The Nicholson Project
The Nicholson Project is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a multi-track artist residency program, public gallery exhibitions, and a neighborhood garden in Southeast DC, serving emerging and mid-career artists, local DC artists, teens, and the surrounding community.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Nicholson Project does
The Nicholson Project is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that operates a multi-track artist residency program, a public gallery, and a neighborhood garden from a restored single-family row house at 2310 Nicholson Street SE in the Southeast quadrant of the city. It serves emerging and mid-career visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, and other creatives; DC-based artists who need studio space without housing; teens aged 14-18 from DC and the broader DMV region; and the surrounding Southeast DC community. The organization runs five distinct residency tracks: a 10-week In-House Residency with on-site living and studio space and a $5,000 stipend; a 6-8 month Local Artist Studio Residency (LASR) in a renovated former garage; a 1-week Digital Residency delivered via Instagram; a Teen Residency workshop series; and the 12-week CARD Fellowship co-administered with The Phillips Collection and DC Public Library. Supporting offerings include three gallery rooms with rotating exhibitions, a permanent collection of resident works, the TNP Dialogues conversation series, and special public-art projects.
The underlying 'technology' is largely physical and curatorial: a converted row house with an apartment and attached studio, a garden, a renovated garage studio, and three gallery rooms. Distribution occurs through a single physical site (open Wednesdays and Saturdays, plus by appointment), Instagram as the primary digital channel, an email newsletter, Eventbrite and Zeffy for event registration, and partner-channel cross-promotion via The Phillips Collection, DC Public Library, Hamiltonian Artists, and DC city agencies. The business model is donation- and grant-driven: revenue comes primarily from charitable contributions and grants from foundations, individuals, and city agencies, supplemented by small workshop fees ($75 single / $120 two-pack / $200 three-pack) and select ticketed events. Selected artists pay nothing — they receive stipends, curatorial support, and project budgets instead. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging partnerships with established cultural institutions and city government to attract artists, audiences, and funding.
The organization is led by Managing Director Allison Nance, with governance support from a board that includes arts leader Oshun Layne (since 2023) and selection-committee input from DC-based curators such as Abbey Alison McClain (ED of Touchstone Gallery). It operates as an independent nonprofit with no parent company, subsidiaries, or commercial investors disclosed.
The Nicholson Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Nicholson Project
- Legal name
- The Nicholson Project
- Website
- https://thenicholsonproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Nicholson Project is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a multi-track artist residency program, public gallery exhibitions, and a neighborhood garden in Southeast DC, serving emerging and mid-career artists, local DC artists, teens, and the surrounding community.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Nicholson Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artist Residency & Cultural Services
- NAICS
- Historical Sites (712120)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Art, Street Art & Creative Scene Tours (THAJAAAE)
Keywords
Where The Nicholson Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Nicholson Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Nicholson Project is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors to fund operations, artist stipends, and programming.
- Workshop Fees: Revenue generated from paid workshops - $75 per individual workshop or discounted packages ($200 for three workshops, $120 for two workshops). Includes all artist materials.
- Event-based Revenue: Some events have ticket sales with proceeds supporting the organization, such as film premieres and special receptions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Workshop - $75 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Three Workshop Package - $200 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Two Workshop Package - $120 |
| Other | Multi-year contract | In-House Residency - Free (Artists receive stipend) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Nicholson Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Nicholson Project is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that operates multiple paid artist residency programs (In-House, Digital, Local Artist Studio, Teen, and CARD Fellowship) at its Southeast Washington, DC facility. The organization runs a public gallery with rotating exhibitions and an integrated neighborhood garden, providing stipends, curatorial support, studio space, and community programming to artists and the local Southeast DC community.
Product overview
The Nicholson Project is a nonprofit artist residency program coupled with a neighborhood garden. The organization operates as a unified platform offering multiple residency programs: the flagship 10-week In-House Artist Residency providing on-site living and studio space; the Local Artist Studio Residency (LASR) offering six-to-eight months of studio access for DC artists; the Digital Residency as a 1-week Instagram-based residency; and the Teen Residency workshop series. Additional offerings include the CARD Fellowship (12-week collaborative program with Phillips Collection and DC Public Library), TNP Dialogues conversation series, gallery exhibitions, neighborhood garden, and Special Projects including public art initiatives. The organization serves as a creative and innovative cultural hub for Southeast DC, providing artists with space, stipends, curatorial support, and professional development opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- In-House Artist Residency A 10-week paid residency program for artists of all disciplines held on-site at 2310 Nicholson St SE, Washington, DC, providing selected artists with a furnished apartment, attached studio, $5,000 stipend, curatorial support, up to $2,000 project budget, professional documentation, and introductions to curators and the arts community. Applications are accepted through Slideroom with a $15 fee.
