OXBOW

As filed

Subsection

03

Classification

1000

Street

3435 RUPPRECHT WY

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

• OX-BOW WAS FOUNDED IN 1910 AND OPERATES AN ART SCHOOL, INCLUDING ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAMS, AND OWNS THE NECESSARY PROPERTY AND BUILDINGS TO CONDUCT THE SAME. OX-BOW'S PURPOSE IS TO CONNECT ARTISTS TO A NETWORK OF CREATIVE PEOPLE, RESOURCES AND IDEAS TO AN ENERGIZING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND, TO A RICH ARTISTIC HISTORY AND TO A VITAL FUTURE. OX-BOW RECOGNIZES ARTISTS ARE VISIONARIES: THEY CREATE NEW POSSIBILITIES, ADVANCE CULTURE, AND ENABLE OTHERS TO IMAGINE THE UNIMAGINABLE. OUR SCHOOL AND RESIDENCY ARE PROGRAMMED TO SUPPORT AND BUILD ON THOSE SKILLS BY PROVIDING ARTISTS AT ALL STAGES IN THEIR ARTISTIC JOURNEY ACCESS TO A RANGE OF PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ONLINE AND IN PERSON. AT OX-BOW, A NOURISHED LIFE INCLUDES CONVERSATION, RIGOR, PLAYFULNESS, EXPERIENCING NATURE, IMMERSION INTO A CREATIVE CONTEXT, AND COMMUNALLY ENJOYING DELICIOUS, HEALTHY MEALS. OX-BOW'S STRENGTH IS DRAWN FROM HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SAUGATUCK/DOUGLAS COMMUNITY, THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, PARTNERS SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS AND SUPPORTERS. OX-BOW BELIEVES EXPERIENCING A FLOURISHING NATURAL WORLD INVIGORATES A SENSE OF AWE AND CURIOSITY THAT ENABLES THE CREATIVE SPIRIT. CURRENTLY, OX-BOW'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS MADE UP OF 13 INDIVIDUALS. THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND SKILLSETS PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO LAW, ARCHITECTURE, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND THE ARTS, WITH 2 MEMBERS REPRESENTING THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. THE BOARD IS PASSIONATE ABOUT OX-BOW AND GOVERNS THE ORGANIZATION ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS. THE BOARD ANNUALLY CULTIVATES 2 NEW MEMBERS TO GROW THE BOARD, WITH THE GOAL OF REACHING A COHORT OF 18 MEMBERS. INTEGRAL TO THE OX-BOW EXPERIENCE ARE THE DEDICATED STAFF WHO HELP DEFINE THE CHARACTER OF THE ORGANIZATION. OX-BOW HAS BEEN LARGELY ARTIST RUN FOR THE LAST 112 YEARS, WHICH INFUSES THE LEADERSHIP, MAIN OFFICE, KITCHEN, MAINTENANCE, AND HOUSEKEEPING WITH A CREATIVE AND PLAYFUL SENSIBILITY. OX-BOW'S CLASSES ARE TAUGHT BY LOCAL, NATIONAL, OR INTERNATIONAL RENOWNED AND DISTINGUISHED ARTISTS. IN 2023 OX-BOW OPENED UP ENROLLMENT CAPACITY AFTER 2 YEARS OF RESTRICTED CLASS SIZES TO MITIGATE COVID SPREAD. WE CONTINUED TO ADJUST TO THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THE PANDEMIC, INCLUDING A HIGHER LIVING WAGE, INFLATION ACROSS OUR OPERATIONS COSTS, STAGNANT ENROLLMENT AND PATRON ATTRITION. FOLLOWING THE TRENDS OTHER NONPROFITS AND SCHOOLS ARE EXPERIENCING, THESE EXAMPLES WERE ON TREND BUT SHOWED STEADY, BUT INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENT. HIRING EXPERIENCED, DEDICATED STAFF REMAINED A CHALLENGE AS THE WORKFORCE CONTINUED TO CORRECT ITSELF POST-PANDEMIC. OVERALL, OX-BOW CONTINUES TO OFFER A TWO-WEEK IN-PERSON INTENSIVE IN JANUARY AND 10-WEEKS OF IN-PERSON LEARNING FROM JUNE-AUGUST. THESE CLASSES ARE OFFERED FOR BOTH CREDIT AND NONCREDIT, WITH THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS COMING FROM THE SCHOOL OF ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO WITH WHOM WE HAVE AN ONGOING PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT. OX-BOW'S SUMMER AND FALL WORKSHOP SERIES, ART ON THE MEADOW, OFFERS DAY WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER FOR CHILDREN, TEENS AND ADULTS. THIS PROGRAM IS A WAY FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS AND SHORT TERM VISITORS TO ENGAGE IN LIFE AND ARTMAKING AT OX-BOW. CLASSES ARE TIMED TO GIVE PARTICIPANTS CONCENTRATED STUDIO TIME, WHILE STILL ALLOWING FOR THE FLEXIBILITY THAT BUSY SUMMER AND YEAR ROUND SCHEDULES REQUIRE. OUR RESIDENCY PROGRAMS OFFER ARTISTS AND WRITERS, AT VARIOUS STAGES IN THEIR CAREER, THE TIME, SPACE, AND COMMUNITY TO ENCOURAGE GROWTH AND EXPERIMENTATION IN THEIR PRACTICE. RESIDENTS JOIN OX-BOW'S COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WOVEN INTO OUR CAMPUS ALONGSIDE STUDENTS, FELLOWS, FACULTY AND STAFF FOR PERIODS OF 2 WEEKS UP TO 1 MONTH. THE SELECTION PROCESS CONSISTS OF AN ONLINE APPLICATION REVIEW FOLLOWED BY AN IN PERSON PANEL MEETING FOCUSING ON THE MERIT OF THE APPLICANT'S WORK AS WELL AS RESPONSES TO THE STATEMENTS OF PRACTICE, PURPOSE AND INTEREST. OX-BOW CONTINUALLY REINVENTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO VISIT OUR CAMPUS WE HOST OPEN STUDIO NIGHTS AT THE END OF JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST, "TASTE OF OX-BOW" COMMUNITY DINNERS, CABIN AND STUDIO RENTAL, PRIVATE CLASSES, OUR ANNUAL HALLOWEEN FAMILY AND ADULT EVENTS, A WINTER MARKET AT OX-BOW HOUSE THAT FEATURES REGIONAL ARTISTS, AND OTHER TALKS, DINNERS AND PROGRAMS THAT ENGAGE OUR STUDIOS AND LANDSCAPE. AS A HISTORICALLY ARTIST-RUN ORGANIZATION, OX-BOW CONTINUALLY WORKS TO BENEFIT THOSE WHOSE ARTMAKING IS A PRIMARY COMPONENT OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREER. OUR PROGRAMS SEEK TO BE A SOURCE OF BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT. OVER THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS, OX-BOW HAS WELCOMED ARTISTS FROM THE PHILIPPINES, TRINIDAD, NIGERIA, CHINA, FRANCE, SOUTH KOREA, PAKISTAN, IRAN, JAPAN, THE UK, AND CANADA. OUR NATIONAL REPRESENTATION IS EQUALLY DIVERSE, PULLING TALENTED ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. ALUMNI FROM THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM HAVE EXEMPLIFIED OX-BOW'S COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY AND INTENSIVE ARTMAKING, GARNERING EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITIES FOLLOWING THEIR STAY. STUDENT AND RESIDENT ALUMS HAVE GONE ON TO WORK WITH IMPORTANT CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS, AND SHOW IN MUSEUMS, INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ART EXHIBITIONS, AND GALLERIES ALL OVER THE WORLD.

