Waterloo Center for the Arts

What Waterloo Center for the Arts does

Waterloo Arts is a 501(c)-style nonprofit arts organization founded in 2004 (originally as Arts Collinwood, renamed in 2014) and headquartered at 15605 Waterloo Road in Cleveland, Ohio's Collinwood neighborhood. The organization operates a community gallery open Thursday–Saturday and an annual Waterloo Arts Fest that draws over 5,000 attendees across seven stages, supplemented by the monthly Walk All Over Waterloo First Friday district openings and a juried exhibition program that has historically reviewed 100–600+ submissions per cycle.

The organization's core product surface includes the Waterloo Arts Gallery, juried exhibitions with cash prizes (e.g., $500 Best of Show, plus category prizes from Praxis Fiber Workshop, Brick Ceramic + Design, Zygote Press, and The Sculpture Center), community projects such as the 20-mural Zoetic Walls public art program, the Trans* Art & Video Project, The Green Palette environmental arts initiative, the annual DayGlo Black Light Exhibition (presented with DayGlo Color Corporation), the Holiday Co-Op seasonal market, the Phone Gallery satellite space, the Creative Fusion Artist in Residence program, and workshops for children. Technology is lightweight: a WordPress-based website (waterlooarts.org) with an online virtual gallery platform, plus standard integrations with PayPal (entry fee payments via Entrythingy), Square POS (marketplace sales), and MailChimp (newsletter).

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit stack: individual donations, a $10 annual membership, modest transaction fees ($20–$30 exhibition entry, $30–$60 Holiday Co-Op tables with a 30% gallery commission on sales), seasonal fundraisers such as Art of the Ornament, and institutional grants from six named funders (Gund Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, City of Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Community Shares). The organization serves three primary segments: artists and curators seeking exhibition opportunities, community members and art enthusiasts, and regional art vendors and small businesses. The arts district is anchored by a completed $5.5 million streetscape improvement that, alongside 20+ world-renowned street-art murals, visually defines the Waterloo Arts & Entertainment District.

Name

Waterloo Center for the Arts

Legal name

Waterloo Arts

Website

https://waterlooarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Waterloo Arts is a Cleveland-based nonprofit arts organization that operates a community gallery, annual juried exhibitions, and the Waterloo Arts Fest. It serves artists, local residents, and regional vendors in the Collinwood neighborhood's Waterloo Arts & Entertainment District through exhibitions, festivals, workshops, and community art projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Center

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Community arts programming
• Nonprofit arts center
• Gallery exhibitions
• Public art murals
• Arts festival management

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Annual fund donations from community members and supporters
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership program supporting the organization with $10 membership fee mentioned for individual artists
3. Holiday Co-op Vendor Fees: Table fees for vendors participating in annual holiday market; half table $30, full table $60, plus 30% gallery commission on sales
4. Juried Exhibition Entry Fees: Entry fees for annual juried exhibitions: $30 for non-members, $20 for members for up to three pieces
5. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from Gund Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, City of Cleveland, and Greater Cleveland Community Shares

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Waterloo Arts operates a nonprofit gallery and arts center offering rotating exhibitions in its main gallery, the annual Waterloo Arts Fest (a seven-stage festival drawing thousands of attendees), monthly Walk All Over Waterloo opening receptions, juried exhibitions with cash prizes, public art mural programs, community projects, artist residencies, and children's arts workshops. Programs are delivered primarily through the main gallery at 15605 Waterloo Road in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood and supplemented by partner exhibition spaces and outdoor public art installations.

