JOAN

What JOAN does

JOAN is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit art space founded in 2015 that presents contemporary exhibitions, performances, screenings, readings, and limited-edition publications. The organization operates a single physical gallery at 1206 Maple Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, with free public admission Thursday through Saturday, and supplements its programming through partner venues such as 2220 Arts + Archives and co-presentations with ICA LA. JOAN's core products are organized into six integrated offerings: rotating exhibitions, discursive programs/events, limited-edition artist releases (Editions), an in-house publishing imprint (Autograph), a documented Community directory of artists and collaborators, and multi-year thematic Chapters that frame each cycle of programming. Chapter One ran January 2023 through March 2024, Chapter Two from April 2024 through August 2026, and Chapter Three is announced for February 2026 through April 2027.

JOAN does not generate revenue through ticket sales or merchandise; instead, its operations are funded by a portfolio of grants and institutional support, including the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Mondriaan Fund, and the Mike Kelley Foundation For The Arts. Its customer base is hybrid: individual art enthusiasts and the general public attend programming; contemporary artists receive exhibition opportunities, residencies, and publication support; and arts institutions and curators access JOAN as a venue and collaborator for cross-institutional projects such as Getty's PST ART: Art & Science Collide.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial, relying on Instagram, an email newsletter, and its website for audience development, and on a curated network of more than 500 artists, curators, and writers for programming supply. JOAN employs between 1 and 10 people and operates with no parent company, subsidiaries, venture backing, or disclosed revenue figures; it is positioned as an independent curatorial platform rather than a scalable technology or commercial enterprise.

Name

JOAN

Legal name

JOAN

Website

https://joanlosangeles.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

JOAN is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit contemporary art space, founded in 2015, that presents free exhibitions, performances, screenings, and artist publications organized into multi-year thematic chapters. It serves artists, the local arts community, and institutional collaborators, funded primarily through grants and arts organization support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Gallery

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary art gallery
• Art exhibitions
• Performance art programming
• Artist publishing
• Visual arts nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Exhibition and Programming: JOAN operates as a non-profit exhibition space offering free admission to the public. Revenue appears to come from grants, donations, and support from arts organizations rather than ticket sales or merchandise.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

JOAN operates a nonprofit art gallery in Los Angeles presenting solo and group exhibitions of contemporary art, alongside a parallel program of performances, screenings, readings, and artist talks. It also produces limited-edition prints, cassettes, and publications through its Editions and Autograph Press lines. Programming is delivered free of charge to the public and organized into multi-year thematic Chapters that connect exhibitions, events, and publications under a single curatorial framework.

Product overview

JOAN is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit art space and visual arts organization offering a unified program of rotating exhibitions, events, and publications. The organization functions as a single integrated program rather than a platform architecture, presenting solo and group exhibitions by contemporary artists alongside parallel discursive events (performances, readings, screenings, conversations), limited-edition artist publications through Autograph Press, and merchandise through Editions. Programming is organized into multi-year Chapters with thematic frameworks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibitions Solo and group exhibitions featuring contemporary artists across various mediums including visual art, installation, performance, video, and film; presented free of charge at the Los Angeles gallery to the general public.
• Programs and Events Discursive events including performances, readings, screenings, conversations, walkthroughs, and lectures that accompany and extend the gallery's exhibitions.
• Editions Limited-edition publications, prints, and cassette tapes produced in conjunction with exhibiting artists and made available at the gallery.
• Autograph Press JOAN's publishing imprint producing artist books, zines, posters, and printed materials tied to its exhibitions, including work designed by collaborators such as The Rodina.
• Community Directory Public online directory of artists, curators, writers, and other collaborators associated with JOAN's programming, serving as a record of the gallery's network.
• Chapter Programming Series Multi-year thematic programming chapters that aggregate exhibitions, events, and publications under a single curatorial framework, each running approximately 12-15 months.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ICA LAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerICA LA (Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles) co-presents performances and programming with JOAN, including the Geo Wyex performance 'Nobody Wade Never Too Much' as part of Getty's PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative.
• Getty (PST ART: Art & Science Collide)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional arts initiative presenting exhibitions exploring the intersection of art and science across Southern California. JOAN participates through exhibitions and programming aligned with the initiative's themes.
• 2220 Arts + ArchivescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLos Angeles-based venue that co-hosts JOAN's performance programs and screenings, providing additional space for programming beyond the main gallery.
• Apogee GraphicsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLos Angeles-based art book publisher and gallery that co-presents book launches and lectures with JOAN, including the Hannah Zeavin event.
• Semiotext(e)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent publisher that works with JOAN on publications accompanying exhibitions, such as the François Pain exhibition booklet.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ICA LA (Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles): LA-based contemporary art institution that co-presents performances and programming with JOAN. Operates in the same city with a similar focus on experimental and politically engaged contemporary art, serving overlapping artist and audience communities.
• 2220 Arts + Archives: LA-based art venue that hosts JOAN's performances and screenings. Functions as a small-to-mid contemporary art and performance space in the same neighborhood, with overlapping curatorial networks and artist rosters.
• REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater): LA-based nonprofit presenting experimental contemporary art, performance, and film. Directly comparable as a smaller institution focused on interdisciplinary and experimental programming aimed at the LA contemporary arts community.
• Artists Space: NY-based nonprofit founded in 1972 supporting experimental contemporary art. Highly comparable to JOAN in mission, organizational scale, and commitment to emerging and experimental artistic practice, though geographically separate.
• The Kitchen: NY-based nonprofit presenting experimental contemporary art, performance, and video since 1971. Closely comparable in its interdisciplinary, experimental focus and nonprofit structure, though with a longer institutional history.
• Participant Inc: NY-based alternative art space presenting experimental contemporary art. Comparable in scale and curatorial focus on politically engaged and conceptual work, serving as a direct counterpart to JOAN's experimental programming.

Broad incumbents

• The Hammer Museum: Major LA contemporary art museum with significantly larger scale and broader programming. Comparable as a presenting institution for experimental contemporary work in Los Angeles, but operates at much greater institutional scale.
• The Broad: LA contemporary art museum with free general admission and a focus on post-1950 work. Comparable to JOAN in its free-access model and LA footprint, but vastly larger in collection, attendance, and institutional capacity.
• MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles): LA's flagship contemporary art museum. Shares the contemporary-art mission and free/low-cost public access model but operates at a fundamentally different scale, with multiple locations and major institutional funding.

Emerging players

• Gas (gallery): Small LA contemporary art gallery with similar experimental focus and artist-run sensibility. Comparable as a small-scale, emerging LA gallery operating in adjacent contemporary art circles to JOAN's network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/joanlosangeles
• Xx.com/joanlosangeles
• Facebookfacebook.com/joanlosangeles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/joan-los-angeles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JOAN