Drawing Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE DRAWING CENTER, A MUSEUM IN MANHATTAN'S SOHO DISTRICT, EXPLORES THE MEDIUM OF DRAWING AS PRIMARY, DYNAMIC, AND RELEVANT TO CONTEMPORARY CULTURE, THE FUTURE OF ART, AND CREATIVE THOUGHT. ITS ACTIVITIES-WHICH ARE BOTH MULTI-DISCIPLINARY AND BROADLY HISTORICAL-INCLUDE EXHIBITIONS; SITE SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS; THE "DRAWING PAPERS" PUBLICATION SERIES; PUBLIC PROGRAMS; AND EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY GROUPS.
- Income
- $4.5 million
- Spending
- $3.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- 1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 89%
- Employees
- 39
- Volunteers
- 28
- Highest pay
- $228,714, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 20% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 22% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1569% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2527 of 27 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $2.5 million spent. EXPRESSING THE UNIVERSALITY OF DRAWING, THE DRAWING CENTER PRESENTS EXTRAORDINARY WORKS ON PAPER FROM A WIDE RANGE OF TRADITIONS. EXHIBITIONS HAVE FEATURED DRAWINGS BY TATTOO ARTISTS, CHEFS, NOVELISTS, AND PRISONERS ALONGSIDE VISUAL ARTISTS, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT INTERNATIONAL COLLECTIONS OF WORKS ON PAPER. THIS EXPANSIVE VISION-COMBINED WITH THE SCHOLARLY RIGOR AND EXHIBITION STANDARDS OF MUCH LARGER MUSEUMS-MAKES THE DRAWING CENTER A SINGULAR INSTITUTION IN NEW YORK CITY AND INTERNATIONALLY. FOUNDED IN SOHO IN 1977 AND FIRST HOUSED IN A GROUND-FLOOR WAREHOUSE AT 137 GREENE STREET, THE DRAWING CENTER MOVED TO ITS CURRENT HOME AT 35 WOOSTER STREET IN 1987. AFTER NEARLY FIFTY YEARS, IT CONTINUES TO SERVE AS A BELOVED NEIGHBORHOOD INSTITUTION AND A GLOBAL LEADER IN THE STUDY AND CELEBRATION OF DRAWING. IN THE PAST YEAR, THE DRAWING CENTER ENGAGED INDIVIDUALS OF ALL AGES BOTH ON-SITE IN SOHO AND OFF-SITE IN VARIOUS PUBLIC AND EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS. THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMMING, DIVERSE AUDIENCES WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE MEDIUM OF DRAWING AS PRIMARY, DYNAMIC, AND RELEVANT TO CONTEMPORARY CULTURE, THE FUTURE OF ART, AND CREATIVE THOUGHT. EXHIBITIONS PRESENTED AT THE DRAWING CENTER IN THE PAST YEAR INCLUDED: THE WAY I SEE IT: SELECTIONS FROM THE KAWS COLLECTION; JOHN ZORN: HERMETIC CARTOGRAPHY; ERICKA BECKMAN: POWER OF THE SPIN, AND IN THE MEDIUM OF LIFE: THE DRAWINGS OF BEAUFORD DELANEY. THIS YEAR, WE RELEASED THREE NEW CATALOGS THROUGH OUR DRAWING PAPERS PUBLICATION SERIES AND SERVED CLOSE TO 34,000 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH OUR EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS. THE WAY I SEE IT: SELECTIONS FROM THE KAWS COLLECTION, ON VIEW OCTOBER 10, 2024 THROUGH JANUARY 19, 2025, FEATURED MORE THAN 350 ARTWORKS CHOSEN BY THE ARTIST KAWS FROM HIS VAST PERSONAL COLLECTION OF OVER 3,000 WORKS ON PAPER BY SOME 500 ARTISTS. THE WAY I SEE IT CONTINUED THE DRAWING CENTER'S TRADITION OF EXHIBITING DRAWINGS FROM OUTSTANDING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, AND OFFERED AN UNPRECEDENTED GLIMPSE INTO THE ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS AND INTERESTS OF ONE OF TODAY'S MOST POPULAR CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS. KNOWN PREDOMINANTLY AS A GROUNDBREAKING FIGURE IN NEW YORK'S AVANT-GARDE AND EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC SCENES, JOHN ZORN HAS LONG BEEN CELEBRATED FOR HIS RADICAL INNOVATIONS IN MUSIC. HOWEVER, HIS ABSTRACT DRAWINGS-A PRIVATE LANGUAGE OF SYMBOLS AND NOTATIONS-HAVE REMAINED A CLOSELY GUARDED SECRET. ON VIEW FEBRUARY 7 THROUGH MAY 11, 2025, HERMETIC CARTOGRAPHY REVEALED A NEW DIMENSION OF ZORN'S ARTISTIC PRACTICE BY SHOWCASING WORKS ON PAPER THAT SPAN SEVEN DECADES OF HIS VISIONARY ENGAGEMENT WITH MARK-MAKING, IMPROVISATION, AND THE ESOTERIC. PRESENTED CONCURRENTLY WITH HERMETIC