Artspace
50 Orange St
New Haven CT 06510-3107
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Contact Information
Address 50 Orange St
New Haven, CT 06510-3107
Telephone (203) 772-2709 x
Fax 203-7720850
E-mail helen@artspacenh.org
Web and Social Media
Web Site https://www.artspacenh.org
Artspace
Mission
ARTSPACE, a non-profit organization that presents local, national, and international visual art, by providing access, excellence, and education to the benefit of the public and the greater arts community.  Its mission:
 
  • Catalyze artistic activities;
  • Connect contemporary artists, audiences, and resources; and
  • Enrich art experiences and activate art "spaces".

 

 

 
A Great OpportunityHelpThe nonprofit has used this field to provide information about a special campaign, project or event that they are raising funds for now.
Artspace 30, Three Decades of Change. Thanks to supporters like you, we have accomplished extraordinary things in just 30 years, and redefined how a community sees itself, establishing New Haven as a vibrant nexus for visual artists. As we mark this milestone with an array of exciting celebratory events, reunions and reflective programs for artists, our job is also to ensure that we: Enhance our exhibitions and educational programs to extend their reach and impact. Equip artists and culture-bearers with resources for creative projects that will be path-breaking and consequential for Greater New Haven. Attract and retain exemplary arts professionals who will make a commitment to New Haven and grow into Artspace’s next generation leadership. Capitalize on the participation and visibility of City-Wide Open Studios to build community across sectors, with expanded planning, networking, and collaborations. Make a sustained commitment to prepare today’s teens in the New Haven Public School district to succeed through such programs as our annual Summer Apprenticeship. And, most directly, position Artspace and the artist community for excellence and sustainability for the next 30 years. Over the coming 36 months, starting in December 2015, Artspace will build a $2MM endowment that will assure an artistically vibrant and financially secure future. Early pledges to the Three Decades of Change campaign exceeding $265,000 have been received, including a special grant from the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven.
A Great Opportunity Ending Date Dec 31 2018
At A Glance
Year of Incorporation 1984
Organization's type of tax exempt status Public Supported Charity
Organization received a competitive grant from the community foundation in the past five years Yes
Leadership
CEO/Executive Director Lisa Dent
Board Chair Kimbirly Moriarty
Board Chair Company Affiliation Yale School of Medicine
Financial Summary
Revenue vs Expenses Bar Graph - All Years
Statements
Mission
ARTSPACE, a non-profit organization that presents local, national, and international visual art, by providing access, excellence, and education to the benefit of the public and the greater arts community.  Its mission:
 
  • Catalyze artistic activities;
  • Connect contemporary artists, audiences, and resources; and
  • Enrich art experiences and activate art "spaces".

 

 

 
Background

Artspace is a contemporary art gallery and non-profit organization located in downtown New Haven, CT.  Since its founding by artists in 1987, Artspace has helped nearly 6,000 artists in the Greater New Haven area develop their careers by presenting gallery exhibitions, outdoor installations, a major annual Open Studios festival, and a teen education program every year.  Artspace has been recognized for its artistic merit by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Surdna, Tremaine and Warhol Foundations. Artspace was recently selected as a finalist for an ARTPACE AMERICA Placemaking grant for its work with City-Wide Open Studios and the Alternative Space. 

Impact

We expanded the professional support and commission-based income for artists creating new work. Over $25,000 in honoraria was re-granted to artists submitting outstanding proposals to transform the Goffe St Armory during City-Wide Open Studios ("CWOS").  Artspace provided professional support through our year-long residency program (an artist sets up a studio inside our gallery), Speed/Networking/Live! artist coaching event, and piloted a new audience development and education opportunity: curator-led tours on all the weekends during CWOS.

 

Artspace continued to build its partnership with the City of New Haven in showcasing the vacant Goffe Street Armory (150,000 square feet of space in the Dixwell neighborhood) for the temporary use of 150+ artists during the 18th annual CWOS festival, bringing to over 2 million square feet of space in transition that the program has showcased since its inception. This work also bridge-building with entities around the Armory's campus--Hillhouse HighSchool, DeGale Field, New Haven Correctional Center.

Our new Gallery Director/Curator has re-oriented the ongoing exhibitions to support ideas and practices fueled by radical imagination (for example with Vagaries of the Commons, an exhibition that asks who owns public space, or, Vertical Reach, a show that illuminated the new ways artists are generating political protest. Driven more by the transformative potential of unpredictability and risk, Artspace is increasingly a platform for thoughtful provocation, without shedding its commitment to provide support to artists to produce their work.   We already see that the Curator has strengthened the quality of our programming and enlarged our network of artists. 

 

Artspace hosted five major group exhibitions and several smaller experimental projects and displays of works on paper by area artists.

 

Artspace partnered with the Town Green Special Services District to participate in the Ninth Square First Fridays, the monthly open house night. By pooling resources, we attracted 4,000 people to the opening night of our Open Studios festival. People lingered at Artspace and wandered the surrounding blocks to experience artist-designed illuminations.

Following the success of our efforts with artist Titus Kaphar and local teens in New Haven Public Schools in presenting The Jerome Project, a portraiture project which puts the racial bias in our Criminal Justice system in stark relief, we will replicate that effort with Ceramic Artist of the Year Roberto Lugo. We will host Roberto as lead artist for the Summer Apprenticeship, and we will organize a closing conference at Yale Art Gallery that will showcase the role that Ceramics can play in social justice work.
 
