What Photoville does

Photoville is a New York-based nonprofit arts organization (legally United Photo Industries Inc.) founded in 2011 in Brooklyn by Laura Roumanos, Sam Barzilay, and Dave Shelley. The organization produces an annual city-wide open-air photography festival in NYC, year-round public art exhibitions, free educational programming, and a nationwide traveling exhibition program called The FENCE. In 2025, Photoville produced 130+ free public art exhibitions worldwide and exhibited 600+ artists, partnering with 100+ organizations globally including The New York Times, CUNY, National Geographic, Magnum Foundation, ICP, NYC DOT, NYC Parks, and Brooklyn Bridge Park. The organization serves visual storytellers (photographers and artists), educators and students, nonprofit and government partners, and the general public through free programming that emphasizes cultural equity and diverse representation.

All Photoville programs and exhibitions are free and accessible to the public, with no ticket or admission fees. Revenue is generated through four streams: tax-deductible individual donations and memberships (monthly tiers from $20–$125, one-time gifts from $50–$1,500); government and foundation grants (including New York State Council on the Arts, Open Society Foundations, William Talbott Hillman Foundation, and Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation); fee-for-service "Hire Us" production services for partners requiring a minimum 5-week project timeline; and merchandise sales such as the annual Photoville Calendar. Distribution occurs through physical public art installations across all five NYC boroughs, traveling exhibitions nationwide (The FENCE), Photoville LA at Annenberg Space for Photography, virtual programming, and educational field trips and classroom visits.

Name

Photoville

Legal name

United Photo Industries Inc.

Website

https://photoville.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Photoville is a NYC-based nonprofit (United Photo Industries Inc.) that produces a free annual city-wide photography festival, year-round public art exhibitions, and educational programs for visual storytellers, educators, students, and the public. Founded in 2011, it operates in all five NYC boroughs and partners with 100+ organizations globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Services

NAICS

Photographic Services (54192)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Photography exhibitions
• Public art festivals
• Visual storytelling
• Arts education programs
• Nonprofit cultural services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: Photoville relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals and members. Monthly membership tiers ranging from $20-$125/month and one-time gifts from $50-$1500 provide ongoing support for artists, educators, and community programs.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Funded by government agencies including New York State Council on the Arts, and foundations such as Open Society Foundations, William Talbott Hillman Foundation, and Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation.
3. Fee-for-Service Production Services: The 'Hire Us' service offers consultation, curation, design, production, installation, and event management for partners including artists, educators, nonprofits, cultural organizations, and city agencies. Projects have a minimum 5-week timeline.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of merchandise including the annual Photoville Calendar and special edition items like ceramic candles to support operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Photoville is a New York-based nonprofit that produces an annual city-wide open-air photography festival in NYC, delivers free educational and community initiatives year-round, and leads a nationwide program of public art exhibitions. It also offers fee-based exhibition consultation, curation, design, production, installation, and event management services through its 'Hire Us' program.

Product overview

Photoville is a New York-based nonprofit organization that operates as a multi-program visual storytelling platform rather than a single product. The core offerings include the annual Photoville Festival (a free city-wide photography festival in NYC now celebrating its 15th year), year-round Public Art Exhibitions (producing over 130 exhibitions globally in 2025), and Photoville Education (providing free educational programming including Educator Labs, Education Field Trips, and the Educator Exhibition Grant, all produced in partnership with PhotoWings). Additional offerings include the New York Portfolio Review (a free portfolio review event produced with NYT and CUNY), The FENCE (a traveling outdoor exhibition program), Community Heroes (a neighborhood-based public art project), and Hire Us Services (fee-based professional exhibition and event production services).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The FENCE: A traveling public art photography exhibition program featuring large-format displays in cities across the United States.
• New York Portfolio Review
• Photoville Edu

