CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Arts & Cultural Nonprofit Servicesculturaldc.org

CulturalDC was a Washington, DC nonprofit founded in 1998 that developed artist spaces and presented multidisciplinary work, serving BIPOC artists, arts organizations, and DC communities through Source Theatre, the Mobile Art Gallery, and the Capital Artist Residency before announcing sunset in 2025.

Company typePrivate
Founded1998
HeadquartersWashington, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA does

CulturalDC (Cultural Development Corporation of the District of Columbia) was a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 to develop artist spaces and present multidisciplinary work across the city's eight wards. Over its 27-year operating history, the organization brokered more than 300,000 square feet of space for artists and arts organizations, including the creation of Atlas Performing Arts Center, Brookland Arts Lofts, Source Theatre, and 27 artist studios at Monroe Street Market. CulturalDC served BIPOC visual and multidisciplinary artists, DC residents across all eight wards, and arts organizations through artist residencies, exhibition spaces, performance venues, and creative placemaking initiatives.

The organization's core operational assets were Source Theatre, a 150-seat black box venue at 1835 14th St NW that housed tenants including Constellation Theatre Company, IN Series, and Washington Improv Theater, and the Mobile Art Gallery, a 40-foot shipping container converted into a traveling exhibition space that reached all eight wards and welcomed over 150,000 visitors. Signature programs included the Capital Artist Residency (providing housing, stipends, and childcare for BIPOC artists), Torrents: New Links to Black Futures (a multidisciplinary festival centering Black art), Source Festival (2008-2017, producing 25+ new works annually and engaging 1,500+ artists), and ArtSpace Development (creative placemaking partnerships with real estate developers including Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners and Brookfield Properties).

CulturalDC operated as a community development corporation relying on donations from individuals, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants (DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Cafritz Foundation, Jordan Brand/Nike), special events (Anti-Gala), and merchandise sales. Programs were largely free or donation-based, with ticketed events following Pay-What-You-Can or unit pricing models. In 2025, CulturalDC announced sunset of operations, directing legacy investments of $1.1 million+ to partner organizations including Howard University ($500,000), Theater Alliance ($250,000), Hamiltonian Arts ($150,000), and The Nicholson Project ($100,000 plus the Mobile Art Gallery).

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA firmographics

Firmographics

Name: CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Legal name: Cultural Development Corporation of the District of Columbia
Website: https://culturaldc.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1998
Operating status: Closed
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: CulturalDC was a Washington, DC nonprofit founded in 1998 that developed artist spaces and presented multidisciplinary work, serving BIPOC artists, arts organizations, and DC communities through Source Theatre, the Mobile Art Gallery, and the Capital Artist Residency before announcing sunset in 2025.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA industry classification

Industry

Product category: Arts & Cultural Nonprofit Services
NAICS: Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
SIC: Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
akta.pro industry: PRIMARYBPAGAHAD
Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations
Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits
SECONDARYBPAGAHAB
Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music)
Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits
SECONDARYBPAGAHAH
Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs
Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits
SECONDARYTHAHAAAG
Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums)
Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

Keywords

Arts nonprofit programming
Artist residency programs
Performance venue operations
Creative placemaking services
Community arts engagement

Where CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Washington
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Donations and Individual Giving: CulturalDC operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying primarily on donations from individuals, supporters, and the community
Corporate Sponsorships: Annual corporate sponsorships from businesses to support programming and events
Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Cafritz Foundation, Jordan Brand/Nike, and others
Special Events: Event-based fundraising including Anti-Gala annual celebration
Merchandise Sales: Sale of artist merchandise including limited edition items like Sandy Williams IV's Black Lincoln beeswax candles ($150 each)

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	One time	Free admission to exhibitions and programs
Other	One time	Anti-Gala event tickets
Other	One time	Never in Our Image ticketed performances
Unit Pricing	One time	Limited edition merchandise
Unit Pricing	One time	Bomba Workshop tickets

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA product offering

Product offering

Core offering

CulturalDC developed and operated affordable physical space and programmatic platforms for artists and DC communities, including the Source Theatre (150-seat black box venue), a Mobile Art Gallery (40-ft shipping container) that toured all eight wards, an annual Capital Artist Residency supporting BIPOC artists with housing and stipends, the Torrents multidisciplinary Black arts festival, and ArtSpace Development real estate brokering services. Programs were largely free or donation-based, with ticketed fundraising events supplementing revenue.

