Acadiana Center for the Arts
Fostering art and culture in Acadiana.
Acadiana Center for the Arts
EIN: 51-0138288
as of September 2023
as of September 18, 2023
Mission
Our “Why”: Because the arts bring joy and happiness to people. Art enriches our lives. Culture makes our region what it is. Mission: AcA's mission is "Fostering art and culture in Acadiana." Core Values: Community Culture Education Inclusion Guiding Principles: Sharing a message of belonging and hospitality. Building a sustainable cultural ecosystem. Ensuring equitable access to the arts. Creating elevated arts experiences. Vision: We envision an Acadiana that thrives because people from all walks of life are inspired to participate in a dynamic cultural life where everyone can feel that they belong thanks to the efforts of the regional arts council.
Ruling year
1975
Executive Director
Samuel Oliver
Main address
101 W. Vermilion St.
Lafayette, LA 70501 USA
EIN
51-0138288
Arts and culture
Foundations
Community and economic development
Population served
Children and youth
Adults
Families
Artists and performers
NTEE code
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose (A20)
Management & Technical Assistance (S02)
Public Foundations (T30)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
We envision an Acadiana that thrives because people from all walks of life are inspired to participate in a dynamic cultural life where everyone can feel that they belong thanks to the efforts of the regional arts council.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Arts in Education
AcA serves 24,078 students in 79 schools through eight distinct arts education programs. This service comes in the form of more than 5,000 sessions with visual and creative movement teaching artists in the Primary Academic and Creative Experiences (PACE) program in Lafayette Parish, 3,570 arts enrichment classes in Vermilion Parish, 63 unique in-school performances, and 303 sessions in the Teaching Artist Program in both Lafayette and St. Landry Parish schools.
AcA engages thousands of attendees during its Student Arts Expo, which features dozens of performances and exhibitions in two parishes. AcA hosts 90+ school field trips, (Art Experiences), and 15 week-long Summer Camps with a variety of creative and arts focuses, including two weeks of trauma-informed creative movement for young people from migrant, homeless, and foster families.
Creative Acadiana (Grants and Services)
Launched in 2022, Creative Acadiana is AcA’s program that provides financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills training to artists, musicians, craftspeople, and all classes of creative professionals in Acadiana. Through each “semester” of this program, creative entrepreneurs become more sustainable in their business practices, helping strengthen the cultural identity that makes Acadiana a unique and vibrant place to live and work.
As part of this work, AcA presents an open grant for creatives to receive targeted investment to elevate their professional practice though limited project-based funding. These funds are available to creative entrepreneurs at emerging, mid-career, and mature levels of their career and aim to provide support for a catalytic step in their professional advancement and self-sustainability.
Performing Arts Presentations
From its home at the intimate 300-seat James Devin Moncus Theater, AcA presents a year-round schedule of world class performers through several distinct series, including comedy, chamber music, theatre, dance, and national touring music.
The Louisiana Crossroads series, which celebrated its 20th Anniversary Season in 2020, presents special one-night-only concerts featuring artists with a musical connection that ties back to Louisiana and an on-stage interview with the series Host and Curator Roddie Romero.
Visual Arts Exhibitions
The AcA’s exhibition programs present large- and small-scale exhibitions of local, national, and internationally significant artists in all media and influences. AcA has a strong focus on BIPOC representation in its exhibitions, aiming to serve the Acadiana community with an inclusive message that reflects the diversity of the region.
AcA's galleries are free and open to the public daily and are the central focus of the monthly Second Saturday ArtWalk in Downtown Lafayette.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The following bullets summarize hopes for what reality will be for AcA and Acadiana come 2030:
Acadiana, a region that is recognized nationally for its multicultural artistic heritage and its robust pipeline of diverse artists and musicians.
Acadiana, a place where young people have art and culture embedded in their education, serving as a national example of innovation and success.
Lafayette, a welcoming beacon and hub for people who care about creativity and culture in the South.
Lafayette Arts District, a place that is recognized nationally for providing a vibrant and culturally inclusive experience for visitors.
AcA, the right people in the right roles, with the support and resources they need to drive the work we do.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1-A Invest in Artists: Grow the AcA’s programs that invest in individual artists in order to ensure that these opportunities for artists, musicians, and creatives of all kinds are well known and effectively grow, attract, and retain creative talent in our region.
1-B Serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Communities: Build the capacity of BIPOC communities to create sustainable and inclusive programming that drives a deeper understanding of Acadiana unique people.
2-A Expand the Arts in Education Program to include all Eight Parishes: Ensure arts experiences for all students in public schools throughout the eight-parish region through AcA’s Arts in Education program.
2-B Develop a College-Affiliated Teaching Artist Certification Program Create a college-affiliated Teaching Artist Certification Program in Acadiana that builds AcA’s workforce and serves as a national model for inclusive development of teaching artists.
3-A Build Programs for our Target Audiences Expand AcA's audience through intentional programming and outreach efforts in order to build deep connections with diverse populations in the City of Lafayette.
3-B Connect People to our Mission and Programs Tell powerful stories that excite people to engage with AcA's diverse programs.
3-C Signature Events Develop AcA’s Signature Events around target audiences to drive both fundraising and community awareness.
3-D Membership Engagement Ensure AcA members and potential members are excited to engage in driving AcA's mission and to enjoy the benefits of their time and support.
