The Art Center - Highland Park

What The Art Center - Highland Park does

The Art Center Highland Park (TAC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit visual arts institution founded in 1960 and headquartered at 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, Illinois. It operates as a multi-purpose community arts center serving the North Shore region of Illinois, delivering over 400 visual arts classes and workshops annually to approximately 2,400 children, teens, adults, and seniors. Its core programming spans classes (ceramics, drawing, painting, mosaics, jewelry, mixed media, sculpture), museum-quality contemporary exhibitions across three named galleries, recurring community events such as Draw Together, the Recycled Art Sale, Spring Benefit, and Late Nights in the Gallery, outreach programs for underserved populations, and a recently added mural commissions service line operated in partnership with curators Collect with Lulu and Silvertuna Studios. The organization is governed by a 16-member Board of Directors led by President Dave Wigodner, with day-to-day operations run by an Executive Director (James M. Lynch) and a small team of approximately eight staff supported by nine faculty members.

The business model is a diversified non-profit revenue stack. Earned revenue is generated through per-class tuition, tiered annual memberships ranging from $45 (Student/Senior) to $95 (Family) and a premium Affiliate Circle tier at $175/$250, facility and gallery rentals for weddings, corporate events, and galas, and gift shop sales of artisan work by faculty, members, and exhibiting artists. Contributed revenue is material: the organization states that donations and grants fund over 25% of its annual budget, with channels including general fund giving, scholarships, exhibition and event sponsorship, planned giving, and stock gifts (EIN #36-2464960). Distribution is direct-to-consumer across online registration, phone booking, and walk-in traffic, with marketing executed through the website, email newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, local press, and partner cross-promotion including a strategic health and wellness collaboration with NorthShore University HealthSystem.

The center is a community-asset business rather than a technology business: there is no proprietary technology, no app, no API, no AI/ML capability, and no patents. The asset base is the physical facility, the faculty roster, the curated exhibition program, and 65 years of accumulated community trust. Strategic posture is steady-state: tightening pricing (pro-rating discontinued in Spring 2025), adding premium membership and service lines (mural commissions, wellness classes), and publishing a 2025 Impact Report in connection with the 65th anniversary.

Name

The Art Center - Highland Park

Legal name

The Art Center Highland Park

Website

https://theartcenterhp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Art Center Highland Park is a 501(c)(3) non-profit visual arts institution in Highland Park, Illinois, serving approximately 2,400 North Shore residents annually through 400+ classes, contemporary exhibitions, community events, venue rentals, gift shop sales, and a mural commissions service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education and Community Programs

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Visual arts education
• Community arts programs
• Art exhibition venue
• Event venue rental
• Arts scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland Park

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. Class Tuition: Revenue from over 400 visual arts classes and workshops offered annually for children, teens, adults, and seniors. Tuition varies by session with some pro-rating available.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership tiers including Individual ($55), Student ($45), Senior ($45), and Family ($95). Also includes premium Affiliate Circle memberships at $175/year (Individual) and $250/year (Household).
3. Facility Rentals: Rental of gallery spaces and event venues for weddings, corporate events, private parties, and galas. Provides tables, chairs, AV equipment, and kitchen facilities.
4. Gift Shop Sales: Artisan gift shop featuring ceramics, jewelry, apparel, photography, and prints created by faculty, members, and exhibiting artists. Includes Member Highlight program for featured artists.
5. Donations and Grants: Relies on donations for over 25% of annual budget. Accepts general fund donations, student scholarships, exhibition sponsorship, event sponsorship, planned giving, and stock gifts. EIN #36-2464960.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Art Center Highland Park is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization delivering visual arts education through more than 400 classes and workshops annually for children, teens, adults, and seniors. It operates museum-quality gallery exhibitions, community events, an artisan gift shop, mural commission services, and event venue rentals for weddings, corporate functions, and private gatherings. The center is supported by tiered memberships, donations, and grants.

