ARTS COUNCIL OF KERN

What ARTS COUNCIL OF KERN does

Arts Council of Kern (ACK) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1977 and designated as the official local arts agency for Kern County, California. Headquartered in Bakersfield with approximately 11 employees, it serves as the primary hub for arts programming, education, and cultural advocacy across the county. Its core service portfolio includes arts education delivered to Title I schools and a Charter School partner, a physical gallery hosting rotating exhibitions, monthly vendor markets, community events such as the Bakersfield Christmas Parade, and the long-running Arts in Corrections program delivered in partnership with the California Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (CDDR). Recent additions include APEX, Common Ground, Stories on the Sidewalk, and a Charter School partnership, broadening the programmatic surface beyond traditional arts education.

ACK's business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue stack. It generates income from individual and corporate memberships, booth fees and commissions from its monthly vendor markets, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants from public and private funders. Identified institutional funders include the California Arts Council (CAC), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Kern County, the Kern Dance Arts Council Consortium (KDACC), and Caltrans. The organization also runs an artist vendor market that produces recurring commission-based revenue and a physical gallery that hosts exhibitions and rotating artist showcases. It does not operate a digital platform or technology product; service delivery is conducted in-person through its gallery, school sites, and correctional facilities.

ACK's strategic posture centers on community engagement, arts access for underserved populations, and institutional partnership cultivation. Its 15+ year tenure operating Arts in Corrections, its designation as the county's chartered local arts agency, and its partnerships with Caltrans and area school districts evidence a stable, partnership-driven operating model with limited geographic or vertical expansion beyond Kern County.

Name

ARTS COUNCIL OF KERN

Legal name

Arts Council of Kern

Website

https://kernarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arts Council of Kern is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1977 and designated as the official local arts agency for Kern County, California. It delivers arts education, gallery exhibitions, vendor markets, and community events to Bakersfield-area residents, schools, and correctional facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

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), Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Arts education programming
• Community arts services
• Arts advocacy funding
• Cultural event management
• Nonprofit arts council

Headquarters

HQ city

Bakersfield

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership tiers ranging from $40-$1,000 providing access to events, discounts, and exclusive benefits.
2. ArtWalk Vendor Fees: Monthly vendor permits at $35 per month for artist and artisan participation in First Friday ArtWalk events.
3. Makers Market Commission: Consignment model taking 30% of sales from vendors selling handcrafted goods in the Makers Market gallery shop.
4. Donations and Grants: Charitable contributions from individuals and institutional grants from California Arts Council, NEA, KDACC, and local partners.
5. Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsorships for events like Latination, Night in Tuscany, and Stories on the Sidewalk.
6. Artist Directory Fee: $20 per year for non-members to list in the Artist Directory; free for Arts Council members.
7. Art Submission Fees: $20 non-refundable entry fee per submission for juried exhibitions like Latination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arts Council of Kern operates as the designated Local Arts Agency for Kern County, providing arts education, advocacy, regranting, events, exhibitions, and social-impact programming. The organization runs recurring vendor marketplaces, a consignment gallery shop, annual cultural festivals and galas, arts-in-corrections rehabilitation programming, and a tiered membership program serving residents, local artists, and underserved populations.

Product overview

The Arts Council of Kern is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and designated local arts agency for Kern County that provides arts education, advocacy, and access to Kern County residents. Rather than a unified technology product, the organization operates a portfolio of community arts programs including recurring event programs (ArtWalk, Makers Market, Second Saturday), social impact initiatives (Arts4Rehabilitation, Arts in Corrections), educational programming (Charter School classes, Common Ground), annual festivals (Latination, Night In Tuscany, Stories on the Sidewalk), and member/directory services. These programs work together to fulfill the organization's mission of serving Kern County's creative community through events, exhibitions, grants, and educational outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ArtWalk (First Friday) Monthly outdoor community event featuring local artists, artisans, and vendors selling handcrafted goods, artwork, handmade jewelry, and live music at 18th and N Street in downtown Bakersfield; runs October through June and charges a $35/month vendor permit fee.
• Makers Market Indoor consignment gallery shop inside the Arts Council of Kern headquarters at 1020 18th Street, showcasing handcrafted goods by local Bakersfield artists and artisans on a 30% consignment commission; open Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
• Second Saturday Monthly vendor fair held on the second Saturday of each month from 9 AM to 1 PM inside the Arts Council of Kern building, providing local artists and vendors an intimate indoor setting to share and sell handcrafted goods.
• Arts4Rehabilitation (APEX Youth Arts Program) Social-impact program supporting youth in the juvenile justice system through hip-hop lyric writing, storytelling, culinary arts training, and career exploration, delivered in partnership with California Resources Corporation and the County of Kern.
• Arts in Corrections Long-running rehabilitation program operated in partnership with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California Arts Council, providing visual, media, performing, and multidisciplinary arts classes within Central Valley correctional institutions including Kern Valley State Prison to support rehabilitation and reintegration.
• Charter School Art Classes Educational arts program for charter school students taught by instructor Em Radmacher, offering courses in watercolor techniques, painting exploration, paper creation, strategy cards, and perspective framing designed to build confidence and creative skills.
• Common Ground Cultural program celebrating Native American arts and culture by bringing together indigenous artists from Kern County through educational events and outreach activities that preserve and promote Native American traditions.
• Latination Annual celebration of Latin American art, culture, music, food, and community held in September at the ACK headquarters, featuring live performances, art exhibitions, family activities, and the Latination Kids youth program; juried exhibition component charges a $20 non-refundable submission fee with cash awards for Best of Show and other categories.
• Stories on the Sidewalk Outdoor walking history tour that brings Bakersfield and Kern County history to life through live theatrical reenactments of notable historical figures, produced in collaboration with local writers, historians, and theater groups; includes a $500 actor stipend opportunity.
• Night in Tuscany Annual Italian-themed gala held at Seven Oaks Country Club featuring Italian cuisine, wine, live operatic performances, and live auctions of hand-painted umbrellas to raise funds in support of at-risk youth programs.
• Artist Directory Online directory service that connects local artists with opportunities, resources, and the Kern County community; available for $20/year to non-members and free for Arts Council members, providing exposure to exhibitions, calls for art, and Arts Council events.
• Membership Program Tiered annual membership program with seven levels: Senior/Student ($40), Individual ($50), Artist ($75), Advocate ($100), Enthusiast ($250), Champion ($500), and Ambassador ($1,000), providing benefits including discounts on Makers Market purchases, drink tickets at events, free Artist Directory listings, and exclusive event access.
• Gallery Exhibitions Rotating gallery exhibitions at the Arts Council of Kern gallery in downtown Bakersfield showcasing local and regional artists, including juried exhibitions such as 'From the Desert to the Sea' featuring landscape paintings of Kern County and the Central Coast.

