Mitchell Street Arts

What Mitchell Street Arts does

Mitchell Street Arts (MiSA) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts center founded in 2022 and headquartered on Historic Mitchell Street in Milwaukee's South Side. The organization operates a 12,000-square-foot facility that combines a 600-square-foot gallery, a performance stage, and a 3,000-square-foot makerspace equipped with a woodshop, ceramics studio, photo darkroom, and spray booth. Its product portfolio centers on five core offerings: the TWIG 6-month juried artist studio residency (subsidized at $200/month), the TRUNK short-term rural residency retreat (3-5 days), the community makerspace, a community gallery that takes no commission on artwork sales, and over 600 free or donation-based public programs annually spanning ceramics, woodworking, darkroom photography, printmaking, dance, mosaics, and other visual and performing arts. Bilingual programming is delivered in English and Spanish, and the facility is ADA compliant. MiSA serves three primary participant segments: historically underserved Milwaukee youth, immigrants, families, and emerging artists seeking affordable arts education; Milwaukee-based artists seeking studio space, exhibition, and professional development; and Milwaukee schools partnering for arts access programming. The organization also rents its event venue to community groups. MiSA is governed by a board including representatives from Northwestern Mutual, State of Wisconsin, Summit Credit Union, JP Morgan Chase Bank, and KEEN Footwear, with Sam Wolf serving as Executive Director and Christine Welman as Curator.

MiSA's business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams include foundation and corporate grants (Herzfeld Foundation, O'Brien Family Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Arnel Inc., HGA, ALF Investments, Creative Cube, Real Tinsel, and others), government arts and economic development funding (National Endowment for the Arts via Arts Midwest, Wisconsin Arts Board, Milwaukee Arts Board, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and City of Milwaukee Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation), individual donations processed through the Zeffy platform, subsidized artist residency fees ($200/month), and pay-what-you-can class donations ($10-$20 suggested). The go-to-market motion is community-led, driven by in-person programming, word-of-mouth, school and community organization partnerships, email newsletter outreach, organic social media, and earned press coverage in regional outlets such as Shepherd Express, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, TMJ4, Milwaukee Record, and Arts Midwest. There is no e-commerce channel, no digital product distribution, and no proprietary technology platform; all services are delivered at the 710 W Historic Mitchell Street facility. As a small (1-10 employees) operating nonprofit, MiSA's economics are tied to grant cycle continuity and donor diversification rather than unit economics.

Name

Mitchell Street Arts

Legal name

Mitchell Street Arts Collaborative Incorporated

Website

https://www.mitchellstreet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mitchell Street Arts is a Milwaukee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts center offering free or donation-based arts education, a 3,000 sq ft makerspace, a community gallery, and subsidized artist residencies (TWIG, TRUNK) for underserved South Side residents and local artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA)

Keywords

• Community arts education
• Nonprofit arts center
• Artist residency programs
• Community makerspace workshops
• Free arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from private foundations and corporate donors to support nonprofit arts programming and operations.
2. Government Funding: Support from government arts boards and economic development organizations including Wisconsin Arts Board, Milwaukee Arts Board, National Endowment for the Arts, and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
3. Donations: Individual donations from supporters, including a dedicated donation page on Zeffy platform.
4. Artist Residency Fees: TWIG residency program charged at highly subsidized rate of $200/month to cover studio costs.
5. Class and Workshop Fees: Pay-what-you-can suggested donations for classes ranging from $10-$20, designed to ensure access regardless of financial means.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mitchell Street Arts (MiSA) is a nonprofit arts center that delivers community arts education, makerspace access, artist residencies, and exhibitions from a 12,000-square-foot facility on Historic Mitchell Street in Milwaukee. Its offerings include the TWIG 6-month juried artist residency, the TRUNK short-term rural residency retreat, a 3,000-square-foot makerspace with woodshop, ceramics studio, photo darkroom, and spray booth, a community gallery that takes no commission on artwork sales, and over 600 free or donation-based public programs and classes per year covering visual arts, performing arts, ceramics, woodworking, darkroom photography, dance, mosaics, and printmaking. All programs are free or donation-based to ensure equitable access regardless of financial means.

