Our Story: Passion for the arts, driven by innovation
Art Center Canvas started with a simple mission: to provide art centers with the tools they need to thrive. Our passion for the arts drives everything we do.
From artist to innovator
Art Center Canvas’s story begins with Tom McCobb, Founder and Chief Systems Architect:
“I’ve always been actively involved in the Arts. For years I ran the Philadelphia Sketch Club’s life drawing workshop on Saturday mornings. In 2008, a friend and fellow Sketch Club member told me about a local Art Center that had received a grant from Ben Franklin Partners to develop a new application. After an introduction and a number of conversations, I decided to leave my corporate job as a software engineer to help them build it…”
A vision takes shape: An affordable ERP for arts centers
What began as a straightforward goal for Tom soon revealed itself as a more complex and ambitious project:
“The initial application featured class registration, membership management and fundraising. The objective was straight forward: create one system that can manage all customer / student data in one place, however the solution proved to be much more complex. Some time later, when I shared this story with a potential investor they described it as building an ERP for organizations that can’t afford it. That’s when I realized we had developed something special: an affordable ERP for arts education centers…”
Evolving with purpose
As Tom’s initial vision evolved, Art Center Canvas was born:
“This initial project sponsored by a grant turned into a clear mission to help Arts Education Centers Thrive. We’ve seen first hand the impact continuing arts education has on students, regardless of age ability or experience. Over the years the team has grown, the product has evolved, but our mission remains the same. We’re always encouraged to hear during demos that our product meets the specific needs of Arts Education Centers, even when compared to much larger software platforms…”
Supporting the arts for future generations
And so, here we are today as Art Center Canvas. We are honored to support the arts community and remain committed to making a lasting impact on the future of arts education:
“We believe that Arts education is a worthy pursuit and we’re happy to play a small role in helping thousands of students each year do what they love.”
Tom McCobb,
Founder and Chief Systems Architect