Product overview

The Art Center Highland Park is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving as the North Shore's home for artistic discovery and creative exploration. The organization operates as a unified platform offering visual arts education and community arts programming, including over 400 annual classes and workshops, contemporary art exhibitions in museum-quality galleries, community events (Draw Together, Recycled Art Sale, Late Nights in the Gallery), outreach programs, event venue rentals, a gift shop, and membership benefits. The core offerings span educational programming (classes for all ages and levels), exhibition spaces (Main Gallery, Cindi Elkins Gallery, Claire Cortesi Gallery), community engagement events, and facility rentals for private events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visual Arts Classes and Workshops Over 400 visual arts classes and workshops offered annually across ceramics, drawing, painting, mosaics, jewelry, mixed media, and sculpture, serving children, teens, adults, and seniors at all skill levels.
• Summer Art Camps Seasonal summer art camps for youth, listed as a forthcoming 2026 program on the organization's website.
• Contemporary Art Exhibitions Museum-quality gallery exhibitions featuring emerging through established artists, displayed in the Main Gallery, Cindi Elkins Gallery, and Claire Cortesi Gallery.
• Event Venue Rentals Rental of gallery spaces and event venues for weddings, corporate events, private parties, benefits, and galas, with capacity for 120 seated dinners or 175 cocktail receptions in the Main Gallery.
• Gift Shop Retail space featuring artisan items crafted by faculty, members, and exhibiting artists, including ceramics, jewelry, apparel, photography, and prints, with a Member Highlight program for featured artists.
• Membership Program Tiered annual membership program offering Individual ($55), Student ($45), Senior ($45), and Family ($95) levels, plus an Affiliate Circle premium tier ($175 individual / $250 household), with class and gift shop discounts, early registration, and member-only previews.
• Mural Projects and Commissions Large-scale mural commission services for interior and exterior projects, partnering with curators such as Collect with Lulu and Silvertuna Studios to connect clients with muralists and street artists.
• Outreach Educational Programs Educational outreach programs partnering with regional organizations to provide arts programming to underserved populations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves over 2400 community members annually across all age groups
• +1 more outcomes

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NorthShore University HealthSystemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019Health and wellness partnership expanding TAC's curriculum from 3 to 9 wellness classes including The Art of Play, Your Brain Your Art, and Life Rhythms Drum Circle. NorthShore's Healthy You initiative provides health and wellness content while TAC provides programming that activates creativity and builds community. Underwriting sponsor for community health initiatives.
• Collect with LuluminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMural curation partner for the City Galleries initiative, helping suburban cities transform communities through mural commissions. Works with TAC to connect clients with world-renowned muralists and street artists.
• Silvertuna StudiosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMural curation partner for the City Galleries initiative, helping suburban cities transform communities through mural commissions. Works with TAC to connect clients with world-renowned muralists and street artists.
• Highland Park Community HouseminorOthersShared parking lot neighbor at the corner of Sheridan Road and Park Avenue. TAC shares parking lot with Community House for visitor convenience.
• Curt's CafeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal not-for-profit with ties to the arts community. TAC facilitated a community mural project ('Rise Up') with Curt's Cafe students through intern Ivan Hernandez Salinas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Banana Factory Arts Center: Banana Factory is a community arts center in Bethlehem, PA offering classes, galleries, and special events. It is comparable to TAC as a multi-disciplinary nonprofit arts hub with studio, exhibition, and event spaces under one roof.
• Evanston Art Center: Evanston Art Center is a community-based nonprofit art center just south of Highland Park on Chicago's North Shore, offering classes, exhibitions, and events to a similar affluent suburban demographic with a comparable membership and tuition model.
• Hyde Park Art Center: Hyde Park Art Center is a Chicago-area nonprofit combining visual arts classes, exhibitions, and community programming. It operates the same hybrid education-plus-gallery-plus-events model that defines TAC, targeting a broad community audience.
• Art Center of Battle Creek: Art Center of Battle Creek is a regional nonprofit arts center offering classes, exhibitions, and community programming. It mirrors TAC's integrated class-gallery-event model with membership and donor-supported revenue.
• Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts: Palette and Chisel is a Chicago-based nonprofit fine arts organization offering studio space, classes, and exhibitions for working artists. Comparable to TAC in its community-of-artists orientation and exhibition-driven programming.
• The Arts Center of Saint Paul: The Arts Center of Saint Paul operates as a nonprofit community hub offering visual arts classes, exhibitions, and community events, with a comparable mix of tuition, memberships, and facility rental revenue streams.

Regional players

• Elmhurst Art Museum: Elmhurst Art Museum is a suburban Chicago-area visual arts institution offering exhibitions and educational programs. Comparable to TAC's gallery-focused programming but with a stronger curatorial/museum identity.
• North Shore Center for the Performing Arts: North Shore Center for the Performing Arts is a nearby cultural venue that hosts performances and events for the same North Shore Illinois audience. While focused on performing arts, it competes for the same community cultural-entertainment spending and donor base as TAC.

Broad incumbents

• School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Continuing Studies): SAIC's Continuing Studies program offers community-accessible visual arts classes and exhibitions in the same Chicago metropolitan area. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps TAC's adult education and exhibition offerings but at a much larger scale.

Emerging players

• The Painting Center: The Painting Center is a New York nonprofit exhibition and studio space for painters. Smaller in scale but comparable in its focus on visual arts exhibitions and community artist engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theartcenterhighlandpark5387
• Facebookfacebook.com/theartcenterhp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-art-center---highland-park
• Instagraminstagram.com/theartcenterhp
• TikToktiktok.com/@theartcenterhp.il

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 The Art Center - Highland Park