4-A Creative Placemaking in the Heart of Lafayette Expand AcA’s impact on the community through new ventures in the built environment, placing the AcA at the center of a vibrant and inclusive "Lafayette Arts District".
4-B Preserving Louisiana's Rich Culture through Music Build a world-class facility, the Louisiana Music Museum, to solidify AcA’s position as the center of Lafayette’s arts district, showcasing and preserving Louisiana’s contributions to the music industry.
5-A Build Annual Support and Resources Streamline process, schedule, and planning to maximize annual and multi-year giving in support of AcA's core programs.
5-B Inspire Catalytic Investments Develop a comprehensive case for the arts to achieve catalytic investments from capital and planned giving strategies.
5-C Year-Round Board Development Ensure that board members have the training, backgrounds, and knowledge needed to guide the AcA’s strategic priorities.
5-D Invest in a Culture of Growth among Staff AcA's diverse professional staff should be highly sought after as future leaders of cultural organi
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Founded in 1975, the AcA is a well developed organization with a professional staff and well established relationships with the public entities within the region, including the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the State of Louisiana, the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, the Downtown Development Authority, the Lafayette Parish School System, the St. Landry Parish School System, and the Vermilion Parish School System. AcA is additionally supported in this work by private citizens, foundations, and corporations that sponsor programs year-round.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
AcA began this strategic plan in 2022. There will be annual updates based on the plan beginning in fall 2023.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2022 info
1.81
Months of cash in 2022 info
2.7
Fringe rate in 2022 info
0%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Acadiana Center for the Arts
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
This snapshot of Acadiana Center for the Arts’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | -$170,495 | $144,194 | -$234,045 | $722,436 | -$68,211 |
| As % of expenses | -5.8% | 6.4% | -12.7% | 46.0% | -2.5% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$177,027 | $136,152 | -$242,138 | $714,126 | -$79,360 |
| As % of expenses | -6.0% | 6.1% | -13.1% | 45.2% | -2.9% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $2,767,587 | $2,128,318 | $1,624,237 | $2,244,207 | $2,734,982 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 5.7% | -23.1% | -23.7% | 38.2% | 21.9% |
| Program services revenue | 33.2% | 21.9% | 13.9% | 23.8% | 33.7% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 1.3% | 1.1% | -2.7% | 2.2% | 0.9% |
| Government grants | 21.5% | 27.1% | 32.8% | 19.8% | 8.2% |
| All other grants and contributions | 36.6% | 38.7% | 44.9% | 25.8% | 26.9% |
| Other revenue | 7.3% | 11.3% | 11.1% | 28.4% | 30.4% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $2,941,082 | $2,237,324 | $1,845,032 | $1,570,329 | $2,693,697 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 24.4% | -23.9% | -17.5% | -14.9% | 71.5% |
| Personnel | 27.0% | 31.4% | 37.9% | 44.5% | 34.6% |
| Professional fees | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Occupancy | 11.1% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 16.6% | 9.0% |
| Interest | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Pass-through | 6.7% | 8.3% | 10.2% | 5.2% | 8.8% |
| All other expenses | 55.2% | 48.7% | 40.1% | 33.7% | 47.4% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $2,947,614 | $2,245,366 | $1,853,125 | $1,578,639 | $2,704,846 |
| One month of savings | $245,090 | $186,444 | $153,753 | $130,861 | $224,475 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $16,226 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $617,692 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $3,208,930 | $2,431,810 | $2,006,878 | $1,709,500 | $3,547,013 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Months of cash and investments | 4.9 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 8.8 | 6.0 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 0.3 | 1.1 | -0.2 | 5.3 | 0.0 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $108,671 | $121,472 | $149,803 | $319,473 | $598,083 |
| Investments | $1,085,317 | $921,153 | $751,444 | $828,175 | $750,926 |
| Receivables | $43,812 | $65,426 | $61,541 | $654,141 | $131,521 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $58,763 | $58,763 | $60,605 | $60,605 | $678,297 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 35.0% | 49.5% | 59.6% | 73.3% | 8.2% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 19.7% | 19.9% | 30.9% | 23.3% | 35.7% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $101,565 | $237,717 | -$4,421 | $709,705 | $630,345 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $4,950 | $1,750 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $1,000,000 | $750,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $1,004,950 | $751,750 | $765,000 | $779,426 | $794,210 |
| Total net assets | $1,106,515 | $989,467 | $760,579 | $1,489,131 | $1,424,555 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Samuel Oliver
Samuel Oliver is a Louisiana-based nonprofit executive with experience leading museums, performing arts centers, and cultural development agencies. Oliver has served as the executive director of the Acadiana Center for the Arts since 2018, where he heads the regional arts council’s operations, fundraising, and programming. Prior to joining the AcA, Oliver served as the assistant director of the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, and as an arts officer for the City of Edinburgh Council, UK, office of cultural development. In these roles, Oliver developed a professional practice as a researcher and advocate for data-driven decision-making and cultural policy and has managed large-scale grants and capital projects. Oliver holds a B.A. from Louisiana State University, an M.A. in Arts and Cultural Management from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, and a Certificate in Cultural Diplomacy from the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, Berlin. He is a fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar;
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Acadiana Center for the Arts
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Acadiana Center for the Arts
Board of directorsas of 02/27/2023
Board of directors data
Dr. Ronald Daigle
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/03/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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