (Hudson-River-themed workshops). Leadership today consists of Co-Executive Director Luis Perelman, Gallery Director Michele Amaro, Assistant Director Gerard Flynn, and Poet-in-Residence Golda Solomon, with the organization operating on a lean 1-10 employee base. No revenue, attendance, or membership-count figures are disclosed publicly.

Name

Blue Door Art Center

Legal name

Blue Door Art Center

Website

https://bluedoorartcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blue Door Art Center is a nonprofit gallery and community arts organization in Yonkers, NY that hosts rotating exhibitions, children's art workshops, writing workshops, and poetry-and-jazz performances, serving Westchester visual artists, writers, families, and local visitors through memberships, donations, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts and Nonprofit Gallery Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Community art gallery
• Nonprofit arts organization
• Art education workshops
• Poetry and literary programming
• Artist membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Yonkers

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership tiers ranging from $35 (student) to $100+ (sponsor). Artist members pay $85/year and receive personal portfolio pages, member-only exhibition access, and discounted workshop fees. Friends of BDAC pay $50 and receive invitations and community support benefits.
2. Exhibition Fees: Artists pay installation fees for accepted works in the gallery. Preferred installation fees for artist members are $25 per piece in gallery and $10 per piece online. Non-member fees are higher.
3. Shop Sales: The center sells books, catalogs, and journals of text and art published by Blue Door Art Center, including the Community Writing Project Journal at $55 in-store or $65 mailed.
4. Donations: The center solicits tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Suggested amounts range from $25 to $1,000, with monthly recurring donation options available. Sponsorships at various levels ($300 covers a workshop, $500 sponsors a reception, $1,500 partially sponsors an exhibit, $3,000 covers an exhibition).
5. Gallery Rentals: The center offers gallery rentals for events and private exhibitions as a source of venue-based revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blue Door Art Center operates a nonprofit community art gallery and arts programming organization in Yonkers, NY. It delivers rotating curated exhibitions, children's art workshops, creative writing workshops, the Po'Jazz poetry-and-jazz performance series, monthly open mics, an online artist portfolio platform for 100+ member artists, and published literary/visual journals, supported by membership tiers, donations, sponsorships, exhibition fees, gallery rentals, and shop sales.

