Watercolor Art Society Houston

What Watercolor Art Society Houston does

The Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1975 (originally a chapter of the Southwest Watercolor Society beginning in 1969) that operates as a membership-based art education and exhibition community serving watercolor artists in the Houston metropolitan area from a single physical gallery and headquarters at 1601 West Alabama, Houston, Texas. The portfolio spans in-person and virtual instruction (4-week classes at $220–$260, one-day workshops at $90–$110, multi-day workshops at $270–$325, and major workshops with internationally recognized instructors at $395–$445), together with member-only programs such as monthly member workshops, plein air events, model labs, open studio sessions, senior classes, and artist talks.

WAS-H runs two annual juried exhibitions: the Annual Members Exhibit (AME, since 1969, with 74 paintings in the 56th edition) and the International Watermedia Exhibition (IWE, since 1977, with 81 selected paintings in the 49th edition), the latter of which has drawn watermedia artists from Australia, Bulgaria, China, Germany, India, and the Netherlands. The organization does not build technology products; all membership and event administration runs on the Wild Apricot membership platform, and no API, SDK, or proprietary software assets are disclosed. A signature-status recognition program formally rewards accomplished members.

Revenue is generated from three membership subscription tiers (Basic $65/year, Premium $185/year, Gold $250/year), per-event class and workshop fees, an annual fund supported by tax-deductible donations, a physical sales gallery for member artwork, and passive income from grocery-rewards programs with Randalls (charity #4553) and Kroger (code PH159). A network of art-supply companies (including Dick Blick, M. Graham & Co., Golden QOR Watercolors, Holbein, Strathmore, Daler Rowney, Ampersand Art, Carandache, Texas Art Supply, and Art Supply on Almeda) provides in-kind merchandise awards supporting the AME, and the Stanley S. Smith Memorial Estate sponsors cash awards. WAS-H has no outside investors, no parent company, and no external ownership; it is governed by a volunteer board and a small staff of named program managers.

Name

Watercolor Art Society Houston

Legal name

Watercolor Art Society-Houston

Website

https://watercolorhouston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Watercolor Art Society-Houston is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1975 that serves Houston-area watercolor artists through tiered memberships, year-round classes and workshops, monthly exhibitions, and two annual juried shows including the internationally recognized International Watermedia Exhibition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

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 Dues: Annual membership subscriptions at three tiers (Basic $65, Premium $185, Gold $250) providing access to classes, workshops, exhibitions, and member-only resources. Members receive discounts on classes and workshops and participate in monthly exhibitions.
2. Class and Workshop Fees: Revenue from educational programs including monthly member workshops, 4-week classes, one-day workshops, and major workshops featuring renowned instructors. Pricing varies by program length and member status.
3. Donations and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible donations through the Annual Fund supporting building improvements, equipment maintenance, scholarships, outreach programs, and general operations. WAS-H is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
4. Grocery Rewards Programs: Revenue from grocery rewards programs through Randalls (charity designation #4553) and Kroger (code PH159) where WAS-H receives a portion of qualifying purchases.
5. Art Sales Gallery: Sales gallery offering original art for purchase, with paintings available from student and teacher works displayed in the gallery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers watercolor and watermedia art education through classes, multi-day workshops, and major workshops taught by nationally and internationally recognized artists. The society also operates two annual juried exhibitions (the Annual Members Exhibit and the International Watermedia Exhibition), a tiered membership community (Basic, Premium, Gold), a physical sales gallery in Houston, and specialty member activities such as Plein Air events, Model Labs, Open Studio, Senior Class, Artist Talks, and virtual classes.

