The ARTS at Marks Garage

What The ARTS at Marks Garage does

The ARTS at Marks Garage is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization founded in 2001 and based at 1159 Nuuanu Avenue in Honolulu's Chinatown district. It operates a 1,200 sq ft black-box theater with 300-person standing / 120-seat capacity alongside a 1,000 sq ft gallery space, hosting 150+ events and 12 major exhibits annually and drawing 45,000+ visitors per year. Its programming targets local artists, performing groups, event organizers, the general public, and the LGBTQIA+ community in Hawaii.

The organization does not operate a technology platform; its core product is physical space and curated programming. The business model combines venue rental, ticket sales, a revenue-share arrangement with exhibiting artists, individual and institutional donations, and a volunteer program that subsidizes labor. Its governance includes a board with President Lisa Ching, Secretary Dan Fox, Treasurer Lee David Gordon, and directors Kim May and Eugene Yee, plus an advisory board featuring artists Kim Taylor Reece and Robert Wyland.

The organization has operated continuously for over 20 years, has accumulated multiple community and LGBT+ recognition awards, and maintains recurring programming partnerships with entities such as Grass Shack Productions and the Imperial Sovereign Court of Hawaii. As a non-profit, it is funded primarily through earned revenue and donations rather than equity capital, and no funding rounds, acquisitions, or material leadership transitions are documented in the inputs.

Name

The ARTS at Marks Garage

Legal name

The ARTS at Marks Garage LLC

Website

https://artsatmarks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The ARTS at Marks Garage is a Honolulu-based 501(c)(3) non-profit operating a black-box theater and gallery in Chinatown, hosting 150+ events and 12 exhibits annually for local artists, performers, event organizers, and the LGBTQIA+ community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Culture Venue Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Community arts incubator
• Venue rental services
• Art exhibition space
• Performance venue rental
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Venue/License Rental: Revenue from licensing the venue for private events, performances, exhibits, and meetings. Fees vary by event type (ticketed vs non-ticketed), duration, and space used.
2. Art Exhibition Revenue Share: 30% of gross sales from art sales during exhibits; 25% for pop-up events and workshops; 3.5% credit card fees for sales handled by the gallery.
3. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for performances, events, and ticketed exhibits.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Monetary donations accepted via PayPal Giving Fund, cash, credit card, Venmo, Square, and Donorbox. Art donations for annual fundraisers. 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
5. Volunteer Program: Volunteer support for gallery operations, customer service, and event staffing without direct revenue but enabling cost efficiency.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The ARTS at Marks Garage operates a multi-purpose community arts venue in Honolulu's historic arts district, offering a 1,200 sq ft black box performance theater and a 1,000 sq ft gallery space for art exhibitions, performances, and private events. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, it runs its own curated annual exhibition programming (12 major exhibits and 150+ performances, lectures, screenings, and workshops) and licenses the venue on hourly/daily/weekly/monthly terms to event organizers, artists, and private parties.

Product overview

The ARTS at Marks Garage operates as a non-profit arts incubator offering a multi-purpose venue for the arts community in Honolulu, Hawaii. The organization provides two core offerings: venue space rental (including a 1,200 sq ft black box theater for performances and a 1,000 sq ft gallery for exhibitions) and curated exhibition programs featuring local artists. Venue rentals are available for private events, performances, and exhibitions through hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly licensing arrangements, with additional support services including AV equipment, technical staff, and co-presenting ticketing partnerships. The organization runs its own exhibition programming including the annual HERSTORY women's art series and Pineapple Man & Friends comic art exhibit, hosting over 150 performances, lectures, screenings, and workshops annually across twelve major multidisciplinary exhibits. The venue operates from the Susan Rogers-Aregger Gallery named in memory of the late artist.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Susan Rogers-Aregger Gallery: Gallery space named in loving memory of Susan Rogers-Aregger, a prolific artist who specialized in hand-dyed paper collage and ceramics.

Products and services

• Performance Space Rental (Black Box Theater)
• Gallery Space Rental
• Private Event Space Rental
• Co-Presenting Ticketed Events

Quantifiable outcome

• 45,000+ annual visitors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Imperial Sovereign Court of HawaiicoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2024Annual recognition and award partnership. The organization received DelAna C. Business Award for Best LGBT+ Business and Pat Bess Community Service Award at the 2024 Coronation.
• Grass Shack ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Hawaii Bar Journal cover features. Artists from The ARTS at Marks Garage exhibits are regularly selected to appear on the covers of the Hawaii Bar Journal, facilitated by Grass Shack Productions.
• Kim Taylor Reece (Advisory Board)minorOthersAdvisory board member providing guidance and support to the organization.
• Robert Wyland (Advisory Board)minorOthersAdvisory board member providing guidance and support to the organization.
• Joshua SylviaminorOthersArtist who donated time and talent to paint a mural on boarded up windows as part of the 'Eyes of Our Soul' fundraiser to repair damaged doors and windows.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Hawaii Theatre Center: Non-profit performing arts venue in Honolulu's Chinatown/downtown historic district that presents film screenings, concerts, and live performance — directly comparable as a historic Honolulu non-profit venue presenting multidisciplinary programming to community audiences.
• Honolulu Theatre for Youth: Honolulu-based non-profit performing arts company that produces and presents theater for young audiences, sharing a comparable non-profit performing arts mission, Honolulu arts ecosystem presence, and reliance on community/grant funding.
• Manoa Valley Theatre: Honolulu-area non-profit community theater producing musicals and plays in its own venue — directly comparable as a venue-operating, community-supported performing arts organization serving Honolulu audiences.
• Kumu Kahua Theatre: Honolulu community-based non-profit theater producing local and original works, with a comparable small-scale, mission-driven producing model and shared Honolulu non-profit performing arts audience base.

Broad incumbents

• Honolulu Museum of Art: Major Honolulu arts institution operating gallery space, programming, and education across visual and performing arts — comparable as a broader Honolulu arts institution with multi-use programming, though much larger and more established.
• Bishop Museum: Honolulu's largest cultural institution operating exhibition galleries and public programming — a broad incumbent in the Honolulu cultural space with overlapping community programming and visitor model.
• Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAM): State-operated museum and gallery showcasing Hawaii-based artists with public exhibitions and cultural programming — comparable in mission of promoting local artists, though institutionally funded rather than donation-dependent.

Emerging players

• Arts Emporium (Honolulu): Small Honolulu gallery and creative retail space supporting local artists with consignment and exhibit programming — comparable as a community-rooted Honolulu venue for emerging local artists in a similar size and operational model.
• Downtown Art Center (Honolulu): Honolulu community arts organization presenting exhibitions and artist support programs in the downtown/Chinatown area — emerging peer with overlapping local-artist incubation and downtown Honolulu programming focus.

Others

• Hawaii Arts Alliance: Statewide advocacy and capacity-building organization for Hawaii's arts sector — comparable as an ecosystem enabler that channels funding, advocacy, and programming support to community arts organizations like ARTS at Marks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/artsatmarks

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 ARTS at Marks Garage