ArtCity Case Study

Case Study Analysis

Organizational Context

Art City is a local Eugene startup that is in the process of getting off the ground. ArtCity Eugene is a new local startup company that hopes to provide a community space for Eugene artists. The space will be for creating all forms of art, as well as a resource for the community to see who is making art and what is being made. Charly Swing is a founding member, with a background in art and knowledge of artist needs. She noticed artists are often solitary and don’t have a traditional work community the way most other people do, and so started ArtCity to fill this niche.

 

ArtCity aims to connect artists to artists, artists to patrons, and artists to the community and tourists. Charly Swing hopes that they will be able to have workshops in finances and entrepreneurship skills to help artists succeed. The company is unique because they provide so much more than a maker space, and are more geared towards true artists and the fine arts.

 

Charly described the atmosphere as a hothouse of creative energy, where patrons and artists are surrounded by creative people creating everything from books to paintings to music to dance. They do not currently have a building space, but are hoping for an accessible downtown location. The idea is to have ArtCity be an artist coop, where artists pay in and get something back in return.

 

ArtCity hopes to target the fine artists of Eugene who are looking for a community in which they feel empowered and able to succeed. They are local adults who are serious working artists, and probably also align with the environmental and human sustainability aspect of the mission. They all live in Eugene and share the community values. These artists are people looking for that sense of community and empowerment and support to get their art off the ground a little more.

 

Environmental Scan

 

Cultural Trends

Eugene is a cultural city with an active artistic community. There are plenty of young, active, outdoorsy, artsy entrepreneurs who are studio professionals. ArtCity fits into the cultural climate of Eugene by supplementing and adding to that artistic community.

 

Contributed Income

The contributed income of ArtCity is currently nonexistent as they are in the process of getting off the ground. The organization will need some contributed income to start the process however, including investors interested in funding the building space, possible construction or renovation costs, technological equipment costs, or other costs associated with starting out.

 

Income

As addressed in the SWOC analysis below, ArtCity is faced with the challenge of coming up with sufficient funding not only to get started but also to be sustainable in the long term. The ArtCity team will need to create a sustainable model of bringing in revenue beyond artist fees, such as offering public art classes or having a gallery or storefront in which to sell artists’ works made in the studio spaces. It’s hard to say at this point in the organization’s lifespan if their income will be sufficient, but having multiple sources of income will help ensure their financial stability in the long run.

 

General Financial Health and Budgetary Concerns  

ArtCity is only in the formation stage right now, but there are some budgetary concerns, as address above. The general financial health as of right now is not where it ought to be, but time will tell. They will require some serious funds to get their organization to a point where they are able to begin operating. As a recent start up, the financial stability of the organization is expected to be little uncertain. Ultimately, with time the financial health of the organization will become more clear.

 

Demographic Scan

The demographics of people who make up the ArtCity patronage will be relatively young artists for the most part, and will be people who are maybe starting out in their artistic career and are looking for that sense of community, artistic support, and studio space. These individuals may be just out of college and in search of that community, so many may be younger. This is the demographic that ArtCity is geared towards, but many artists in the coop may be older and somewhat established but in need of an artistic community or studio space in which to create their work.

 

Cultural Scan

Not knowing all those involved in the organization and with it only having a handful of members, it is hard to know how the organizational culture functions. From what we know, the current members in general have an artistic background, but most have other ventures, like careers and families, that take up much of their time. They meet when they can and get done what they can in regards to ArtCity. The started ArtCity to respond to a need Charly and the others noticed in the community, and they are all committed to the vision of the organization and the dream of what it could be. Regarding technology, we do not currently know if those at ArtCity have invested in research into technology and how to use it to their advantage in their business.

 

SWOC Analysis

Strengths

There is a need and a niche in Eugene, as an artsy city, for an organization like ArtCity. I feel this type of artistic, energetic organization would be welcomed by the Eugene community and would fit in well. ArtCity would add a lot of community value, for both artists and patrons, and economic value for Eugene and for those local artists because they’re bringing in revenue. ArtCity would also pull artists from surrounding communities and bring them all together to feed off each others’ creative energy. ArtCity is also committed to sustainability, both in the sense of reusing and recycling, and in the sense that they are creating a space where the artists are sustainable because they have the support and the resources they need to succeed as artists. Charly also mentioned possibly repurposing a building, which is part their green identity and adds to the sustainability identity of Eugene as well. There is no solid location for the business yet, but downtown Eugene would make it accessible and put it in the heart of the community.

 

Charly is also using the University’s untapped talent in the student body to her advantage. She is involving UO students in AAD, the law school, and MBA and BFA programs. Another strength is the magical combination of alcohol and drawing in the Drink and Draw event series. From my experience, adults love events with alcohol, and this was a smart way to get their name out there in the community, and to people who may fall into their target demographics.

 

Weaknesses

Since ArtCity is not yet a fully formed organization, it is hard to predict what all the weaknesses will be when it is fully operational. Some anticipated weaknesses include getting artists to buy in to the coop due to potentially high fees, having too small an artist population to get enough artists to buy in in order to make a profit, and having no storefront or gallery from which to bring in more income. Most of these weaknesses revolve around forming a solid and sustainable way to bring in revenue. Additionally, ArtCity’s current marketing and programming is under-developed.  Drink and Draw seemed to only last through May and June of this year, and so it is confusing and inconsistent for the audience base. They also should consider enhancing their digital presence through an updated website, increased marketing, and increased social media presence. All of these will help get information out to the public and to their intended artists. The ArtCity staff will have to create a long term plan with detailed objectives ad a timeline. This will help them realize the processes necessary in creating this business and stay on track with their goals.

 

Opportunities

This organization has the potential to be a really unique and valuable part of the community, and to add to the identity of Eugene. Drink and Draw is a great concept that can be adapted in a number of different ways to a number of different locations and themes. With some consistency in marketing and location, this could be a really fun and popular event that could add to the image of ArtCity.

 

As a new organization, they are not bound by expectations, so they are free to take the organization in a lot of different directions. This allows them to try out a few different ways to operate and see what works for them.

 

Though they intend to be a for-profit organization and do not plan on having revenue sources beyond artist fees, there are some opportunities to bring in revenue that might work well for ArtCity. Holding art classes will both engage the community and bring in funds for the artists and the organization. Additionally, incorporating a storefront and gallery would help with these endeavors as well. Adding other sources of bringing in money will help with financial stability and building their community loyalty base.

 

Challenges

ArtCity, as with any organization, will face some challenges as it tries to get off the ground. One challenge I anticipate them having is that of getting artists to buy into the coop. There are concerns that maybe the Eugene artist base won’t have enough incentive to join the coop and sustain it. Another challenge lies in the location. Another challenge regarding funding lies in their intent in being a for-profit organization, and non-profits may cut into their potential funding sources. They will need to get a sound business plan together before asking for funding.

 

ArtCity does not yet have a physical location, even a temporary one, which hinders their ability to be recognizable and start building an audience base. To some degree, location will dictate their success because they may or may not be accessible or near other local businesses. Finding a location that will work will also be a challenge, as they will need a space that has the capacity for various large studio spaces, office space, and possibly a storefront or gallery. ArtCity also suffers from first impression hurdles, give the inconsistent programming and website design.

 

There is another challenge in that their current website and event media does not give off a good first impression. Charly even mentioned that someone let her know they would not have thought about meeting to discuss funding had she not known her personally, due to the digital presence.