Product overview

Blue Door Art Center is a community arts organization in Yonkers, NY offering a diverse portfolio of programs and services centered around visual arts exhibitions and literary/performing arts events. The core offering consists of rotating gallery exhibitions displaying member and guest artwork, supplemented by educational programming including children's art workshops, creative writing workshops led by the Yonkers Poet Laureate, and performance events such as the Po'Jazz series featuring poetry and live jazz music. The organization operates a membership program with four tiers (Friend of BDAC, Artist Membership, Student Membership, and Sponsor Membership) providing varying levels of access to exhibitions, workshops, and portfolio services. Additional services include gallery rentals, exhibition fee payments, and retail sale of published catalogs and journals. The center supports artists through online portfolio pages and curates calls for artists for themed exhibitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gallery Exhibitions Rotating curated exhibitions featuring member and guest artists displayed at the Blue Door Art Center gallery space in Yonkers.
• Children's Art Workshops Saturday art workshops for children ages 5-12 led by teaching artists, with special needs children welcomed.
• Writing Workshops Creative writing workshops facilitated by Yonkers Poet Laureate Golda Solomon, including ArtSpeak/From Page to Performance and Make W.A.V.E.S. programs.
• Play Dates with Po'Jazz Monthly poetry and jazz performance series featuring live music ensembles and open mic opportunities for poets and musicians.
• Blue Door Open Mics Monthly open mic events for poetry and music held on the last Friday of each month.
• Artist Member Portfolios Online portfolio pages for artist members featuring biographies, artwork images, and contact information.
• Community Writing Project Journal (CWPJ) A published coffee table journal featuring international poets and artists, co-edited by Golda Solomon and Jacqueline Reason.
• Hello Hudson Journal A publication exploring the Hudson River as muse and teacher, created during summer 2023 workshops co-hosted with Beczak Educational & Environmental Center.
• Books and Catalogs Published catalogs and journals of text and art available for purchase at the Blue Door Art Center shop, both in-store and by mail.
• Avant-Garde Student Membership Student membership at $35/year including gallery opening invitations, open mic access, and monthly e-newsletter; for students aged 25 or younger with student ID required.
• Impressionism - Friend of the BDAC Membership Entry-level membership at $50/year offering invitations to openings and mixers and supporting local artist community and art education for children, teens, special-needs adults, and seniors.
• Cubism - BDAC Artist Membership Artist membership at $85/year providing a personal portfolio page on the website, inclusion in two yearly members-only exhibitions, workshop discounts, notifications of special art opportunities, preferred installation fees ($25 per gallery piece, $10 per online piece), and 25% commission rates.
• Picasso Sponsor Membership Donor-membership at $100+/year offering artist member privileges, logo listed on the Sponsors Page, and the ability to direct funding toward a specific BDAC project; example programmatic sponsorships of $300 (workshop), $500 (reception), $1,500 (partial exhibit), and $3,000 (full exhibition).
• Gallery Rentals Rental of the Blue Door Art Center gallery space for private events and exhibitions.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• WesthabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWesthab, a community development organization, partnered with Blue Door Art Center to provide a storefront space in the Wydham Building for the gallery. Bob Miller of Westhab offered the space that became the Blue Door Gallery in 2008.
• Yonkers City GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYonkers City Government partnered with Blue Door Art Center for various public art projects, including a public sculpture garden at Yonkers City Hall, and the center is featured in Yonkers Arts Weekend.
• Beczak Educational & Environmental CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe center co-hosted writing workshops with Beczak Educational & Environmental Center focused on the Hudson River, contributing to the 'Hello Hudson' journal project.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Center for Book Arts: A NYC-based nonprofit literary and visual arts center offering exhibitions, workshops, and community programming around books and writing. Comparable as a small-staff community arts nonprofit combining gallery exhibitions with literary arts workshops.
• Pelham Art Center: A small community art center in southern Westchester County offering rotating exhibitions, classes, and workshops. Closely comparable to Blue Door Art Center in scale, community-led nonprofit model, regional Westchester footprint, and exhibition-plus-education programming mix.

Regional players

• Katonah Museum of Art: A Westchester County-based nonprofit art museum presenting rotating exhibitions and educational programs. Comparable as a regional cultural institution serving the same Westchester donor and visitor base, though larger in scale and more exhibition-focused.
• Socrates Sculpture Park: An outdoor sculpture park and public art nonprofit in Queens offering exhibitions, artist residencies, and educational programming. Comparable as a regional nonprofit arts venue with public art and community programs.
• Wave Hill: A nonprofit cultural institution in the Bronx combining gardens, visual arts exhibitions, and educational programming. Comparable as a regional nonprofit arts-and-culture venue with workshop programming and similar community-mission orientation.
• The Hyde Collection: A regional nonprofit art museum in upstate New York with permanent collections and rotating exhibitions. Comparable as a regional community-anchored gallery with educational programming, though geographically distant from BDAC's Yonkers base.

Broad incumbents

• Hudson River Museum: The largest cultural institution in Westchester County, located in Yonkers, combining art exhibitions, history, and environmental programming. Operates as a broader incumbent in the same Westchester arts ecosystem with overlapping visitor and funder pools.
• The Bronx Museum of the Arts: A nonprofit contemporary art museum serving the adjacent Bronx community with rotating exhibitions and educational programming. Comparable as a community-anchored nonprofit gallery with educational mission, though with significantly larger scale.
• Museum of Arts and Design: A NYC-based nonprofit museum focused on contemporary craft, design, and art with rotating exhibitions and educational programs. Comparable as a larger nonprofit arts institution in the same craft/visual arts category with similar exhibition-plus-education programming.

Others

• ArtsWestchester: Westchester County's designated arts council, which is BDAC's primary programmatic funder. Relevant as the principal funding partner and as the broader umbrella organization supporting the Westchester nonprofit arts ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheBDAC
• Facebookfacebook.com/bluedoorartcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blue-door-art-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Blue Door Art Center