Product overview

Watercolor Art Society - Houston operates as a nonprofit art organization offering a portfolio of art education services and exhibition opportunities rather than a technology product. The core offerings include in-person and virtual art classes and workshops taught by professional artists, two major annual juried exhibitions (Annual Members Exhibit and International Watermedia Exhibition), and tiered membership programs (Gold, Premium, Basic) providing access to studio space, workshops, exhibitions, and community events. The organization also maintains a physical gallery space for member artwork sales and viewing, and provides specialty programs including plein air events, model labs, senior classes, and artist talks. The entire membership and event management infrastructure is powered by Wild Apricot software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classes and Workshops
• Membership Programs (Basic, Premium, Gold)
• Annual Members Exhibit (AME)
• International Watermedia Exhibition (IWE)
• Monthly Member Workshops
• WAS-H Sales Gallery
• Plein Air Events
• Virtual Classes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Ampersand ArtminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArt supply company sponsoring merchandise awards for the 56th Annual Members Exhibit.
• Dick Blick Art Materials (Blick)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational art supply retailer sponsoring merchandise awards for the Annual Members Exhibit.
• M. Graham & Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWatercolor paint manufacturer sponsoring merchandise awards for the Annual Members Exhibit.
• Golden QOR WatercolorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWatercolor paint brand sponsoring merchandise awards for the Annual Members Exhibit.
• Texas Art SupplyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Houston art supply retailer sponsoring merchandise awards for the Annual Members Exhibit.
• CarandacheminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArtist materials company (specializing in colored pencils) sponsoring merchandise awards for the Annual Members Exhibit.
• HolbeinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJapanese artist materials manufacturer sponsoring merchandise awards for the Annual Members Exhibit.
• StrathmoreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArtist paper manufacturer sponsoring merchandise awards for the Annual Members Exhibit.
• Daler RowneyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK-based artist materials company sponsoring merchandise awards for the Annual Members Exhibit.
• Art Supply on AlmedaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Houston art supply retailer sponsoring merchandise awards for the Annual Members Exhibit.
• Randalls (Charity #4553)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery rewards program where WAS-H receives a portion of purchases when members designate the organization as their preferred charity.
• Kroger (Code PH159)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery rewards program where WAS-H receives a portion of purchases when members use the designated code.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Bayou City Art Festival: Houston-based nonprofit art festival featuring hundreds of artists. Adjacent community presence with similar artist constituency in Houston, but operates a different format (annual festival) rather than an ongoing education/exhibition society.

Direct peers

• Rocky Mountain Watercolor Society: Regional watercolor society serving Colorado and surrounding states. Comparable as a regional watercolor society with similar membership tiers, juried exhibitions, and educational programming model.
• Transparent Watercolor Society of America: National watercolor society focused specifically on traditional transparent watercolor techniques. Comparable in mission, watercolor-only focus, juried exhibition programming, and member-based community structure.
• American Watercolor Society: National nonprofit watercolor society founded in 1866 that hosts annual juried exhibitions and member programs. Directly comparable to WAS-H as a membership-based watercolor art organization focused on exhibitions, education, and signature status recognition.
• Southwest Watercolor Society: Texas-based regional watercolor society that was the parent chapter of WAS-H before 1975 incorporation. Direct peer in mission, regional geographic focus, and watercolor art exhibition/community model.
• National Watercolor Society: California-based national watercolor organization founded in 1920 that hosts signature exhibitions and member events. Highly comparable in mission, membership structure, juried exhibition model, and watercolor art focus.
• Philadelphia Water Color Club: One of the oldest watercolor clubs in the US (founded 1898). Comparable as a membership-based watercolor art society hosting exhibitions, classes, and community events in a regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Art League Houston: Houston-based nonprofit arts organization offering classes, exhibitions, and community programs across multiple art forms. Comparable as a Houston art education and exhibition nonprofit but with broader scope than WAS-H's watercolor-specific focus.
• Lawndale Art Center: Houston-based nonprofit alternative art space supporting Texas artists through exhibitions, studio programs, and community engagement. Comparable as a Houston art exhibition nonprofit, though focused on contemporary art rather than watercolor specifically.
• Houston Center for Contemporary Craft: Houston nonprofit art institution dedicated to craft education, exhibitions, and residency programs. Comparable as a Houston art education nonprofit with similar membership structure, gallery space, and community programming model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wildapricot
• YouTubelp.constantcontactpages.com/su/XNhruuf/Watercolor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/watercolor-art-society-houston
• Facebookfacebook.com/Watercolorhouston

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Watercolor Art Society Houston