Kala Institute

What Kala Institute does

Kala Art Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1974 in Emeryville, California, and now headquartered in Berkeley. It operates from two Berkeley facilities — a gallery and community classroom at 2990 San Pablo Avenue and a 15,200-square-foot printmaking, digital, and sculpture studio in the historic Heinz Building at 1060 Heinz Avenue — providing 24/7 access to professional-grade equipment including etching presses, letterpress, lithography, screen-print, digital media, darkroom, and sculpture facilities. The organization runs an integrated portfolio of programs: Artist-in-Residence and Fellowship Programs as its core offering; specialized residencies for veterans, media artists, parent artists, and curators; rotating gallery exhibitions; community education spanning adult classes, Camp Kala summer youth program, After School Studio (grades 1-5), and Teen Studio (grades 6-12); and civic/creative-placemaking initiatives including the Print Public project (in partnership with the City of Berkeley and UC Berkeley) and the Commons Archive neighborhood history project in North Oakland.

Kala is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Co-Executive Directors Ellen Lake (Executive Director, formerly grant-writing and development specialist, Mills College MFA) and Mayumi Hamanaka (Artistic Director, California College of Arts MFA), with founders Archana Horsting and Yuzo Nakano serving as Emeritus. The organization employs 7 full-time and 3 part-time staff plus 15+ teaching artists, and serves 100-125 resident artists, 2,500 K-12 students in Alameda County public schools, and 25,000 total program participants annually. Revenue is generated through foundation and government grants (NEA, Andy Warhol Foundation, California Arts Council, San Francisco Foundation, California Humanities, Creative Forces), individual donations and memberships (members receive 10% off classes), corporate partnerships (Pixar since 2011, Bayer Healthcare, Meyer Sound), earned income from adult and youth education programs, art sales through the gallery and Artsy, facility rentals, and fiscal sponsorship services. Kala also administers the California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowships program for the Bay Area region, extending its role from grant recipient to grant administrator.

Name

Kala Institute

Legal name

Kala Art Institute

Website

https://kala.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kala Art Institute is a Berkeley-based nonprofit arts organization founded in 1974 that runs artist residencies, gallery exhibitions, and community arts education, serving roughly 25,000 participants annually from a 15,200-square-foot facility in West Berkeley.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Arts Education and Residency Services

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920), Photography Studios, Portrait (541921)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Artist residency programs
• Arts education services
• Printmaking studio access
• Community art exhibitions
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Government Grants: Primary revenue source from grants awarded by foundations including Andy Warhol Foundation, California Arts Council, California Humanities, San Francisco Foundation, and government agencies including NEA. These grants fund residency programs, public art projects, and organizational operations.
2. Individual Donations and Memberships: Support from individual donors through donations, memberships (offering 10% off classes), planned giving, and fund-a-fellowship programs
3. Art Sales: Sale of artwork through Kala's art sales program, gallery exhibitions, and participation in art fairs. Oversees an extensive collection of works on paper.
4. Education Programs: Revenue from adult art classes, youth programs including Camp Kala summer camp, after-school programs, and professional development workshops
5. Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate funders including Bayer Healthcare, Pixar (for whom Kala has provided special classes), Meyer Sound, and others
6. Facility Rentals and Fiscal Sponsorship: Rental of facilities and fiscal sponsorship services for artists and arts projects

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kala Art Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts organization that provides artist residencies, fellowships, and 24/7 access to professional printmaking, digital media, darkroom, and sculpture facilities. It operates a public gallery with rotating exhibitions, runs youth and adult arts education programs, and manages community arts initiatives such as Print Public and Commons Archive in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product overview

Kala Art Institute operates as a unified nonprofit arts organization offering an integrated portfolio of artist residency programs and community education services. The core programs include Artist-in-Residence and Fellowship programs providing studio access and professional facilities, complemented by specialized residencies for veterans, media artists, and parent artists. Public programming includes rotating gallery exhibitions and art sales. Education offerings span adult classes, youth programs (Camp Kala, After School Studio, Teen Studio), and community engagement through initiatives like Print Public. Printmaking and digital media facilities support all residency programs, creating a cohesive ecosystem supporting artists from creation through exhibition and sale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artist-in-Residence Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 100-125+ artists annually through residency and fellowship programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CODEX FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 February 20249th International Biennial Book Art Fair & Symposium. Kala hosted reception at gallery for current exhibition during the fair
• SFMOMA Small Press Book BazaarminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 December 2023Kala participated in holiday pop-up sale featuring local presses, zine publishers, artists, and artwork at SFMOMA during First Thursday when museum admission is free
• City of BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2020Municipal artist-in-residence program partnership through Print Public initiative, with artists working alongside city departments on COVID-19 community recovery with focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion
• UC Berkeley Department of City & Regional PlanningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2015Arts-integrated approach to urban planning and community activation through Print Public project. UC students participated in urban planning research course [IN]City with faculty Fernando Burga and Karen Trapenberg-Frick
• Commons ArchivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014North Oakland-based grassroots history project developed by cultural researcher Sue Mark (marksearch), initiated through Kala's Print Public program in 2014, preserving neighborhood stories and building community connections
• PixarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial art classes for Pixar animators offered since 2011, teaching screen-printing, etching, letterpress, and other techniques
• Bayer HealthcareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner receiving special art classes for employees
• Golden Gate Library (North Oakland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner location for Commons Archive installations, skill-building workshops, and permanent collection of neighborhood materials and stories

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southern Exposure: San Francisco-based artist-run nonprofit space commissioning new work, hosting residencies, and running youth education programs. Comparable as a Bay Area nonprofit combining residencies, exhibitions, and community arts education.
• Headlands Center for the Arts: Bay Area nonprofit artist residency and community programs organization based in Sausalito. Most direct peer due to shared model of providing studio residencies, public programs, and community engagement in the same region.
• Anchor Graphics: Chicago-based nonprofit printmaking workshop offering residencies, classes, and exhibitions. Directly comparable as a printmaking-focused residency and education nonprofit with similar programmatic mix to Kala.
• Anderson Ranch Arts Center: Colorado-based nonprofit arts center providing artist residencies, workshops, and community education programs. Comparable multi-program model spanning residencies, adult classes, and youth programming.
• Tamarind Institute: Renowned lithography workshop and residency program affiliated with the University of New Mexico. Comparable as a long-standing printmaking-focused residency and education institution serving emerging and established artists.
• Women's Studio Workshop: New York-based nonprofit printmaking and book arts residency with grants, residencies, and exhibitions. Kala has a documented research residency partnership with WSW, indicating direct programmatic overlap.
• San Francisco Center for the Book: Bay Area nonprofit dedicated to book arts, letterpress, and printmaking, offering workshops, residencies, and exhibitions. Directly comparable as a printmaking-focused community arts nonprofit in the same metro.
• Lower East Side Printshop: NYC-based nonprofit printmaking workspace offering artist residencies, studio access, and exhibitions. Strong functional overlap with Kala's printmaking residency and exhibition model.
• Joan Mitchell Center: New Orleans-based residency and community programs nonprofit supporting visual artists. Comparable as a multi-program nonprofit providing residencies, public programs, and education alongside artist support services.

Broad incumbents

• BAMPFA (Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive): Berkeley's university art museum presenting exhibitions, film programs, and education. Functions as a broader, larger incumbent in the same local arts ecosystem with overlapping education and exhibition programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kala-art-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Kala Institute