Open Studios Boulder
Open Studios Boulder County is a Boulder-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that connects Boulder County visual artists with the community through the annual Open Studios Tour, Plein Air Festival, Gallery Boulder Junction, and educational programs like the Mobile Art Lab and EdLinks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Open Studios Boulder does
Open Studios Boulder County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, that operates as a community platform connecting Boulder County visual artists with the local public. The organization serves two primary segments: working visual artists in the region seeking visibility and sales channels, and art enthusiasts and community members seeking access to art experiences. Its core programming centers on the annual Open Studios Tour, held the first two weekends in October and described as Boulder County's largest art event of the year, where member artists open their studios to the public.
The organization's product portfolio comprises the Open Studios Tour, the Plein Air Festival (an outdoor painting event culminating in a multi-artist exhibition), the Mobile Art Lab (a mobile art-education initiative), EdLinks (educational resources), an online Artist Directory, and Gallery Boulder Junction, a curated retail gallery at 3075 Pearl Parkway that has been converted into a hybrid gallery + workshop space hosting classes and recurring community events such as Mixed Media Maker Sundays. There is no proprietary technology platform; the underlying "stack" is a Squarespace website, an Instagram presence, and an email newsletter, with events and exhibitions operated through physical venues and partner organizations such as Park Coworking.
The business model is a community-funded non-profit operating model rather than a commercial revenue model. Revenue (not publicly disclosed) is generated through a diversified mix of grants from municipal and state arts funders (SCFD, Colorado Creative Industries, Boulder Arts Commission, Create Boulder), individual donations, member artist fees, a tiered 2025-26 corporate sponsorship package, and modest gallery sales. The go-to-market is regional, limited to Boulder County, with marketing conducted primarily through Instagram, the openstudios.org website, and a weekly email newsletter.
Open Studios Boulder firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open Studios Boulder
- Legal name
- Open Studios Boulder County
- Website
- https://openstudios.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Open Studios Boulder County is a Boulder-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that connects Boulder County visual artists with the community through the annual Open Studios Tour, Plein Air Festival, Gallery Boulder Junction, and educational programs like the Mobile Art Lab and EdLinks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open Studios Boulder industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Arts Services
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Studio Tours & Visitor Experiences (MPADAIAL)
Keywords
Where Open Studios Boulder is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Open Studios Boulder business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Open Studios Boulder product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open Studios Boulder County is a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization that empowers Boulder County artists through visual arts access, education, and life-enriching experiences. It runs annual studio tours, plein air painting festivals, mobile art education, and maintains a curated gallery plus an online artist directory serving both local working artists and the broader community.
Product overview
Open Studios Boulder County is a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization that operates as a platform connecting Boulder County artists with the community through multiple programs. The core offerings include the Open Studios Tour (the annual flagship art event held the first 2 weekends in October), the Plein Air Festival (outdoor painting event with exhibit), Mobile Art Lab (mobile art education), EdLinks (educational resources), an Artist Directory (discover artists), and Gallery Boulder Junction (a curated gallery space at 3075 Pearl Parkway offering fine art, gifts, and workshops). These programs collectively support artists' success and foster community connection through visual arts access and life-enriching experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Open Studios Tour
- Plein Air Festival
- Mobile Art Lab
- EdLinks
- Artist Directory
- Gallery Boulder Junction
- Artist Membership
Companies that use Open Studios Boulder
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Open Studios Boulder technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Open Studios Boulder partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Colorado Creative IndustriescoreState-level arts funding and support organization that provides grant funding and recognition for arts organizations in Colorado.
- Create BouldercoreLocal arts advocacy organization working to strengthen Boulder's creative community and economy.
- Boulder Arts CommissioncoreOfficial city commission that supports and funds arts and culture in Boulder, providing municipal support and funding.
- Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD)coreRegional funding mechanism that provides financial support to arts and cultural organizations in the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area through a dedicated sales tax.
- Boulder ArmoryminorHistoric venue in Boulder that provides event space for arts programming.
- Boulder Convention & Visitors BureauminorLocal destination marketing organization promoting Boulder as a visitor destination, potentially driving tourism to Open Studios events.
- Downtown Boulder PartnershipminorBusiness improvement district organization supporting downtown Boulder businesses and economic development.
- NoBo Art DistrictminorNorth Boulder arts district organization dedicated to promoting arts in the NoBo neighborhood.
- Park CoworkingminorCoworking space in Boulder that hosts the Plein Air exhibit, providing gallery venue for artist showcases.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Open Studios Boulder competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marin Open Studios: A nonprofit-run, county-wide studio tour in Marin County, California, providing artist studio access to the public over multiple weekends — structurally identical to Open Studios Boulder's annual Tour.
- Sonoma County Open Studios: Runs an annual county-wide studio tour in California where visual artists open their studios to the public — the closest direct comparable to Open Studios Boulder's flagship tour format, with similar nonprofit mission and artist-member model.
- San Diego Open Studios: Hosts an annual multi-weekend event where San Diego County artists open their studios to visitors — same studio-tour operating model with regional nonprofit governance and similar member-artist economics.
- Sacramento Open Studios: An annual two-weekend studio tour in the Sacramento region showcasing local artists in their workspaces — directly comparable event format, artist recruitment model, and nonprofit operating structure.
- Portland Open Studios: A regional studio tour event featuring dozens of artists opening their studios to the public each fall — directly analogous in event design, member-artist model, and nonprofit operational scope.
- East Bay Open Studios: A community-organized annual studio tour spanning multiple East Bay cities in California — directly comparable in scale, nonprofit structure, and artist-community-building mission.
Broad incumbents
- Colorado Creative Industries: State-level arts funding and support agency providing grants and recognition to Colorado arts organizations — a broader incumbent funder and ecosystem support organization that overlaps with Open Studios' mission at scale.
Regional players
- Museum of Contemporary Art Boulder (MCA Boulder): Boulder-based contemporary art nonprofit offering exhibitions, education, and community programs — a regional peer operating in the same Boulder arts ecosystem with overlapping artist and audience pools.
- NoBo Art District: A North Boulder arts district organization promoting local arts through events, gallery walks, and community programming — operates in the same geographic market as Open Studios Boulder with overlapping artist and visitor bases.
- Create Boulder: A local arts advocacy organization working to strengthen Boulder's creative community and economy — a regional peer and existing partner that supports many of the same artists and programs Open Studios serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Open Studios Boulder social profiles
Digital presenceOpen Studios Boulder financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open Studios Boulder leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Open Studios Boulder funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open Studios Boulder 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 Open Studios Boulder
What does Open Studios Boulder do?
Open Studios Boulder County is a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization that empowers Boulder County artists through visual arts access, education, and life-enriching experiences. It runs annual studio tours, plein air painting festivals, mobile art education, and maintains a curated gallery plus an online artist directory serving both local working artists and the broader community.
Is Open Studios Boulder a public or private company?
Open Studios Boulder is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Open Studios Boulder founded?
Open Studios Boulder was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Open Studios Boulder based?
Open Studios Boulder is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Open Studios Boulder's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marin Open Studios, Sonoma County Open Studios, San Diego Open Studios, Sacramento Open Studios, Portland Open Studios and East Bay Open Studios. Colorado Creative Industries is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Museum of Contemporary Art Boulder (MCA Boulder), NoBo Art District and Create Boulder.
Does Open Studios Boulder have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open Studios Boulder.
What industry is Open Studios Boulder in?
Open Studios Boulder's product category is Community Arts Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAIAL, Studio Tours & Visitor Experiences. Its NAICS code is 7121 and its SIC code is 7900.