2018 Goals:
 
Continue to take part in community efforts to develop the Goffe Street Armory for CWOS and other uses, in continued partnership with neighborhood residents, Hillhouse High School, and other groups.
 
Wrap up our 30th anniversary with the help of a newly formed anniversary committee.
 
Plan our 21st year of City-Wide Open Studios with a new location for the popup alternative space in West Haven/Orange, at the Yale West Campus, where there is a large empty building. Offer artists funded opportunities to make new work on the CWOS theme of Health and Care.
 
Cultivate new staff and young board members. Invest in talent retention.
 
 
 
 
Needs
Artspace seeks support to present outstanding and engaging exhibitions of art; to organize festivals and educational programs, and to operate a lively gallery space that is always free to the public. We seek program-specific sponsors to defray artist fees, and help cover rent, insurance and electric bills.
 
At the Armory, the City has numerous requirements of us to make the building safe and secure. We seek funds to be able to purchase and install a stair lift for audiences who use wheelchairs. Without this accommodation, the City cannot open the Goffe Street Armory for public assembly. We also seek to defray the costs of clean-up, light mold remediation, the rental of life safety equipment,  additional fire and police and event personnel, the rental of porta-sans (there is no water) and the costs of staff to conduct a vigorous neighborhood engagement campaign. $50K
 
We seek to support an estimated 40 low-income artists who wish to participate in CWOS for whom registration fees are a barrier. $5K
 
Artspace’s three main sources of government support have been or are likely to be eliminated or reduced this year: The current administration has recommended the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts. Our State funding is at risk as a result of the budget deadlock and deficit. Our municipal support has been eliminated.. We seek individual donors to step in and help us close the funding gap. $60K
 
 
CEO Statement

I am privileged to serve as Director of an organization that is as creative and energetic as the scores of artists in the Greater New Haven community. Our job is to help make artists realize their innovative and creative ideas, and to delight, educate,  provoke and transport audiences in the process.  I encourage prospective donors, volunteers, and artists seeking to get involved to visit our home page and join our mailing list to receive our monthly newsletters which include frequent invitations to exhibition openings,  opportunities for teaching, networking, and commissions, and other notices of awards and recognition.  

Unlike many of its visual arts peers across the country, Artspace is devoted not only to its constituent artists, but also to its community. In enlisting artists to improve our community, we have recently partnered with, or are in active discussions to partner with the following organizations: Gateway Community College, Common Ground School, the VA Hospital’s Art Therapy program, The Institute Library, Eli Whitney Museum, Coop HS, Metro Business High, The Future Project, New Haven Academy, Town Green Special Services, Yale Art Gallery, Betsey Ross School, Liberty Community Services, Long Wharf Theatre, The New Haven Museum, The New Haven Free Public Library, the Connecticut Library Consortium (and 15 libraries across Connecticut), Creative Arts Workshop, Fellowship Place, University of New Haven’s Art Department, Marsh Gardens at Yale, Business Materials Reuse Association, the Elm City Dance Collective, the New Haven Register, and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.
 
I am especially proud of the recent recognition we received from ARTPLACE AMERICA. This grant is awarded to recipients with the potential to transform communities by placing art and culture at the center of their portfolio of strategies. Our selection as a finalist was a major vote of confidence in our capacity to drive vibrancy and diversity in New Haven with our suite of programs. We were similarly recognized with a major grant from the Our Town program of the National Endowment for the Arts.    
 

I  encourage visitors to check out what donors and artists have said about Artspace on our GuideStar profile, also accessed at:

http://greatnonprofits.org/whitelabel/reviews/artspace-inc_105851
 
This lively 4-minute video is an example of how Artspace has become a valuable hub for artists and is filled with feedback on our professional advisory services. 

http://vimeo.com/51616532

On behalf of the hundreds of artists we serve, I thank you for giving Artspace your consideration for philanthropic support.
 
--Helen Kauder, December 2018 
 
Board Chair Statement

 

Artspace is a small organization with a limited budget, but with big aspirations and ambitious programming.  In addition to supporting emerging artists, Artspace enhances the New Haven community though various programs, exhibits, and events throughout the year.  City-Wide Open Studios (CWOS) is our best-known event and just celebrated its 21st year.  CWOS draws thousands of visitors over three weekends and is the largest of its kind on the East Coast.  This year, hundreds of local artists had the opportunity to showcase their work in private studios, Erector Square, and at Yale’s West Campus, which was this year’s alternative space.  Several times a year, our space on lower Orange Street hosts exhibits of both local and national artists, and we are credited with helping the Ninth Square achieve its current level of activity and vibrancy.  We participate in First Friday, rent our space out for events, and provide summer programs for young artists and fellowships for recent college graduates. We just put on a sold-out conference on issues involving incarceration, precipitated by a local artist, who led our summer youth program. All in all, we are part of the fabric of the community, lending credence to New Haven’s claim to being the Creative Capital of Connecticut, and serving as a gathering place and resource for artists.  We do all of this with a tiny budget, and put every dollar to use in our effort to bring art to a broad and diverse audience. 

This past year has been one of great activity. In addition to ancillary events, such as the Ceramics and Social and Environmental Change conference mentioned above, and round tables on various topics in our space, we have begun the groundwork laid out for us in our long-range plan. We have marked our 30thanniversary, transferred our archives to the Yale Arts Library where they will be stewarded for future public use. We are in the early stages of an endowment campaign, ensuring that Artspace will remain strong into the future. Foundation giving to Artspace has always been strong, so we are concentrating now on developing our individual giving.

