The Arts Area

What The Arts Area does

The Arts Area is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 2016 and headquartered in Ontario, serving the Greater Inland Empire region spanning San Bernardino, Riverside, and East Los Angeles Counties. Its mission is to develop and support economic sustainability and equitable access in the regional creative industries, and it self-identifies as the only regional 501(c)(3) with a creative industries economic development focus in its service area.

The organization operates two integrated lines of activity. The first is the Professional Arts Network, a suite of web-based platforms including the Inland Empire Arts Directory, Arts Calendar, Art Exhibitions, Creative Industries Jobs Board, Open Calls, Arts Education listings, Grants database, and a Cultural Asset Map, all distributed across a portfolio of branded subdomains (IEArtsDirectory.com, IEArtsCalendar.com, IEArtsJobs.com, IEArtsGrants.com, IEArtsMap.com). The second is Fiscal Sponsorship, under which The Arts Area provides immediate 501(c)(3) status, grant eligibility, and back-office services (accounting, tax reporting, marketing, grant writing, donor cultivation, contract preparation, credit card processing, insurance, HR) to creative industry startups and nonprofits. Sponsored projects include Curious Publishing, Print Pomona Art Book Fair, Young Artists Initiative, Arts Now San Bernardino County, Black Art Matters, Ontario Art Walk, and others.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid mix of donations, freemium membership dues with paid donor tiers, tiered professional development workshop fees, fiscal sponsorship administrative fees, and merchandise sales through CafePress. Distribution occurs via the online platform, a physical gallery (The Arts Area Gallery @ CASA Pitzer in partnership with Pitzer College), and advocacy programming (Arts Now SBC) operated in partnership with Create CA. Following the 2023 passing of founder John Machado, Crystal Rodriguez serves as Interim President of the Board and Managing Director.

Name

The Arts Area

Legal name

The Arts Area

Website

https://theartsarea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Arts Area is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the largest professional arts directory, calendar, jobs board, and cultural asset map for the Greater Inland Empire, while providing fiscal sponsorship and back-office services to creative industry startups and nonprofits across San Bernardino, Riverside, and East Los Angeles Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Service/Support Organizations (Networks, Advocacy, Capacity Building) (BPAGAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)

Keywords

• Arts nonprofit services
• Fiscal sponsorship programs
• Creative industries network
• Professional arts directory
• Arts education advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Ontario

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. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies heavily on donations from individuals, sponsors, and supporters. Donations fund the Adopt an Arts Workshop campaign, general operations, and the organization's mission of equitable access and economic development in the creative industries.
2. Membership Dues: The organization offers membership tiers including free subsidized memberships and paid donor memberships. Members receive access to the professional arts network, directory listings, calendar posting, jobs board access, fiscal sponsorship services, and other benefits.
3. Workshop and Class Fees: Professional development workshops are offered with tiered pricing: Donor Level Members view for free, Standard Members pay half price, and Non-Members pay regular price. This provides revenue while incentivizing membership upgrades.
4. Fiscal Sponsorship Services: The organization provides fiscal sponsorship to creative projects and startups, offering immediate nonprofit status, eligibility for charitable donations, and professional back-office services including accounting, tax reporting, marketing, grant writing, and insurance.
5. Merchandise and Publications: The organization sells merchandise through CafePress and publishes works such as the 6x6: Six Years Six Artists book. All proceeds support the mission of equitable access and economic development in the creative industries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Arts Area is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates two integrated service lines for the Greater Inland Empire of Southern California: (1) a Professional Arts Network combining an arts directory, cultural asset map, events calendar, jobs board, open calls listings, grants database, and exhibitions platform for creatives; and (2) Fiscal Sponsorship and Professional Business Services that provide creative industry startups and nonprofits with immediate 501(c)(3) status, eligibility for charitable donations, and back-office support including accounting, tax reporting, marketing, grant writing, donor cultivation, contract preparation, credit card processing, general liability insurance, and HR.