Product overview

CulturalDC is a nonprofit arts organization operating as a single unified offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core programs include the Source Theatre (a 150-seat black box venue), the Mobile Art Gallery (a 40-ft shipping container gallery), the Capital Artist Residency (annual BIPOC artist residency), and Torrents festival. Additional programs include the Anti-Gala annual fundraising event and ArtSpace Development creative placemaking services. The organization has brokered over 300,000 square feet of space for artists since 1998.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Source Theatre A 150-seat black box theatre and arts hub located at 1835 14th St NW, Washington, DC, serving as home venue for resident theatre companies including Constellation Theatre Company, IN Series, and Washington Improv Theater.
Mobile Art Gallery A 40-ft shipping container converted into a mobile gallery that travels to all eight wards of Washington, DC, hosting free exhibitions and artistic installations accessible to diverse communities.
Capital Artist Residency An annual residency program supporting BIPOC visual and multidisciplinary artists with housing, stipends, childcare support, studio space, and public engagement opportunities in Washington, DC.
Torrents: New Links to Black Futures A multidisciplinary festival centering Black art, culture, and community, returned to Creative Director Jamal Gray as part of CulturalDC's 2025 legacy sunset.
Anti-Gala Annual Fundraising Event An annual fundraising event featuring celebration, cocktails, dinner, performances, and the announcement of the Capital Artist Resident.
ArtSpace Development Creative placemaking initiatives and innovative real estate partnerships that broker space for artists and arts organizations, including artist housing, studio space, and public art opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

Over 300,000 square feet of artist space brokered since 1998
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Customer profile

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

Howard University Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine ArtsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Legacy gift of $500,000 to continue the Capital Artist Residency program at Howard University
Hamiltonian ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Legacy gift of $150,000 to aid in facilitating housing and space as part of the Capital Artist Residency program
Theater AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Legacy contribution of $250,000 to help build a new multidisciplinary wing for performing arts, visual art exhibitions, rehearsal space, and community gatherings
The Nicholson ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Legacy donation of $100,000 and the Mobile Art Gallery to continue presenting exhibitions east of the river
Jair Lynch Real Estate PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides housing for Capital Artist Residents at âme apartment building
TransformercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of Double Rainbow: Future Archives exhibition featuring Holly Bass and Maps Glover
Black Public MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacy grant recipient for Torrents programming continuation
The Bearded Ladies CabaretminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacy grant recipient as part of CulturalDC's sunset legacy planning
In SeriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacy grant recipient and home tenant at Source Theatre

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

National Performance Network: National network supporting experimental performing artists through residencies and commissioning. Comparable to CulturalDC's Source Festival that produced 25+ new works annually and engaged 1,500+ artists.
Hamiltonian Artists: DC-based artist support organization providing studio space and career development. Received a $150,000 legacy gift from CulturalDC to facilitate housing and space for the Capital Artist Residency.
Transformer: DC-based visual arts nonprofit that has co-presented programming with CulturalDC (e.g., Double Rainbow: Future Archives). Operates in the same DC contemporary-arts ecosystem serving emerging and BIPOC artists.
Theater Alliance: DC-based theater company serving as home tenant at CulturalDC's Source Theatre. Received $250,000 from CulturalDC to build a new multidisciplinary wing for performing arts, exhibitions, and community gatherings.
AS220: Providence, RI nonprofit providing affordable studios, performance space, and residencies. Comparable community-based arts-organization model with creative placemaking.

Broad incumbents

Artspace: National nonprofit specializing in affordable space for artists, directly comparable to CulturalDC's ArtSpace Development program that brokered 300,000+ square feet of artist space.
Joan Mitchell Foundation: National nonprofit providing artist residencies, grants, and studio support to BIPOC and emerging artists. Directly comparable to CulturalDC's Capital Artist Residency programming.
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council: NYC arts nonprofit providing artist residencies, workspace, and cultural grants. Comparable model to CulturalDC's residency and community grantmaking activities.

Others

Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts: National arts grantmaker funding contemporary visual-arts programming. Comparable to CulturalDC's foundation-grant revenue stream and exhibition support activities.
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities: DC government arts-funding agency that has provided grants to CulturalDC. Funder/regulator counterpart in the DC arts ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

What does CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA do?

Is CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA a public or private company?

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.

When was CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA founded?

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA based?

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.

How does CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Individual Giving is the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, foundation Grants, special Events and merchandise Sales.

Who are CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are National Performance Network, Hamiltonian Artists, Transformer, Theater Alliance and AS220. Broad incumbents are Artspace, Joan Mitchell Foundation and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Others are Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Does CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA have an API?

No public API is recorded for CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

What industry is CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA in?

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA's product category is Arts & Cultural Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAD, Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music). Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 7990.