  Expenses $2,690,630 · Grants $181,806 · Revenue $2,061,512

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

• 2024

  Revenue

  $3,198,270

  Expenses

  $3,516,527

  Contributions

  $1,153,471

  Grants paid

  $181,806

• 2024

  Revenue

  $3,333,633

  Expenses

  $3,869,023

  Contributions

  $1,016,651

  Grants paid

  $508,137

• 2023

  Revenue

  $2,748,442

  Expenses

  $3,404,826

  Contributions

  $979,211

  Grants paid

  $152,411

• 2022

  Revenue

  $2,774,424

  Expenses

  $3,396,138

  Contributions

  $723,555

  Grants paid

  $97,491

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

• 2021 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,600,895

  Expenses

  $2,781,508

  Assets (EOY)

  $6,747,769

• 2020 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,514,545

  Expenses

  $2,123,193

  Assets (EOY)

  $6,881,190

• 2019 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,290,928

  Expenses

  $2,501,799

  Assets (EOY)

  $6,832,625

• 2018 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,571,437

  Expenses

  $2,639,827

  Assets (EOY)

  $6,801,487

• 2017 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,184,952

  Expenses

  $2,230,964

  Assets (EOY)

  $7,035,305

• 2016 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,992,289

  Expenses

  $2,204,637

  Assets (EOY)

  $7,175,497

• 2015 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,279,945

  Expenses

  $2,159,275

  Assets (EOY)

  $7,300,014

• 2014 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,025,887

  Expenses

  $2,153,949

  Assets (EOY)

  $7,257,765

• 2013 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,934,131

  Expenses

  $2,015,074

  Assets (EOY)

  $7,807,401

• 2012 · 990

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  $1,952,063

  Assets (EOY)

  $7,770,633

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

• CENTRAL INDIANA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC

  $185,000

  2022 · Ox-Bow House

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $58,850

  2024 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

• CENTRAL INDIANA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC

  $43,850

  2024 · program costs for Herron School of Art and Design students for Summer 2024

• CENTRAL INDIANA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC

  $35,000

  2023 · Efroymson Visiting Artist program

• GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

  $22,500

  2024 · MULTIPLE GRANTS AWARDED

• DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

  $14,850

  2024 · HEALTH

• VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

  $11,132

  2022 · FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE

• VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

  $10,000

  2023 · FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $7,200

  2022 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Other IRS files