Product overview

The Arts Area operates as a unified platform serving the creative industries of the Greater Inland Empire through an integrated ecosystem of web-based products and professional services. The core offering combines a professional arts network (comprising the Inland Empire Arts Directory, Arts Calendar, Art Exhibitions, Creative Industries Jobs Board, Open Calls listings, Arts Education, Grants database, and Cultural Asset Map) with fiscal sponsorship services providing 501(c)(3) status and back-office support to creative startups and nonprofits. Additional offerings include member workshops, the Adopt an Arts Workshop donation program, The Arts Area Gallery @ CASA Pitzer exhibition space, makerspace directory, and advocacy initiatives including Arts Now San Bernardino County and Black Art Matters. The platform is accessible through both the main theartsarea.org domain and branded subdomain sites (IEArtsDirectory.com, IEArtsCalendar.com, IEArtsJobs.com, etc.).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inland Empire Arts Directory (IEArtsDirectory.com) The largest directory of visual and performing artists, creative industry organizations and businesses, academic and cultural institutions, and arts advocates of the Greater Inland Empire of Southern California, covering San Bernardino, Riverside, and East Los Angeles Counties.
• Inland Empire Arts Calendar (IEArtsCalendar.com) Events calendar featuring arts events, exhibitions, performances, and classes from around the Greater Inland Empire including San Bernardino, Riverside, and East Los Angeles Counties.
• Inland Empire Art Exhibitions Listing of museum and gallery art exhibitions located in San Bernardino, Riverside, and East Los Angeles Counties.
• Inland Empire Creative Industries Jobs Board (IEArtsJobs.com) The creative industries jobs board for the Greater Inland Empire serving San Bernardino, Riverside, and East Los Angeles Counties for employment opportunities, freelance gigs, internships, and residencies.
• Inland Empire Open Calls (IEOpenCall.com) Listing of visual, performing, design, and literary Open Call opportunities in the Greater Inland Empire.
• Inland Empire Arts Education Professional development and arts education programming aligned with the needs and aspirations of students, artists, arts and cultural institutions, and creative industry businesses.
• Inland Empire Arts Grants Listing of arts grants either based in or providing an opportunity to bring funding to the Greater Inland Empire.
• Greater Inland Empire Cultural Asset Map (IEArtsMap.com) Interactive cultural asset map of the Greater Inland Empire showing marked locations for artists, organizations, and creative businesses.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Provides creative projects with immediate nonprofit 501(c)(3) status, eligibility for charitable donations, grant access, and institutional support including accounting, tax reporting, marketing, grant writing, donor cultivation, contract preparation, credit card processing, general liability insurance, and human resources services under Comprehensive Model A, Pre-Approved Grant Model C, and Technical Assistance Model F.
• Adopt an Arts Workshop Hands-on skill sharing opportunities for artists providing stipends to teaching artists, funding for supplies, and facility fees; donation breakdown includes $300 for Tools and Materials and $400 for Artist Stipend. All workshops are free and open to the public.
• The Arts Area Gallery @ CASA Pitzer Curated series of exhibitions and artist talks at CASA Pitzer in Downtown Ontario, with opening receptions held during the Ontario Art Walk on the third Saturday of February, May, August, and November.
• Professional Development Workshops Workshops, classes, and seminars for professional development in the arts, with pricing tiers for Donor Level Members, Standard Members, and Non-Members.
• Arts Now San Bernardino County Community partnership with Create CA serving as a coordinating organization for advocacy of equitable access to in-school arts education for all K-12 students in San Bernardino County.
• Black Art Matters Initiative to support and amplify local Black visual and performing artists and organizations in the Inland Empire community through directory listing and community amplification.
• Membership Program Membership in the largest professional arts network providing personalized membership pages, directory inclusion, Cultural Asset Map location, event posting, member deals, job board access, fiscal sponsorship services, and volunteer opportunities.
• Shop Online shop featuring publications and merchandise, with proceeds supporting The Arts Area mission of equitable access and economic development in the creative industries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Only 37% of San Bernardino County students participate in the arts, with significantly lower access in low-income schools - highlighting the critical need for the organization's advocacy work.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, past and minor.