CARTOGRAPHY, POWER OF THE SPIN FEATURED THE WORK OF ERICKA BECKMAN, A FILMMAKER WHO CAME TO PROMINENCE IN THE LATE 1970S. BECKMAN IS CONSIDERED A KEY FIGURE OF THE PICTURES GENERATION, A GROUP OF AMERICAN CONCEPTUAL ARTISTS WHO APPROPRIATED IMAGES FROM POPULAR CULTURE FOR THE PURPOSE OF CULTURAL CRITIQUE. IN SUMMER 2025, THE DRAWING CENTER PRESENTED AN EXHIBITION FEATURING WORKS ON PAPER BY THE AMERICAN ARTIST BEAUFORD DELANEY (1901-1979). ENTITLED IN THE MEDIUM OF LIFE: THE DRAWINGS OF BEAUFORD DELANEY, IT WAS THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE DELANEY EXHIBITION AT A NEW YORK MUSEUM IN OVER THREE DECADES, AND THE FIRST-EVER EXHIBITION DEVOTED TO DRAWING-THE MEDIUM THAT WAS CENTRAL TO HIS OEUVRE. IN THE MEDIUM OF LIFE INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY 90 DRAWINGS, GOUACHES, PASTELS AND NOTEBOOK SKETCHES MARKING DISTINCT PERIODS OF DELANEY'S CAREER. ALL OF THE DRAWING CENTER'S EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS ARE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC, FREE OF CHARGE, THANKS TO A MULTI-YEAR GRANT FROM THE CY TWOMBLY FOUNDATION. IN THE PAST YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 34,000 INDIVIDUALS VISITED THE WAY I SEE IT: SELECTIONS FROM THE KAWS COLLECTION; JOHN ZORN: HERMETIC CARTOGRAPHY; ERICKA BECKMAN: POWER OF THE SPIN, AND IN THE MEDIUM OF LIFE: THE DRAWINGS OF BEAUFORD DELANEY. THE DRAWING CENTER HAS CONTINUED ITS EXPANSION OF ITS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS THROUGH ITS EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, WITH OVER 3,000 AUDIENCE PARTICIPANTS ENGAGING WITH PUBLIC EXHIBITION-BASED PROGRAMS, ARTIST AND CURATOR CONVERSATIONS, DRAWING WORKSHOPS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND GROUP TOURS. ITS SCHOOL PROGRAMS SERVED APPROXIMATELY 1,800 K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS, INCLUDING 25 STUDENTS FROM PS 42 BENJAMIN ALTMAN SCHOOL; 25 STUDENTS FROM CHELSEA CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION HIGH SCHOOL; 25 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM THE LEXINGTON SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF; AND 25 STUDENTS FROM PS 347 THE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE & ENGLISH LOWER SCHOOL. THE DRAWING CENTER'S ONGOING LANGUAGE ACCESS INITIATIVE PROVIDED 12 DRAWING WORKSHOP PROGRAMS TO DEAF AUDIENCES AND SPANISH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS. THE DRAWING CENTER'S PUBLICATION PROGRAM ENABLES THE PRODUCTION OF IMPORTANT AND INFLUENTIAL NEW SCHOLARSHIP ON DRAWING. ALL EXHIBITIONS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY AN EDITION OF DRAWING PAPERS, AN AFFORDABLY PRICED PUBLICATION THAT ATTRACTS A WIDE AUDIENCE, FROM STUDENTS AND FELLOW ARTISTS TO CRITICS, COLLECTORS, AND SCHOLARS. DRAWING PAPERS INCLUDE REPRODUCTIONS OF ARTISTS' WORKS, ARTIST STATEMENTS, COMMISSIONED ESSAYS, AND INTERPRETIVE TEXTS. DRAWING PAPERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE DRAWING CENTER'S ONSITE AND ONLINE BOOKSTORES, AND IN COMMERCIAL BOOKSTORES. THE DRAWING CENTER PARTNERS WITH THE ONLINE PUBLISHER ISSUU.COM TO OFFER ALL 150+ OF ITS PUBLICATIONS IN A READABLE FORMAT FOR FREE ONLINE. TO DATE, MORE THAN 2 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE READ OUR PUBLICATIONS ONLINE. IN THE PAST YEAR, THE DRAWING CENTER PUBLISHED IN-HOUSE DRAWING PAPERS PUBLICATIONS FOR THE WAY I SEE IT: SELECTIONS FROM THE KAWS COLLECTION; JOHN ZORN: HERMETIC CARTOGRAPHY, AND IN THE MEDIUM OF LIFE: THE DRAWINGS OF BEAUFORD DELANEY. EACH PUBLICATION FEATURES FULL-COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ARTWORKS INCLUDED IN THE EXHIBITIONS, ALONG WITH ESSAYS BY TDC CURATORS, ARTISTS, AND SCHOLARS. THE DRAWING CENTER PRESENTS A VARIETY OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS, INCLUDING GALLERY TALKS, LECTURES, READINGS,
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1977.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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