Artspace is dedicated to its vision and supported by an extraordinary team of staff and volunteers, donors, and talented artists.

 
--Kimbirly Moriarty, Board Chair, December 2018 
Service Categories
Primary Organization Category Arts,Culture & Humanities / Arts Education
Secondary Organization Category Youth Development /
Areas Served
Ansonia
Bethany
Branford
Cheshire
Derby
East Haven
Guilford
Hamden
Lower Naugatuck Valley
Madison
Milford
New Haven
North Branford
North Haven
Orange
Oxford
Seymour
Shelton
Shoreline
State wide
Wallingford
West Haven
Woodbridge
National
New England, Connecticut, and especially the Greater New Haven area.
Programs
City-Wide Open Studios (CWOS)
Description
New Haven's City-Wide Open Studios is an annual celebration of contemporary art in all its myriad forms and is Connecticut's leading visual arts festival.  Over the past 20 years, art dealers and curators from the region have used CWOS as a resource to discover new artists, plan upcoming shows, and purchase art.  Artspace's CWOS is one of the largest Open Studios programs in the country, uniting hundreds of local artists with the Greater New Haven community.
 
This four week event includes a huge hub exhibition featuring a representative work by each participating artist at Artspace's gallery on Orange Street; a weekend devoted to the studios at Erector Square in Fair Haven; a private gallery weekend complete with tours; and, finally, the unique factor that makes CWOS stand apart from all open studios festivals, the Alternative Space weekend (at the empty printing plant at the historic New Haven Armory in 2013-17 and in West Haven in 2018. We marked 20 years in 2017.
BudgetHelpSome organizations have unified budgeting and do not budget by program. Because of this, some budget fields may be blank or represent an approximation. $200,000.00
CategoryHelpAs defined by the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), Program Classification codes are linked to the Nonprofit Program Classification (N.P.C.) coding system (http://nccsdataweb.urban.org). Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other / Visual Arts Festivals
Population Served Adults / Families / General/Unspecified
Program is linked to organization’s mission and strategy Yes
Program is frequently assessed based on predetermined program goals Yes
Short Term SuccessHelpOrganizations describe near term achievement(s) or improvement(s) that will result from this program. This may represent immediate outcomes occurring as a result of the end of a session or service.
80% of artists will report sales, professional opportunities or new connections with artists and patrons as a result of participation.
 
Overall sales of art will grow.
 
Number of visitors will grow. 
 
New AltSpaces will be activated with favorable critical and public reception in the media. 
 
Visitors to the AltSpace will include neighborhood residents, leaders, advocates and youth. 
 
 
 
Long Term SuccessHelpOrganizations describe the ultimate change(s) that will result from this program. This may be far into the future and represent an ideal state. CWOS aims to 1) Connect visual artists to the public and each other, 2) Provide a forum for showing and selling artwork that is open to all artists, 3) Foster community pride in visual artists and their contributions to a thriving city, 4) Draw thousands of visitors from Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and beyond to explore all that New Haven has to offer, 5) Showcase vacant historic properties by using them as an exhibition space, contributing to their revitalization for other uses. 6) Serve as training ground for selected and interested artists to take on leadership roles mentoring, coordinating and organizing the work of other artists.7) Eventually, generate a pipeline of future leaders to sustain itself.
Program Success Monitored ByHelpOrganizations describe the tools used to measure or track program impact. Artspace makes extensive use of formal surveys.  After CWOS, participating artists are asked to fill out a Weekend Report to tally sales, tell us about new opportunities, and provide suggestions for future implementation.  We plan to re-energize our audience exit surveys with the help of a Yale School of Management board fellow.  Though recorded anecdotes, we will tag and tally descriptive words to create a visual infographic summarizing audience response.
Examples of Program SuccessHelpOrganization's site specific examples of changes in clients' behaviors or testimonies of client's changes to demonstrate program success.
At the "AltSpace," artists without access to a studio show their work in vacant, historic properties that Artspace adapts into exhibition spaces, aiding in their re-development.  Past spaces have included the Olin Metals Research Laboratory, the Pirelli Building, and the former Hamden Middle School.  Through the alternative space project, CWOS connects artists and the public with different neighborhoods of New Haven every year.
 