- Digital Residency
Companies that use The Nicholson Project
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Nicholson Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Nicholson Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Hamiltonian ArtistscorePartnership on 'I'll meet you there' city-wide roving exhibition of contemporary video work featuring a twenty-foot billboard truck showcasing video work by four artists (Stephanie J. Williams, Jermaine 'jET' Carter, Edgar Reyes, and A.J. McClenon). The truck traverses all quadrants of the city with outdoor exhibitions anchored at Hamiltonian and The Nicholson Project.
- The Phillips CollectioncoreCARD (Collaborative Arts Resource District) Fellowship is a 12-week collaborative fellowship between The Nicholson Project, The Phillips Collection, and DC Public Library. The fellowship connects artists with professional and financial resources to create and bolster sustainable art careers and foster the contemporary art community in the Washington, DC area. Partners provide tangible resources including stipends, access to archives and art collections, connections to people and institutions, and opportunities to present work publicly.
- DC Public LibrarycoreCARD Fellowship collaboration providing artists with access to library resources and archives, connections to the DC metro region, and exhibition/presentation opportunities at library spaces.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Nicholson Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture: Long-running artist residency program providing studio space, stipends, and curatorial support to emerging and established artists. Comparable core residency-and-stipend model, though at substantially larger scale.
- Hamiltonian Artists: DC-based nonprofit supporting emerging and mid-career artists through exhibitions, mentorship, and public programming. Directly comparable as a small DC nonprofit arts incubator with overlapping artist pipeline and partnership ties (Hamiltonian is a current Nicholson partner).
- Transformer: DC nonprofit arts organization supporting emerging artists through exhibitions, residencies, and public programs. Directly comparable small-staff nonprofit model serving emerging DC artists with curatorial and exhibition support.
- Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: Omaha-based nonprofit artist residency with on-site live/work studios, gallery exhibitions, and community programming. Closely comparable multi-track residency-plus-gallery model on a similarly modest operational footprint.
- Touchstone Gallery: DC artist-run nonprofit gallery offering exhibition opportunities, studio programs, and community engagement. Comparable as a DC nonprofit visual-arts organization providing space and professional development to local artists.
- Yaddo: Historic artist residency providing live/work space and stipends across visual arts, writing, and other disciplines. Comparable residency model with community/creative-campus identity, though operating at endowment-scale.
- Art Omi: Upstate NY artist residency offering live/work space, stipends, gallery exhibitions, and public programs. Comparable multi-disciplinary residency model with community engagement programming and exhibition output.
- Joan Mitchell Center: New Orleans-based artist residency offering live/work space, stipends, and community-focused programming. Directly comparable residency-plus-community-anchor model with similar mission emphasis on supporting artists and surrounding neighborhood.
Broad incumbents
- The Phillips Collection: Major DC museum and CARD Fellowship partner. Operates as a large incumbent in the same DC arts ecosystem, with overlapping artist and curatorial networks and significantly greater resources.
Emerging players
- Family Arts Museum: DC-area arts organization collaborating with The Nicholson Project on the 1,000 Words project. Comparable small nonprofit arts model with overlapping programming and target audience in the DMV region.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Nicholson Project social profiles
Digital presenceThe Nicholson Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Nicholson Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Nicholson Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Nicholson Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Nicholson Project
What does The Nicholson Project do?
The Nicholson Project is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that operates multiple paid artist residency programs (In-House, Digital, Local Artist Studio, Teen, and CARD Fellowship) at its Southeast Washington, DC facility. The organization runs a public gallery with rotating exhibitions and an integrated neighborhood garden, providing stipends, curatorial support, studio space, and community programming to artists and the local Southeast DC community.
Is The Nicholson Project a public or private company?
The Nicholson Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Nicholson Project founded?
The Nicholson Project was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Nicholson Project based?
The Nicholson Project is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Nicholson Project make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are workshop Fees and event-based Revenue.
Who are The Nicholson Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Hamiltonian Artists, Transformer, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Touchstone Gallery, Yaddo, Art Omi and Joan Mitchell Center. The Phillips Collection is listed as a broad incumbent. Family Arts Museum is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Nicholson Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Nicholson Project.
What industry is The Nicholson Project in?
The Nicholson Project's product category is Artist Residency & Cultural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJAKAA, Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture), with a secondary code of THAJAAAE, Art, Street Art & Creative Scene Tours. Its NAICS code is 712120 and its SIC code is 7330.