coLAB Arts
coLAB Arts is a New Brunswick, NJ-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) that produces community-engaged arts programs, including civic journalism (Documenters), bilingual theater (Teatro Esperanza), youth education (Summer Institute), public art, and oral history projects, serving New Jersey artists, residents, and youth.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersNew Brunswick, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What coLAB Arts does
coLAB Arts is a New Brunswick, New Jersey-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts organization that engages artists, social advocates, and local communities to produce civic-engaged creative work. Founded in 2010, the organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than discrete products: New Brunswick Documenters (paid civic journalism training), Teatro Esperanza (bilingual devised theater), TrueSelves (gender-diverse oral history and storytelling), theVOM (monthly story slams), Immersive (site-specific performance series since 2015), Summer Institute with Esperanza (youth civic-arts education for ages 8-18), the Monthly Artist Grant, the Watershed Sculpture Project, public art murals, the Heartbeat of the City Festival, and the multi-year New Jersey Monuments to Migration and Labor initiative.
The organization functions without proprietary technology, relying instead on standard website infrastructure (colab-arts.org), Square-based online ticketing, and email newsletters. Programming is delivered through two physical locations in New Brunswick (the main event venue at 9 Bayard Street and coLAB Arts Studios gallery at 6 Kirkpatrick Street) plus partner venues including State Theatre New Jersey, George Street Playhouse, and community centers. The underlying 'platform' is a curated network of artists, partner organizations, and community members.
Revenue mechanics combine several streams: grant funding from the Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission, Rutgers Community Health Foundation, and other public/philanthropic sources; ticket and event revenue ($0-$20 per attendee); program tuition for Summer Institute ($50 registration, $260/week, or $700 three-week package); vendor registration fees for events like Art City ($75-$200); self-defense class donations ($5-$20); and individual donations via the website. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on partnerships with Rutgers University, Pride Center of New Jersey, Garden State Equality, Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership, Unity Square, Caritas of Holy Family Parish, and New Brunswick Tomorrow, alongside social media on Facebook and Instagram. Headcount is 1-10, and no parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity is indicated.
coLAB Arts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- coLAB Arts
- Legal name
- coLAB Arts
- Website
- https://colab-arts.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- coLAB Arts is a New Brunswick, NJ-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) that produces community-engaged arts programs, including civic journalism (Documenters), bilingual theater (Teatro Esperanza), youth education (Summer Institute), public art, and oral history projects, serving New Jersey artists, residents, and youth.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
coLAB Arts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Arts Programming
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)
Keywords
Where coLAB Arts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Brunswick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
coLAB Arts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Program Tuition and Fees: Revenue from Summer Institute registration fees ($50), weekly tuition ($260), and three-week discounted tuition ($700). Also includes vendor registration fees ranging from $75-$200 for events like Art City.
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from event tickets ranging from free to $20 for performances, concerts, and other programming.
- Grants and Sponsorships: coLAB Arts is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that receives funding from government agencies (National Endowment for the Arts, New Jersey State Council on the Arts), foundations (Mellon Foundation), and corporate sponsors.
- Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website and hosts fundraising events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Institute Registration |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Institute Weekly Tuition |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Summer Institute Full Program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Event Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Art City Vendor Registration |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Self-Defense Classes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
coLAB Arts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
coLAB Arts is a nonprofit arts organization that develops and delivers community-engaged arts programs, including artist residencies, youth arts education, civic journalism training, bilingual theater productions, public art installations, and storytelling events. The organization partners with artists, social advocates, schools, and community groups across New Brunswick and greater New Jersey to produce transformative work that bridges creative practice and civic life. Programming is delivered through physical venues, partner sites, and community dialogues funded primarily by grants, donations, and program fees.
Product overview
coLAB Arts is a nonprofit arts organization that operates as a unified suite of community-engaged arts programs rather than a commercial product platform. The core offerings include New Brunswick Documenters (civic journalism training), Teatro Esperanza (bilingual devised theater), Immersive (site-specific performance art), theVOM (story slam events), Trueselves (gender identity oral history project), stART (youth arts education), Summer Institute (civic arts camp), Watershed Sculpture Project (environmental public art), Public Art murals, Heartbeat of the City Festival, and New Jersey Monuments to Migration and Labor. These programs are interconnected through coLAB Arts' mission to engage artists, social advocates, and communities in creating transformative collaborative work.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- New Brunswick Documenters Civic journalism and community engagement program that trains and pays New Brunswick residents to attend and document public meetings, making local government more transparent and accessible to all residents regardless of language.
- Monthly Artist Grant Grant program providing monthly financial support to artists to create new work that challenges perceptions and inspires action.
- Immersive
Quantifiable outcome
- New Jersey Monuments to Migration and Labor project will create three new monuments in North, Central, and South Jersey in 2026
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use coLAB Arts
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
coLAB Arts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
coLAB Arts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.
- State Theatre New JerseysecondaryVenue partner for larger community events including the LGBTQIA2S+ Prison IN-reach Card Writing Event and other co-hosted programming.
- New Brunswick TomorrowcoreCollaboration on New Jersey Monuments to Migration and Labor project. New Brunswick Tomorrow serves as a facilitation and organizing partner in New Brunswick for the Mellon Foundation-funded initiative that will create three new monuments across New Jersey in 2026.
- Rutgers UniversitycoreCollaboration with Rutgers University on New Jersey Monuments to Migration and Labor, funded by the Mellon Foundation. Includes partnership with Rutgers Community Health Foundation, American Studies department, and the Tepper Chair program at Mason Gross School of the Arts.