In 2012, we activated the printing plant of the New Haven Register, which enabled us to grow the number of artists participating in the AltSpace from 60 to 120. In 2014, we were able to rehab an additional wing of the Goffe St Armory and received an award from the Federal Our Town program which allowed additional activation of the Drill Hall, which had the effect of growing participation further in 2015. In 2018, we will activate the last remaining empty building on Yale West Campus (formerly Bayer Pharmaceutical).
Summer Apprenticeship Program (SAP)
Description Since 2001, each year, Artspace's Summer Apprenticeship Program sources a master artist to work with 15-20 students from the city's public high schools for three intensive weeks to create new work around a particular topic or methodology. Teens increase their visual literacy, learn to work in teams, are exposed to the practice of a successful artist, and receive work stipends and significant recognition at the public unveiling. In 2015, students worked with Titus Kaphar to expand The Jerome Project, a series of portraits of incarcerated men and to learn about the conditions behind bars in Connecticut.  The students also worked on the development of theater pieces based on their experiences--these were performed both at Artspace and at the Yale Art Gallery.  For their poignant reflections on the impact of incarceration on our community,  the students were interviewed on WPKN, WNHH, and featured in a story in the New Haven Independent. 
BudgetHelpSome organizations have unified budgeting and do not budget by program. Because of this, some budget fields may be blank or represent an approximation. $60,000.00
CategoryHelpAs defined by the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), Program Classification codes are linked to the Nonprofit Program Classification (N.P.C.) coding system (http://nccsdataweb.urban.org). Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other / General Arts Education
Population Served Adolescents Only (13-19 years) / At-Risk Populations / Blacks, African Heritage
Program is linked to organization’s mission and strategy Yes
Program is frequently assessed based on predetermined program goals Yes
Short Term SuccessHelpOrganizations describe near term achievement(s) or improvement(s) that will result from this program. This may represent immediate outcomes occurring as a result of the end of a session or service.
SAP students will continue to explore and participate in the various arts programs offered in their high schools, neighborhoods, and communities.
SAP alums  take on active civic and cultural roles in New Haven.
Long Term SuccessHelpOrganizations describe the ultimate change(s) that will result from this program. This may be far into the future and represent an ideal state.

The Summer Apprenticeship Program's ultimate goal is generate a future generation of arts producers and supporters, including Artspace supporters, and offer a valuable opportunity to work with a renowned practicing artist in conceptualizing and creating public works of art together. Students feel as though their creative input matters, all the while learning about teamwork and artistic discipline. It is SAP’s goal that these students will either continue to pursue a career in the arts and/or champion artistic creativity and the merits of arts education in their lives and in others.
Program Success Monitored ByHelpOrganizations describe the tools used to measure or track program impact. Artspace asks current participants to rate their experience and teachers by using SurveyMonkey, a low-cost, online survey tool.  We also follow up with SAP alumni to measure longer-term outcomes, including growth in life skills, self-esteem and evidence of expanded interest in the arts, and college attendance. Anecdotally, we see the students participating in ARtspace's programs, signing up for our guided tours, volunteering at Open Studios, bringing school friends to the gallery to see what is on view.
Examples of Program SuccessHelpOrganization's site specific examples of changes in clients' behaviors or testimonies of client's changes to demonstrate program success.
In early 2011, the Summer Apprenticeship Program was nominated, for the second time in its history, for a Presidential Coming Up Taller Award.
 
In 2015, one of the works produced by a student in the program, a portrait of Martin Luther King with a very elaborate collage surrounding it, was purchased by the Director of the Connecticut Office of the Arts.  
 
The program attracted the funding of National Foundations: Surdna Foundation, Public Welfare Foundation and Wingate Foundation. 
Speed/Networking/Live!
Description Speed/Networking/Live! is a program which pairs esteemed arts professional with local artists for one-on-one consultations in the format of speed dating, to give each artist an opportunity for feedback from 25 art world professionals.  Adapting a format used by venture capitalists and speed daters to the visual arts, twenty-five curators, gallery owners, and art critics line up across a long table facing an equal number of artists. Each artist is given three minutes to hone their elevator pitch about their work, followed by two minutes of professional feedback. This is repeated 24 times, giving artists an extraordinary breadth of advice and contacts to help them advance their careers.  It would take months, or even years, for an individual artist to try to establish this far-reaching network on his/her own. In the weeks after S/N/L! we have observed artists make significant breakthroughs and artistic leaps.  A short video about S/N/L!
can be found in the multimedia section.
BudgetHelpSome organizations have unified budgeting and do not budget by program. Because of this, some budget fields may be blank or represent an approximation. $5,000.00
CategoryHelpAs defined by the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), Program Classification codes are linked to the Nonprofit Program Classification (N.P.C.) coding system (http://nccsdataweb.urban.org). Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other /
Population Served / /
Program is linked to organization’s mission and strategy Yes
Program is frequently assessed based on predetermined program goals Yes
Short Term SuccessHelpOrganizations describe near term achievement(s) or improvement(s) that will result from this program. This may represent immediate outcomes occurring as a result of the end of a session or service.
Please visit the youtube site for documentation of immediate outcomes.
 
http://vimeo.com/51616532    
 
Long Term SuccessHelpOrganizations describe the ultimate change(s) that will result from this program. This may be far into the future and represent an ideal state.
New Haven is frequently cited as a leading center for the production of contemporary art.
 
The number of New Haven artists who can make a living and develop an audience here grows.
Program Success Monitored ByHelpOrganizations describe the tools used to measure or track program impact. Sales and exhibition opportunities are proxies for success, in addition to survey feedback.
Examples of Program SuccessHelpOrganization's site specific examples of changes in clients' behaviors or testimonies of client's changes to demonstrate program success.
In our first  year offering the program, we had difficulty finding 25 artists willing to pay for the workshop.
 
Last year (our third year), we had an 10 artist waiting list which included repeat artists.
The Flatfile
Description

The Flatfile is a curated archive of 500 works from 125 area artists,  housed in browse-able cases at Artspace, physically accessible to anyone who visits. It's a source of exhibition programs that deepen our community’s understanding of contemporary art.

The Flatfile was originally conceived by and for artists as a way to build exposure for their work. Local and regional artists apply annually for inclusion, and lend five works/year. 

 
Artists in the Flatfile include recipients of the state art agency’s distinguished Artist Fellowship, the Aldrich Museum’s Radius Emerging artist award, alumni of area residency programs, and many other professional recognitions. Our collection is thus a significant community resource, both for the quality of the works, and for its unusual ease of access. To browse the Flatfiles, a visitor dons white gloves to ensure proper handling of the works. No other institution in our area provides such direct contact with recently made works of art.
 

An Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant will help Artspace bring the Flatfile to wider audiences and engage additional curators, both emerging and professional, to organize exhibitions drawn from the collection. The collection will be expanded, updated and innovative approaches to its use instigated, all with the aim of enhancing the Flatfile and its place in the community. Artspace will also bring selections from the Flatfiles outside of the gallery in partnership with a range of organizations, events and venues, so that more New Haven citizens can be exposed to, and enjoy it.  
BudgetHelpSome organizations have unified budgeting and do not budget by program. Because of this, some budget fields may be blank or represent an approximation. $15,000.00
CategoryHelpAs defined by the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), Program Classification codes are linked to the Nonprofit Program Classification (N.P.C.) coding system (http://nccsdataweb.urban.org). Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other /
Population Served / /
Long Term SuccessHelpOrganizations describe the ultimate change(s) that will result from this program. This may be far into the future and represent an ideal state.
50 artists per annum will apply to take part in the program
 
Sales will grown by 10% per annum 
 
 
Program Success Monitored ByHelpOrganizations describe the tools used to measure or track program impact. Media coverage,  number of visitors, sales.
Examples of Program SuccessHelpOrganization's site specific examples of changes in clients' behaviors or testimonies of client's changes to demonstrate program success. The Flatfile has been invited to travel to Hartford to the CT Dept of Economic and Community Development. Artspace will organize a first show of a selection of works, to open December 2, 2015 and to run through early March 2106. The DECD's Office of the Arts will promote the exhibition through their channels and is providing staff resources to mount the show, inspired by the collecting patterns of Samuel Clemens.  Artspace staff have organized the exhibition, which will also involve a partnership with the Mark Twain House.
Three Decades of Change
Description

In 2016-2018, Artspace celebrates its 30th anniversary via THREE DECADES OF CHANGE, a major initiative to invest in programming that moves us to new levels of excellence, while celebrating the artists and supporters who have made it possible for us to make a difference in our region. We will expand the human and systems resources and capacity to reconnect with 30 years of participants, and to launch an endowment that will assure an artistically vibrant and financially secure future for Artspace.

Our project has five components:1)  Roll out a new customer relationship database using SalesForce, and capture contact information on the 5,000+ artists we have served over 30 years; 2) Organize our extensive archives and donate them to the Yale Arts Library, where they will be available to the community in perpetuity; 3) Implement programs to reconnect artists with Artspace, e.g., a reunion; 4) Revisit, re-stage and re-interpret seminal exhibitions from our past; 5) Establish a $2MM endowment.

 
BudgetHelpSome organizations have unified budgeting and do not budget by program. Because of this, some budget fields may be blank or represent an approximation. $350,000.00
CategoryHelpAs defined by the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), Program Classification codes are linked to the Nonprofit Program Classification (N.P.C.) coding system (http://nccsdataweb.urban.org). Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other / Commemorative Events
Population Served General/Unspecified / Other Economic Level / K-12 (5-19 years)
Program is linked to organization’s mission and strategy Yes
Program is frequently assessed based on predetermined program goals Yes
Short Term SuccessHelpOrganizations describe near term achievement(s) or improvement(s) that will result from this program. This may represent immediate outcomes occurring as a result of the end of a session or service.
By the end of Year 1, we will have grown our mailing list by 15%
By the end of Year 1, we will have organized/rehoused 25% of our archive
By the end of Year 1, we will have raised 25% of our endowment goal
Long Term SuccessHelpOrganizations describe the ultimate change(s) that will result from this program. This may be far into the future and represent an ideal state.
Artspace's database is robust and frequently used by board and staff
Artspace's endowment supports 20% of the organization's operating costs
The archives are in secure custody at theYale Arts Library and accessed easily and frequently
The organization has reconnected by mail, email, phone or social media with a majority of past participants.
 
Program Success Monitored ByHelpOrganizations describe the tools used to measure or track program impact.
Number of staff and board who use SalesForce
Successful Kickstarter campaign raised $30K 
Our Facebook fanbase has just topped 8500 people. 
Examples of Program SuccessHelpOrganization's site specific examples of changes in clients' behaviors or testimonies of client's changes to demonstrate program success.
Yale is committed to preserving Artspace's historical materials
 
http://yppsweb1.its.yale.edu/emailuploads/pages/ap393772016115713.html
Program Comments
CEO Comments
Artspace's ongoing exhibitions are the backdrop against which our programs take place. These exhibitions, always free to the public, have been recognized and supported by such institutions as The Andy Warhol Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts (as funders) and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and Real Art Ways (as respected partners).
 
The Director spent a year at the Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield, CT and developed a large network of curators from across the northeast. These curators are now being invited to New Haven to coach, mentor, and notice our local artists. Through programs such as the Curator-led tours, which educate local supporters, and the Speed/Networking/Live! coaching sessions, Artspace has become the hub for artists to meet and develop their audience.
 
For a number of years, Artspace employed a full time curator. This position was eliminated in the downturn, and the responsibilities for all the interactions with artists and for making exhibitions were shared across the staff and volunteers.  In 2014, we restored the position,  hiring a young ambitious curator with an abiding interest in New Haven.  Through the planning time and careful curation mixing ideas relevant to our community, this additional resource affords our audience the chance to encounter higher quality set of shows and more thought-provoking subject matter. 
 