• Pitzer College (CASA Pitzer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arts Area curates a series of exhibitions and artist talks at CASA Pitzer in Downtown Ontario as part of a community partnership with Pitzer College. The gallery is located at 200 S Euclid Avenue, Suite B, Ontario, CA. Opening receptions are held during the Ontario Art Walk on the third Saturday of February, May, August, and November.
• Create CA (formerly California Alliance for Arts Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts Now San Bernardino County is a community partner with Create CA and serves as a coordinating organization for the advocacy of equitable access to in-school arts education for all K-12 students. The partnership focuses on ensuring every student receives quality arts education as mandated by California's Education Code.
• Artlands CreativepastStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtlands Creative was a Model A Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsored Project from April 2019 to 2022. Following their transition to become an independent incorporated business, The Arts Area entered a temporary Model C Pre-Approved Grant Fiscal Sponsorship relationship to allow them to continue applying for grants during their IRS 501(c)(3) determination period.
• Curious PublishingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCurious Publishing is a comprehensive fiscal sponsored project of The Arts Area. It is a non-profit artbook publishing company focusing on archiving stories and creating wealth by supporting queer, BIPOC, and femme creatives through small-run artbooks, zines, and print collections.
• Print Pomona Art Book FaircoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrint Pomona Art Book Fair is a fiscal sponsored project that fosters the art publishing community within Los Angeles County, San Gabriel Valley, and the Inland Empire while providing opportunities for local, national, and international publishers to exhibit their work.
• Young Artists InitiativecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerYoung Artists Initiative is a fiscal sponsored project providing youth in the Inland Empire with a community for artistic development and support.
• Ontario Art WalkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arts Area is a sponsoring organization for Ontario Art Walk, a community event held on the third Saturday of each month featuring art exhibitions and receptions throughout Downtown Ontario.
• Be A Maker ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's makerspace in Upland listed on The Arts Area's makerspace resource page.
• Eagle Makerspace (Mt. San Jacinto College)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakerspace at Mt. San Jacinto College listed on The Arts Area's makerspace resource page.
• Lightspeed Makerspace (City of Ontario)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakerspace operated by the City of Ontario listed on The Arts Area's makerspace resource page.
• MAG LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakerspace in Pomona listed on The Arts Area's makerspace resource page.
• Maker Exchange (City of Corona)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakerspace operated by the City of Corona listed on The Arts Area's makerspace resource page.
• TinkerSpaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakerspace in Montclair listed on The Arts Area's makerspace resource page.
• Umakers (Claremont)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakerspace in Claremont listed on The Arts Area's makerspace resource page.
• iMake Innovation Center (Moreno Valley College)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakerspace at Moreno Valley College listed on The Arts Area's makerspace resource page.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Performance Network (NPN): NPN is a national network of performing arts presenters, artists, and arts service organizations. It is comparable to The Arts Area in providing network infrastructure, fiscal and capacity-building support, and professional development to performing artists and presenters.
• United States Artists: United States Artists is a national arts service organization that provides fellowship funding, artist resources, and advocacy. It is comparable to The Arts Area in providing multi-disciplinary support, recognition programs, and capacity-building for individual artists.
• Fractured Atlas: Fractured Atlas is a national nonprofit that provides fiscal sponsorship, insurance, and professional services to artists and arts organizations. It is the most direct national analog to The Arts Area's fiscal sponsorship and back-office service model.
• Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA): FCA provides grants and emergency support to individual artists working in performance, visual, and emerging arts. It is comparable to The Arts Area's professional development and direct-support services to individual creatives in the region.
• New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): NYFA provides fiscal sponsorship, grants, training, and resources to artists and arts organizations. It is comparable to The Arts Area in combining fiscal sponsorship with capacity-building programming for the creative community.
• Alliance of Artists Communities: Alliance of Artists Communities is a national service organization supporting residency programs and artist communities. It is comparable to The Arts Area in representing the infrastructure layer that supports creative practitioners and their organizations.
• Springboard for the Arts: Springboard for the Arts is a community development and artist services organization operating in the Upper Midwest. It mirrors The Arts Area's economic development mission for creatives and its mix of direct services, resources, and local advocacy.

Emerging players

• Community Arts Network (Carnegie Mellon Heinz College): Community Arts Network focuses on advancing community-based arts practice, research, and capacity building. It overlaps with The Arts Area's community arts development, equity, and creative placemaking work.
• A Blade of Grass: A Blade of Grass is a national arts service organization funding socially engaged art and providing fiscal sponsorship and capacity building. It overlaps with The Arts Area's equity-focused, fiscal-sponsorship-driven model, though at a smaller and more curated scale.

Regional players

• LA Arts Organizations & Funders Partnership (Arts for LA): Arts for LA is a regional advocacy and capacity-building organization for the arts community in Los Angeles County. It is comparable to The Arts Area's regional network, advocacy, and professional services model, though operating in an adjacent but larger county.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/dreamlandartscommunity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries11 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 Area