Product overview

Waterloo Arts is a nonprofit arts organization and creative hub in Cleveland, Ohio, offering a diverse portfolio of programs centered around its main gallery and the annual Waterloo Arts Fest. The core offerings include rotating gallery exhibitions featuring local, national, and international artists; the Waterloo Arts Fest, a major annual festival attracting thousands of visitors with seven stages of music, art vendors, food vendors, and performance artists; and juried exhibitions that provide artists with professional exposure and awards. Community initiatives include the Zoetic Walls public mural program, the Trans* Art & Video Project supporting transgender artists, and The Green Palette environmental arts initiative. The organization also operates the DayGlo annual fluorescent art exhibitions, the Holiday Co-Op seasonal marketplace, and the Phone Gallery (Cleveland's smallest gallery in a repurposed phone booth). Educational programs include workshops for children and the Creative Fusion Artist in Residence program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waterloo Arts Gallery A gallery space presenting thought-provoking art and design through rotating exhibitions featuring local, national, and international artists. The gallery hosts current, upcoming, and past exhibitions with viewing hours Thursday-Saturday 12-4pm at 15605 Waterloo Road.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transformed dilapidated Waterloo Road area into thriving arts district with $5.5M streetscape investment
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greater Cleveland Community SharescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWaterloo Arts is a member of Greater Cleveland Community Shares, which supports local nonprofit organizations working for sustainable solutions to build a stronger Cleveland. The organization participates in workplace giving programs through Community Shares.
• Praxis Fiber WorkshopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts juried exhibitions with Waterloo Arts, providing additional exhibition space and serving as prize sponsor for Outstanding Work in Fiber. Located in Waterloo District.
• Brick Ceramic + Design StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts juried exhibitions with Waterloo Arts, providing exhibition space and Brick Ceramic + Design Prize for Outstanding Work in Ceramics.
• CAN JournalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides NEOH Artist Prize for juried exhibitions - Cash Prize $250 and artist feature article in CAN Journal for outstanding Northeast Ohio artist.
• Zygote PressminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrize sponsor for Outstanding Work in Printmaking at juried exhibitions, providing $150 prize.
• The Sculpture CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrize sponsor for Outstanding Work in Sculpture at juried exhibitions, providing $150 prize.
• TAP by Todd PownellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership organization supporting juried exhibitions and arts programming.
• DayGlo Color CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual presenting partner for Cleveland's Annual Black Light Exhibition, donating fluorescent paint to artists for DayGlo shows. Multi-year partnership supporting unique fluorescent media exhibitions.
• Sistah SinemaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented trans short films at Waterloo Arts in connection with Trans* Art and Video Project, including films 'KUMU HINA' and 'STEALTH' originally screened at Cleveland International Film Festival.
• Cleveland International Film FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided screening rights for Trans* short films featured at Waterloo Arts, enabling film programming at Trans* Art Exhibit.
• LGBT Community Center of Greater ClevelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided Trans* Ally Training at Waterloo Arts, with presenter Ryan Zymler delivering detailed presentation on gender identity, expression, orientation and biological sex.
• Akron Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate Curator Theresa Bembnister served as juror for 2015 and 2017 Waterloo Arts Juried Exhibitions, bringing professional museum perspective to exhibition selection.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Zygote Press: Cleveland nonprofit printmaking studio and gallery. Existing Waterloo Arts prize partner with comparable exhibition programming and nonprofit arts model.
• SPACES: Nonprofit alternative art gallery in Cleveland exhibiting local, national, and international artists. Closest direct peer in mission and gallery model to Waterloo Arts' core program.
• The Sculpture Center: Cleveland nonprofit presenting sculpture exhibitions and arts programming. Existing Waterloo Arts prize partner and comparable in scale and mission.
• Heights Arts: Cleveland-area nonprofit arts organization offering gallery exhibitions, community programming, and arts education. Comparable operating model and mission.
• Transformer Station: Nonprofit contemporary art space in Cleveland exhibiting regional and national artists. Comparable gallery programming and nonprofit arts mission.

Regional players

• Akron Art Museum: Nonprofit art museum in NE Ohio that has served as juror for Waterloo Arts exhibitions. Comparable mission, regional audience, and foundation funding model.
• Little Italy Art Walk organizers / Battery Park promoters: NE Ohio arts festival organizers running free outdoor walks and community events. Comparable festival/community model to Waterloo Arts Fest.
• MOCA Cleveland: Nonprofit contemporary art museum in Cleveland hosting rotating exhibitions and educational programs. Comparable as a Cleveland-based nonprofit art institution relying on similar foundation funding.

Broad incumbents

• Cleveland Museum of Art: Major regional art museum in Cleveland with rotating exhibitions, juried programming, and strong foundation support. Comparable art-presentation mission at a much larger scale.

Others

• CAN Journal: Nonprofit Cleveland arts publication featuring regional artists. Existing Waterloo Arts prize partner and ecosystem participant serving the same NE Ohio artist community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/events
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterloo-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Waterloo Center for the Arts