In 2015, for example, we presented an exhibition entitled Arresting Patterns, which focused on the repeated patterns of racial bias in the Criminal Justice system. A provocative symposium was organized that featured speakers from the City of New Haven's Re-Entry Roundtable, veteran police officers, the media, formerly incarcerated individuals and scholars who intellectual footing to the exhibition.
CEO/Executive Director
Lisa Dent
Term Start May 2020
Email lisadent@artspacenh.org
Staff
Number of Full Time Staff 2
Number of Part Time Staff 3
Number of Volunteers 101
Number of Contract Staff 8
Staff Retention Rate 66%
Staff Demographics - Ethnicity
African American/Black 0
Asian American/Pacific Islander 0
Caucasian 4
Hispanic/Latino 1
Native American/American Indian 0
Other 0 0
Staff Demographics - Gender
Male 0
Female 5
Unspecified 0
Plans & Policies
Organization has a Fundraising Plan? Yes
Organization has a Strategic Plan? Yes
Years Strategic Plan Considers 4
Date Strategic Plan Adopted Oct 2016
Management Succession Plan? Under Development
Organization Policy and Procedures Yes
Nondiscrimination Policy Yes
Whistleblower PolicyHelpThe 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act provides certain protections for whistle-blowers and criminal penalties for actions taken in retaliation against whistle-blowers. The Act protects persons who risk their careers by reporting suspected illegal activities in the organization. It is illegal for a corporate entity, for-profit or nonprofit, to punish the whistle-blower in any manner. For more information, visit Independent Sector (http://www.independentsector.org). Yes
Document Destruction PolicyHelpThe 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act addresses the destruction of business records and documents and turns intentional document destruction into a process that must be carefully monitored.For more information, visit Independent Sector (http://www.independentsector.org). Yes
Former CEOs and Terms
NameTerm
Helen KauderJuly 2010 - Apr 2020
Leslie ShaefferJuly 2007 - Feb 2010
Senior Staff
Katie Jurkiewicz
Title Communications Coordinator
Sarah Fritchey
Title Curator/Gallery Manager
Experience/Biography Fritchey ran the Kehler Liddell Gallery prior to obtaining a MA in Curatorial Studies from Bard Center for Curatorial Studies and has written for a wide number of respected arts publications. She has served as a guest curator at the Franklin Street Works and visiting critic at RISD.
Formal Evaluations
CEO Formal Evaluation Yes
CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation Frequency Annually
Senior Management Formal Evaluation Yes
Senior Management Formal Evaluation Frequency Annually
Non Management Formal Evaluation Yes
Non Management Formal Evaluation Frequency Semi-Annually
Collaborations
Artspace collaborated with Liberty Community Services, the downtown supportive housing/services organization for people with AIDS. This came about as a means to improve the climate in the Lot, the open Chapel Street space used by LCS clients (who have come to refer to the space as "living room"). The Lot has been a magnet for homeless people and for substance abuse, often by LCS clients, impeding Artspace's ability to run its youth programs. Our hope was to find a way to build engagement with the site so that it might be better cared for.
 
Our collaboration invited several artists (one of whom was a recovering addict who had been homeless) to create portraits of LCS clients and staff. These were projected onto a room-sized cube that was erected in the Lot. By day, the plexi cube was a plain-air studio for the artists; at night, the cube served as screen for the images. LCS clients (some of whom remarked they had never had a portrait) came to see themselves projected there. The portraits were also exhibited at Artspace. LCS clients came to Artspace for the first time and we now enjoy a neighborly working relationship. 
 
A complete list of current collaborating partners can be found in the Director's Letter. 
Affiliations
AffiliationYear
Affiliate/Chapter of National Organization2017
Awards
Award/RecognitionOrganizationYear
Strategic Initiative GrantCT Commission on Culture and Tourism2011
Grants for Arts ProjectsNational Endowment for the Arts2012
Creative Placemaking Grant FinalistArtplace America2013
ACP 3 Implementation Grant (One of only 19 grants in the State)CT Office of the Arts2013
Museums for AmericaInstitute of Museum and Library Services2013
Our TownNational Endowment for the Arts2014
Exhibition SupportAndy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts2014
Planning GrantConnecticut Humanities Council2015
Artists Engaging in Social ChangeSurdna Foundation2015
Implementation GrantConnecticut Humanities Councilr2015
Three Decades of Change grantNational Endowment for the Arts2016
Our TownNational Endowment for the Arts2016
Summer Apprenticeship in CeramicsWingate Foundation2018
Grant for Art/Justice Exhibition in 2020Public Welfare Foundation2019
Comments
CEO Comments
After several years of losses during the most difficult parts of the recession, Artspace finished FY 2011 in the black. The highly competitive funder, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, returned to support us after a hiatus. We energized our volunteer base and re-instated our annual gala benefit. We trimmed one and half positions and implemented a barter program--studio space in the gallery in exchange for facilities maintenance. This has been a win-win, we are receiving applications from around the world from artists who wish to join and be inspired by the local community, and in turn these artists are receiving expanded recognition and opportunity. Together these measures led to stabilization, and in FY 12, we even generated a modest surplus. 
 
An exceptionally successful art auction benefit in FY 14 led to another year of surplus. 
 
