Youth Art Exchange

Name

Youth Art Exchange

Legal name

Youth Art Exchange

Website

https://youthartexchange.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Design Camps (Visual Arts, Crafts, Design Thinking) (EDAMALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Youth arts education
• Community arts programs
• Arts residencies
• Creative workshops
• Youth arts center

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting youth arts programming. YAX accepts online donations, mailed checks, stock transfers, cryptocurrency, mutual fund transfers, ACH gifts, and workplace giving through Benevity. The organization is fiscally sponsored by Tides Center.
2. Government Grants: Funding from government entities including California Arts Council, Grants for the Arts, SF Arts Commission, SF Department of Children Youth and their Families, SF Public Utilities Commission, and SF Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
3. Foundation Grants: Support from private foundations including Bill Graham Foundation, Bothin Foundation, Kimball Foundation, Morris Stulsaft Foundation, Walter + Elise Haas Fund, and others.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners including Adobe, GI Partners, Presidio Bay Ventures, Mithun, and TPG Capital provide funding and potentially in-kind support.
5. Space Rentals: YAX Studios at La Fénix and Kapuso are available for event rentals, workshops, and community gatherings. Venues include gallery spaces, workshop studios, outdoor courtyards with murals, and outdoor stages for performances.
6. Community Classes and Workshops: Fee-based adult and community programming including Afro-Brazilian drumming ($5 youth, $10 adults), screen printing open studios ($35), stained glass workshops ($50), and Sip & Still Life events ($15 suggested donation).
7. Youth Programs (Free): Core youth afterschool programs and summer camps are provided free of charge to public high school students, subsidized by donor funding. Scholarships for SFUSD students are available for summer camps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Youth Art Exchange (YAX) is a community arts center that delivers free afterschool arts programs and summer art camps for public high school students, paid community classes and workshops for adults, school residency programs, rotating artist exhibitions, citywide public art projects, and paid studio space rentals. Programming is led by professional working artists across disciplines such as architecture, animation, photography, fashion design, music production, printmaking, and mural arts, and is delivered from two physical studio locations in San Francisco (La Fénix in the Mission District and Kapuso in the Excelsior).

Product overview

Youth Art Exchange (YAX) is a community arts center offering a portfolio of interconnected arts education programs and creative services. The organization operates from two studio locations—YAX Studios at La Fénix (Mission District) and YAX Studios at Kapuso (Excelsior)—providing physical spaces for programming. Core offerings include free afterschool programs and summer art camps for youth, artist-led community classes and workshops, rotating exhibitions, and public art projects. Additional revenue-generating services include space rentals, school residencies, and fee-based community workshops. Signature annual events include the Youth Arts Summit, (415) Public Gallery exhibition, and Mission Missives Zine Expo. The Youth Advisory Board provides paid leadership opportunities for enrolled students. All programming prioritizes racial equity and serves primarily public high school students, with a focus on youth of color.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Afterschool Programs Free afterschool arts programs for San Francisco public high school students, led by professional working artists. Supports youth in developing creative, technical, and leadership skills and uses art as a tool for self-expression and civic voice.
• Summer Art Camps Summer day-camp programming for rising 3rd–5th graders introducing younger youth to hands-on art making. Free for SFUSD students via scholarships; otherwise fee-based.
• Studio Space Rentals Rental of creative spaces including the La Fénix Gallery, Kapuso Workshop/Studio, outdoor courtyard with murals, and outdoor stage for events, meetings, workshops, performances, and community gatherings. Generates earned income for the organization.
• Community Classes and Open Studios Artist-led fee-based classes and workshops for adults and community members, including Afro-Brazilian drumming ($5 youth / $10 adults), screen printing open studios ($35 drop-in), stained glass workshops ($35–$50), and Sip & Still Life drawing events ($15 suggested donation).
• School Residencies Multi-disciplinary arts residencies delivered at SFUSD and private/parochial schools spanning Architecture, Animation, Photography, Fashion Design, Music Production, Printmaking, and more. Includes arts integration, arts electives, workshops, and after-school enrichment.
• Artist Exhibitions Program Short-term (4–8 week) curated exhibition opportunities for Bay Area artists in the YAX Studios galleries at La Fénix and Kapuso.
• Public Art Projects Citywide public art projects including murals, utility box art, parklets, and billboard projects, developed in partnership with professional artists and public high school students across San Francisco.
• Youth Arts Summit Annual gathering featuring youth art exhibitions, performances, workshops, and resource tables for youth artists and youth arts support organizations across San Francisco.
• (415) Public Gallery Annual open-call community exhibition celebrating youth creativity, open to all youth regardless of experience level.
• Mission Missives Zine Expo Annual community expo celebrating independent publishing, comics, illustration, and DIY culture, featuring local artists and creators in San Francisco's Mission District.
• Youth Advisory Board Paid leadership program through which enrolled students help shape the organization, collaborate with staff on programming and operations, and lead events and creative projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,000 students served since 2000
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, moderate and minor.