- Unity SquarecoreFacilitation and organizing partner for the New Jersey Monuments to Migration and Labor community dialogue series in New Brunswick. Hosted community conversations to gather input for the monument design.
- Caritas of Holy Family ParishcoreCommunity dialogue partner for the New Jersey Monuments to Migration and Labor project. Hosted sessions at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church to engage the parish community in discussions about labor and migration.
- Mercado Esperanza Trade Association (META)secondaryPartnership with META to produce 'Cooking Outside of the Box,' a live-streamed cooking show celebrating unique recipes and culinary traditions from the Esperanza neighborhood.
- Garden State EqualitysecondaryPartnership on LGBTQIA2S+ Prison IN-reach Card Writing Events supporting incarcerated community members.
- Pride Center of New JerseycoreLong-standing partnership on the TrueSelves oral history and storytelling project supporting the gender diverse community. Includes annual productions and events in collaboration with the Babs Siperstein PROUD Gender Center.
- Lower Raritan Watershed PartnershipsecondaryPartnership on the Watershed Sculpture Project, a collaborative public art initiative exploring environmental themes related to the Raritan River watershed.
- ArtYardsecondaryCollaboration on the Hatch biennial celebration of creative incubation and community, bringing giant puppet workshops and parade participation to New Brunswick residents.
- The Jennifer Love ProjectsecondaryCollaboration on holiday card-making events for incarcerated LGBTQIA2S+ community members, with special performances.
- New Jersey Monuments to Migration and Labor (NJMML)coreMulti-year project in collaboration with Rutgers University funded by the Mellon Foundation to create three monuments in North, Central, and South Jersey in 2026 honoring migrant workers. Includes partnerships with New Brunswick Tomorrow, Unity Square, Caritas, and Chat Travieso as the lead artist.
- Thinkery & VersesecondaryCommunity artist collaboration on New Jersey Monuments to Migration and Labor project, with Spanish-language facilitation support.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
coLAB Arts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ArtYard: A New Jersey-based nonprofit that supports experimental, community-engaged art through residencies, exhibitions, and the Hatch biennial — directly comparable to coLAB Arts; the two organizations actively partner on Hatch programming.
- The Laundromat Project: A New York City nonprofit that engages artists and residents in social-change work through community-based residencies and public programs; closely mirrors coLAB Arts' civic-engaged-art model and neighborhood-anchored approach.
- Links Hall: A Chicago nonprofit presenting independent dance, theater, and performance rooted in community partnerships — overlapping with coLAB's site-specific performance and community-collaboration programming.
- 18th Street Arts Center: A nonprofit artist residency and community arts organization in Santa Monica that supports international and local artists via studio programs, exhibitions, and public engagement — overlapping with coLAB's artist-residency and public-art portfolio.
- Mabou Mines: A long-running NYC experimental theater ensemble developing devised, socially engaged performances — comparable to coLAB's Immersive series and Teatro Esperanza in process and intent.
- Dixon Place: A New York-based nonprofit incubator for independent performing and literary artists producing experimental and community-relevant work — comparable to coLAB's Teatro Esperanza and theVOM story-slam programming.
- New Hazlett Theater: A Pittsburgh nonprofit presenting community-curated performing arts through residencies and a Community Supported Art membership — a structural analogue to coLAB's artist-support and event-ticket revenue model.
- A Blade of Grass: A national nonprofit fellowship and field-builder for socially engaged art — comparable to coLAB Arts in mission and target funder base, though operating primarily as a grantmaker rather than direct programmer.
Broad incumbents
- Grounds For Sculpture: A larger New Jersey-based sculpture park and arts institution with public art installations and educational programming — comparable in regional footprint and public-art emphasis, though at a significantly larger scale than coLAB.
Regional players
- Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics: A multi-university consortium focused on the intersection of performance and political/civic life — conceptually aligned with coLAB's civic-arts practice, though primarily academic and operating at a larger international scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
coLAB Arts social profiles
Digital presencecoLAB Arts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
coLAB Arts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
coLAB Arts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
coLAB Arts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about coLAB Arts
What does coLAB Arts do?
coLAB Arts is a nonprofit arts organization that develops and delivers community-engaged arts programs, including artist residencies, youth arts education, civic journalism training, bilingual theater productions, public art installations, and storytelling events. The organization partners with artists, social advocates, schools, and community groups across New Brunswick and greater New Jersey to produce transformative work that bridges creative practice and civic life. Programming is delivered through physical venues, partner sites, and community dialogues funded primarily by grants, donations, and program fees.
Is coLAB Arts a public or private company?
coLAB Arts is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was coLAB Arts founded?
coLAB Arts was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is coLAB Arts based?
coLAB Arts is headquartered in New Brunswick, United States, in the North America region.
How does coLAB Arts make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Program Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are ticket Sales, grants and Sponsorships and donations.
Who are coLAB Arts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ArtYard, The Laundromat Project, Links Hall, 18th Street Arts Center, Mabou Mines, Dixon Place, New Hazlett Theater and A Blade of Grass. Grounds For Sculpture is listed as a broad incumbent. Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics is listed as a regional player.
Does coLAB Arts have an API?
No public API is recorded for coLAB Arts.
What industry is coLAB Arts in?
coLAB Arts's product category is Community Arts Programming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAO, Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAH, Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs. Its NAICS code is 71.