Our work generating community vibrancy has been recognized by the Chicago-based funder ARTPLACE AMERICA. This is a consortium of leading foundations and banks. We were one of 104 finalists out of 1224 applicants, and one of only two in Connecticut (the other one is the State's Office of Economic & Community Development).
 
Our challenge remains how to generate sustainability. With only a small endowment, every staff position is at risk. It is very difficult to plan programs when staff do not know if their job will be there next year. Our Strategic Plan calls for launching either a partially-endowed staff position or a program endowment and for redoubling our efforts to implement sustainability-building strategies. We launched this effort in late 2015 but recognize it will take more time than three years.
 
 
Board Chair
Kimbirly Moriarty
Company Affiliation Yale School of Medicine
Term July 2018 to June 2021
Board of Directors
NameAffiliation
Marion BelangerArtist
Fred BorelliYale SChool of Medicine
Semi Semi DiKokoCommunity Volunteer
Reverend Kevin EwingBaobab Tree Studios
Andrew GieringUS Public Defender's Office
Howard HebelNewman Architects
Helen KauderArtspace
Kyle KearsonYale Center for British Art
Jessica LabbeYale University Art Gallery
Jane LubinArtist
Sinclaire MarberColumbia Law School student
Lucy McClureArtist
Lee StumpAmeriprise
Beka SturgesReed Hilderbrand
Paul TaheriYale School of Medicine
Kim WestonWeston Studio
Amy WrzesniewskiYale School of Management
Board Demographics - Ethnicity
African American/Black 4
Asian American/Pacific Islander 0
Caucasian 11
Hispanic/Latino 1
Native American/American Indian 1
Other 1 0
Board Demographics - Gender
Male 5
Female 12
Unspecified 1
Governance
Board Term Lengths 2
Board Term Limits 3
Board Meeting Attendance %HelpThe Better Business Bureau's Standards for Charity Accountability recommends at least 65% board attendance (http://us.bbb.org). 65%
Number of Full Board Meetings AnnuallyHelpThe Better Business Bureau's Standards for Charity Accountability recommends a minimum of three evenly spaced meetings per year of the full governing body, with a majority in attendance and face-to-face participation (http://us.bbb.org). The Standards for Excellence Institute recommends a minimum of four board meetings per year (www.standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org). 6
Written Board Selection Criteria No
Written Conflict of Interest Policy Under Development
Percentage Making Monetary Contributions 100%
Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions 100%
Constituency Includes Client Representation Yes
Standing Committees
Executive
Advisory Board / Advisory Council
Audit
Board Governance
Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts
Additional Boards: Advisory Board Members
NameAffiliation
Kwadwo AdaeAdae Fine Arts Studio
Jeremy ChandlerSouthern Connecticut State University
Geoffrey DetraniSelf, Artist
Aude JominiPelli Clarke Pelli
Cayla LockwoodArtspace Artist in Residence
Meredith MillerBeinecke Library
John O'DonnellUniversity of Connecticut
Kerri SancombNone
Rashmi TalpadeWallingford Parks & Rec Teaching Artist
Paul TheriaultPracticing Artist/Contractor
CEO Comments
A unique aspect of Artspace's structure is the Visual Arts Committee. The Visual Arts Committee is a group of respected local artists who volunteer their time to help organize exhibitions, review submissions, advise on artistic policies and serve as ambassadors for Artspace through various outreach. For example, VAC members interview local artists to understand local needs and concerns, and consider and implement a variety of strategies to disseminate their work to offer alternative means of reaching audiences.
 
The VAC functions as our peer review/artist board and has a goal to reflect the diversity of the local artist community in terms of race, socio-ecomic and educational background, and artistic discipline. Currently it is comprised of a NHPS public school teacher, an NHPS teaching aide, untenured lecturers at Gateway Community College, University of New Haven and Southern CT State,  a Wallingford Parks & Rec arts coordinator,  a librarian, a staff photographer at Yale, an architect and two unemployed artists. One member is African-American, one is South Asian.  Artistic disciplines represented: printmaking, drawing, photography, painting, sculpture and digital media. Members serve for a 3 year term, renewable for a second term. The VAC meets every other month, and joins the fundraising board once or twice a year, for example for our Strategic Planning retreat.
 