• Mission Housing Development CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit housing developer providing YAX with subsidized studio spaces in their 100% affordable housing buildings at La Fénix and Kapuso locations.
• California College of the ArtsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for externships, practicum, and teaching fellowship positions. Students from CCA assist at YAX programs.
• Yerba Buena Center for the ArtsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area arts organization collaboration on programming and youth arts initiatives.
• Arts Education Alliance of the Bay AreamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of arts education organizations working together to support arts education in Bay Area schools.
• Sambaxé Dance CompanymoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area Brazilian dance group that collaborates with YAX on cultural programming and exhibitions.
• Performing Arts WorkshopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for performing arts programming and youth development.
• First ExposuresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth photography program partner.
• Excelsior CollaborativemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of Excelsior neighborhood organizations working on community development and programs.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of San FranciscomoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership began in 2019 to hold programs at Columbia Park Clubhouse in the Mission.
• Tides CentermajorOthersYAX is a project of Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides fiscal sponsorship, administrative services, and legal status. All donations are made through Tides Center.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Creativity Explored: San Francisco nonprofit supporting artists with developmental disabilities through studio practice, exhibitions, and community programs. Comparable as a community-rooted, studio-based arts nonprofit operating in SF with exhibition and education programming.
• Performing Arts Workshop: San Francisco-based nonprofit providing arts education to youth, with a focus on creative youth development. Listed as a YAX community partner, sharing a comparable mission, Bay Area geography, and youth-arts-education operating model.
• Root Division: SF community arts nonprofit combining studio space, artist residencies, exhibitions, and arts education. Operates a similar mission-driven model with multiple revenue streams (classes, studio rentals, exhibitions) anchored in the Mission-adjacent arts ecosystem.
• First Exposures: SF-based nonprofit mentoring underserved youth through photography. YAX lists First Exposures as a community partner; both serve SFUSD youth of color with artist-led instruction and have similar nonprofit funding models.
• Southern Exposure: SF artist-run nonprofit space supporting emerging artists through exhibitions, public programs, and youth engagement. Comparable as a community-arts nonprofit with a strong exhibition/programming model serving Bay Area artists and audiences.
• Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts: SF-based Latino arts and cultural center offering classes, exhibitions, and performance programming. Comparable as a community-anchored arts center in the Mission District serving youth and families with equity-centered programming.
• 826 Valencia: San Francisco nonprofit providing free writing and tutoring programs to underserved youth. Comparable operating model — free programming for SFUSD students, donated/grant-funded, hybrid educational nonprofit leveraging community partnerships in the Bay Area.
• CounterPulse: San Francisco performing arts nonprofit supporting experimental and community-rooted performance. Comparable in scope (community arts programming, exhibitions/events, space activation) and Bay Area nonprofit structure.

Broad incumbents

• Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: Larger Bay Area arts institution providing exhibitions, performances, and youth programming. YAX partners with YBCA on youth-arts initiatives; comparable in focus on community access to the arts but with a broader curatorial scope and larger operating budget.

Regional players

• Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center: SF-based nonprofit supporting API arts and culture through festivals, exhibitions, and community programs. Comparable community-arts nonprofit serving Bay Area communities of color with similar grant-funded, equity-centered programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthartx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Youth Art Exchange