Quantifiable outcome

• Arts in Corrections has worked with incarcerated communities for over 15 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Caltrans / California Clean ActminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023Partnership for Intersections community mural project. Clean California local grant funds mural installations at Garces Circle, Q Street and Route 204, and California Avenue and Highway 99, plus electrical box beautification along Union Avenue.
• Kern Dance Alliance / KDACCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2023KDACC (KDA Creative Corps) is a pilot grant program administered by Kern Dance Alliance. ACK received Community Engagement through Indigenous Arts grant ($3.4M total program; ACK portion unspecified) from May 2023 through May 2024.
• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership through Arts in Corrections (AIC) program - a California Arts Council initiative that ACK implements within CDCR institutions in the Central Valley. ACK has operated AIC for over 15 years, providing visual, media, performing, and multidisciplinary arts classes to incarcerated individuals.
• California Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level arts agency partner. ACK serves as the designated local arts agency for Kern County in partnership with CAC. CAC provides grant funding and programming support for AIC and other initiatives.
• County of KerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partner. ACK serves as county's Local Arts Agency and regranting organization for arts capacity building. Long-standing partnership since founding in 1977.
• California Resources CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner in APEX Youth Arts for Rehabilitation Program alongside County of Kern. Program provides creative arts education for youth in the juvenile justice system.
• City of BakersfieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner working with ACK on public art initiatives and programs for underserved populations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Riverside Arts Council: Inland Empire regional arts council providing grants, education, and community programming. Directly comparable as a California local arts agency with similar grants-regranting and community program model.
• Sacramento County Office of Arts & Culture: California county arts agency providing regranting, programs, and public art services. Comparable in role and structure as a county-level public arts agency operating grants and community programming.
• Arts Council Santa Cruz County: California county arts council providing grants, advocacy, and arts programming. Highly comparable organizational structure to ACK as a designated local arts agency with regranting, exhibitions, and community programming.
• Arts Council for Long Beach: California municipal arts agency providing grants, programs, and advocacy. Comparable in mission and program structure to ACK, though operating at a larger city scale with broader funding base.
• Fresno Arts Council: County-level arts council serving California's Central Valley. Directly comparable as a designated local arts agency running grants, exhibitions, and community arts programming in a similar geographic and demographic context to ACK.
• National Arts Club: Nonprofit arts and cultural membership organization providing exhibitions, programming, and member services. Comparable to ACK in nonprofit structure and member-driven programming, though operating in an urban private-club format.

Regional players

• Mid-America Arts Alliance: Regional arts organization serving six Mid-America states with regranting and programming services. Comparable as a multi-state regranting and capacity-building arts organization, though serving a different geographic region than ACK.

Broad incumbents

• California Arts Council: State-level arts funding agency that partners with and regrants to local arts agencies including ACK. Functions as both an upstream funder and a structural peer in the California arts ecosystem.
• Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit services organization supporting local arts agencies across the U.S. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler and capacity-building resource for arts councils like ACK.
• Los Angeles County Arts Commission: Large-scale county arts agency operating across LA County. Comparable in core mission of regranting and community arts programming but operates at substantially greater scale and budget than ACK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kernarts
• Instagraminstagram.com/artscouncilofkern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-council-of-kern

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ARTS COUNCIL OF KERN