Product overview

Mitchell Street Arts (MiSA) is a nonprofit arts organization founded in 2022 that operates as a community-centered creative hub on Milwaukee's South Side. The organization offers a unified portfolio of accessible arts programming including the TWIG 6-month artist studio residency program, the TRUNK short-term rural residency retreat, a 3,000 square-foot makerspace facility (with wood shop, ceramics studio, darkroom, and spray booth), a community gallery that takes no commission on sold works, and over 600 annual public programs and classes. All programs are free or donation-based to ensure equitable access regardless of financial means.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TWIG: A competitive, juried, 6-month artist studio residency program offering emerging and established artists the opportunity to engage the Milwaukee arts community and its public in critical dialogue about contemporary art.
• TRUNK

Products and services

• Community Gallery A gallery space that showcases Milwaukee-based outside artists, innovative group shows, and the work of artists in residence. Mitchell Street Arts supports the city's arts sector by taking no commission on works sold.
• TWIG Artist Residency A competitive, juried 6-month artist studio residency program offering emerging and established artists a private studio (100-170 sq ft), 24/7 makerspace access (woodshop, ceramics studio, darkroom, spray booth), exhibition opportunities, and professional development at Mitchell Street Arts' 12,000-square-foot facility. Participants are charged a subsidized $200/month with a refundable $200 security deposit.
• TRUNK Artist Residency Retreat A short-term rural residency designed to offer Milwaukee artists a focused, private retreat at a rural Midwest cabin for 3-5 days of uninterrupted time to create, reflect, and recharge.
• Makerspace A 3,000-square-foot makerspace workshop containing a woodshop, ceramics studio, photo darkroom, spray booth, kitchen, common areas, and lockers, available for traditional and non-traditional artists to connect, collaborate, and learn new skills. Access is bundled with the TWIG residency and used for in-house classes and workshops.
• Public Programs and Classes Over 600 free or donation-based programs annually including visual arts, performing arts, experimental art, ceramics, figure drawing, woodworking, darkroom photography, dance (Bachata, Country Line Dancing, Salsa), mosaics, ebru water marbling, lino-cut printmaking, yoga, hoop and poi, and textile arts. Class fees are pay-what-you-can with suggested donations of $10-$20 per class and supplies included.
• Community Practices Exhibition Series Exhibition series showcasing the work of MiSA's students, teachers, and community members featuring mosaics, water marbling, printmaking, photography, pottery, painting, and more.
• Event Venue Rental Event space rental including use of stage, gallery, and ADA-compliant performance venue for community groups, organizations, and private events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ programs delivered annually

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Artisan Asylum: Somerville, MA nonprofit community makerspace offering shared access to woodshop, ceramics, and other fabrication tools. Comparable makerspace model with subsidized membership and public classes.
• Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE): Chicago-based nonprofit integrating arts education into underserved schools and communities. Comparable mission of expanding equitable arts access and partnership-driven programming for youth.
• Artists Working in Education (AWE): Milwaukee nonprofit providing arts education programming for underserved youth, including in-school and after-school programming. Directly comparable mission and target demographic to MiSA's youth programming.
• Walker's Point Center for the Arts: Milwaukee-based nonprofit community arts center offering exhibitions, classes, and residencies to local artists. Closest geographic and mission analog to MiSA, focused on equitable access and community-rooted programming.
• Lynden Sculpture Garden: Milwaukee-based nonprofit arts organization offering sculpture park access, exhibitions, and community programming. Comparable nonprofit arts model serving Milwaukee with public engagement focus.
• Elsewhere: Nonprofit artist residency and living museum in Greensboro, NC offering residencies, exhibitions, and community programming. Comparable artist residency program and community-engaged nonprofit structure.
• Pyramid Atlantic Art Center: Maryland-based nonprofit arts center offering artist residencies, makerspace facilities, and community classes. Comparable integrated model of residencies, makerspace access, and community education that mirrors MiSA's TWIG program and makerspace.
• The Arts @ Large: Milwaukee nonprofit that integrates arts into schools and community settings with underserved youth. Direct mission overlap with MiSA's school partnership and youth-focused programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mitchell-street-arts-collaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 Mitchell Street Arts