Financials
Fiscal Year Start July 01 2018
Fiscal Year End June 30 2019
Projected Revenue $599,500.00
Projected Expenses $599,500.00
Endowment ValueHelpA legal definition of endowment is used in this system (i.e. restricted assets or a supporting foundation). Rainy day funds are not included in endowments figures. $265,000.00
Spending Policy Income plus capital appreciation
Credit Line No
Reserve Fund No
Documents
Form 990s
Form 990 (FY-2017-2018)2018
Form 990 (FY 2016-2017)2017
Form 990 (FY 2015-2016)2016
Form 990 (FY 2014-2015)2015
Form 990 (FY 2013-2014)2014
Form 990 (FY 2012-2013)2013
Form 990 (FY 2011-2012)2012
Form 990 (FY 2010-2011)2011
Form 990 (FY 2009-2010)2010
Form 990 (FY 2008-2009)2009
Form 990 (FY 2007-2008)2008
Audit Documents
Profit and Loss2018
Profit and Loss2017
Profit and Loss2016
Artspace FS audit2012
Profit & Loss Statement2011
Balance Sheet2011
Balance Sheet2010
Profit & Loss Statement2010
Balance Sheet2009
Profit & Loss Statement2009
Audit2008
IRS Letter of Exemption
IRS Letter
Other Documents
Other Documents 3
NameYear
Poster for Climate Justice/Ceramics Summit2018View
Strategic Plan2017View
Endowment Campaign Brochure2016View
City-Wide Open STudios Official Guide (in 36,000 copies of the REgister)2015View
Summer Apprenticeship Program Recruitment Poster2015View
City-Wide Open STudios Official Guide (in 72,000 copies of the REgister)2014View
City-Wide Open Studios Official Guide (in 72,000 copies of the NH Register)2013View
Artspace Strategic Plan2012View
Artspace Planned Giving Brochure2011View
Detailed Financials
Prior Three Years Total Revenue and Expense Totals ChartHelpFinancial data for prior years is entered by foundation staff based on the documents submitted by nonprofit organizations.Foundation staff members enter this information to assure consistency in the presentation of financial data across all organizations.
Fiscal Year201820172016
Total Revenue$646,751$528,731$572,961
Total Expenses$522,081$557,257$517,295
Prior Three Years Assets and Liabilities Chart
Fiscal Year201820172016
Total Assets$678,217$489,309$510,835
Current Assets$520,514$371,188$496,499
Long-Term Liabilities$0$0--
Current Liabilities$100,519$41,363$40,868
Total Net Assets$577,698$447,946$469,967
Prior Three Years Top Three Funding Sources
Fiscal Year201820172016
Top Funding Source & Dollar AmountAndy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts $100,000National Endowment for the Arts $51,112Surdna Foundation $82,000
Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar AmountNational Endowment for the Arts $35,593Yale University $30,000National Endowment $64,158
Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar AmountYale University $30,000The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven $26,000State of CT (DECD & CT Humanitites) $50,136
Capitial Campaign
Currently in a Capital Campaign? Yes
Capital Campaign PurposeHelpCapital Campaigns are defined as a fundraising efforts over-and-above an organization's annual operating budget. Campaigns might include the purchase of land or a building, major renovations, and major equipment purchases. Endowment campaigns may also be included if the funds are legally restricted. To replenish our working and risk capital, and to endow one recurring annual program or staff position.
Goal $2,000,000.00
Dates Nov 2015 to Dec 2018
Amount Raised To Date 265000 as of Oct 2017
Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years? Yes
Comments
CEO Comments

Artspace is still emerging from the downturn, and has experienced greater fluctuation in year-to-year results, indicating that we are still working on finding our post-recession equilibrium. After taking aggressive cost cutting measures and undertaking some emergency fundraising in 2010, we were able to more than balance our budget in 2011 and even bring in a modest surplus, allowing us to begin to reduce three years of deficits. 2012 was wildly successful—our expenses were on target, but we had an unexpected windfall at our annual fundraiser. The Board voted to allocate some of this to deferred maintenance on Artspace’s website. Several of the 2010-14 lifeline grants (including from the Institute for Museum and Library Services) are coming to an end. 

We are aggressively building a pipeline of foundation and individual funders to be able to sustain current staffing levels. Early success include a two-year, $76K grant from the State of Connecticut Arts Catalyze Placemaking program; a $50K Our Town grant over two years.  And we have initiated a planned giving program (see Artspace Legacy Partners brochure in attached documents).

What follows are context and comments from our Auditor, Bill Kalinowski, CPA, Director of Accounting and Auditing, Burzenski & Company, P.C.

Artspace has the daunting challenge of annually raising grants and donations to fund its ambitious slate of contemporary art programs which are at the core of its mission. Over the past two fiscal years, Artspace has been honored to receive significant funding from the NEA, the Surdna Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Andy Warhol Foundation.  These prestigious grants combined with its successful annual art auction gala, which raises approximately 20% of the organization’s revenue, has allowed Artspace to cover its annual budget of approximately $500,000 while modestly adding to its net asset reserves. The organization’s administrative costs are carefully reviewed and have historically been no more than 25% of its budget.


The management and Board of Directors realize its ability to continuously receive grant funding is not guaranteed and represents a serious short and long term financial risk. Accordingly, Artspace is undertaking an endowment fundraising campaign to coincide with its 30th anniversary with the goal of raising $2,000,000. If we are successful, it will allow us to permanently fund a staff curator position as well as cope with unexpected revenue shortfalls. We have received $265,000 in campaign gifts.

 
 
PLEASE NOTE THE ATTACHED BUDGET VS. ACTUAL DOCUMENT IS A WORKSHEET COMPRISED OF EIGHT DETAILED SPREADS THAT LINK AND SUM ON THE COVER SHEET SUMMARY. 
 
 
Foundation Staff Comments This profile, including the financial summaries prepared and submitted by the organization based on its own independent and/or internal audit processes and regulatory submissions, has been read by the Foundation. Some financial information from the organization’s IRS Form 990, audited financial statements or other financial documents approved has been inputted by Foundation staff. The Foundation has not audited the organization’s financial statements or tax filings, and makes no representations or warranties thereon. A more complete picture of the organization’s finances can be obtained by viewing the attached 990s and audited financials. To see if the organization has received a competitive grant from The Community Foundation in the last five years, please go to the General Information Tab of the profile.
Address 50 Orange St
New Haven, CT 065103107
Primary Phone 203 772-2709
Contact Email helen@artspacenh.org
Website https://www.artspacenh.org
CEO/Executive Director Lisa Dent
Board Chair Kimbirly Moriarty
Board Chair Company Affiliation Yale School of Medicine

 

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