Products and services

• Photoville Festival An annual city-wide open-air photography festival held in New York City, featuring over 20 free exhibitions across all five boroughs, free to the public.
• Public Art Exhibitions Year-round activation of public spaces with free photography exhibitions and installations across NYC and partner venues worldwide.
• Photoville Education Year-round educational programming including workshops, field trips, artist visits, lesson plans, toolkits, and videos produced in partnership with PhotoWings for educators and students.
• New York Portfolio Review A free annual portfolio review event connecting photographers with photo editors, publishers, and curators for career development.
• The FENCE A nationwide traveling photography exhibition program featuring large-format outdoor displays in cities across the United States.
• Hire Us Services Fee-based professional services including exhibition consultation, photo curation, graphic design, print production, installation, touring, event management, and educational programming development for partner organizations.
• Community Heroes A neighborhood-based public art project featuring portraits of community members exhibited in Brooklyn parks and public spaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130+ exhibitions produced in 2025 with 100+ partner organizations globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• The New York TimescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership producing the annual New York Portfolio Review. The New York Times photo department co-produces this free career-building event connecting photographers with photo editors, publishers, and curators.
• Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the annual New York Portfolio Review, providing venue and academic partnership for this career development event for photographers.
• PhotoWingscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in producing the Photoville Education Program, including Educator Labs, education resources, and the Bridging Generations photography project in NYC and Bay Area.
• NYC Department of TransportationmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCity agency partner enabling public art installations across NYC streets and public spaces.
• NYC ParksmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCity agency partner enabling public exhibitions in parks and public spaces throughout New York City.
• Brooklyn Bridge ParkmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome venue for the annual Photoville Festival in Brooklyn, hosting major exhibitions in the iconic waterfront park.
• National GeographicmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner since 2013, presenting visual storytelling and photographers at Photoville through container exhibits and Beer Garden presentations.
• Magnum FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner involved from the start of Photoville, featuring documentary photography projects at the festival.
• International Center of Photography (ICP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor photography institution partner in exhibitions and educational programming.
• UNOCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations agency partner for humanitarian photography exhibitions and visual storytelling about global issues.
• Griffin Museum of PhotographycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for Vision(ary) exhibition, a summer public art exhibition dedicated to visual storytelling in Winchester, MA.
• New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the New York Proud campaign, producing public art exhibitions celebrating immigrant stories across all five boroughs.
• NYU Tisch School of the ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for exhibitions and programming, with Dr. Deborah Willis (Department Chair) serving on the Board of Directors.
• Annenberg Space for PhotographymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Photoville LA exhibitions at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles.
• DutchCulture USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural exchange organization partner supporting international photography projects and exhibitions.
• Leica Camera USAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamera manufacturer partner supporting photography exhibitions and competitions.
• AdobeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner providing software support for photographers and exhibitions.
• Oxfam AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner for humanitarian photography exhibitions raising awareness about global issues.
• SmorgasburgminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrooklyn food market venue partner for festival events and community programming.
• Rescue.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization partner for photography exhibitions documenting refugee experiences.
• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJournalism safety organization partner supporting photojournalist exhibitions and programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Center for Creative Photography (University of Arizona): The Center for Creative Photography is a Tucson-based nonprofit photography institution affiliated with the University of Arizona, holding major photography archives and producing exhibitions and public programs. It is comparable to Photoville as a nonprofit photography exhibition and education organization.
• Aperture Foundation: Aperture is a New York-based nonprofit photography foundation that publishes, exhibits, and educates around contemporary photography. Its mission of broadening access to photography and its combination of publishing, exhibitions, and public programs make it directly comparable to Photoville's nonprofit visual-storytelling model.
• Magnum Foundation: Magnum Foundation is a New York-based nonprofit that supports documentary photography for social justice, partnering with Photoville since its founding. It is directly comparable as a documentary-photography grantmaker and exhibition producer focused on diverse storytellers.
• Rencontres d'Arles: Les Rencontres d'Arles is the leading international photography festival held annually in Arles, France. It is a directly comparable peer to Photoville as a curated photography festival with public exhibitions, education programming, and curatorial leadership — and Photoville co-founder Sam Barzilay has served as a juror for the festival.
• Photo London: Photo London is an annual photography fair and festival held at Somerset House, combining curated exhibitions, talks, and programming. It is a directly comparable peer as a curated photography festival with public exhibitions and educational components serving a major metropolitan market.
• Griffin Museum of Photography: The Griffin Museum of Photography is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that produces the annual Vision(ary) public art exhibition in partnership with Photoville. It is a directly comparable peer as a nonprofit photography institution focused on public exhibitions and visual storytelling programming.
• FotoFest: FotoFest is a Houston-based nonprofit biennial international photography festival and exhibition organization. It is directly comparable to Photoville as a nonprofit photography festival operator that activates a city with curated photography programming and partners with major institutions.
• International Center of Photography (ICP): ICP is a New York-based nonprofit institution dedicated to photography and visual culture, operating a museum, school, and public programming. It is the closest geographic and mission-aligned peer to Photoville, both serving the NYC photography community with exhibitions and educational programming for diverse audiences.
• World Press Photo: World Press Photo is an Amsterdam-based nonprofit that produces the world's leading annual photojournalism exhibition tour. It is comparable to Photoville as a global traveling photography exhibition nonprofit, and Barzilay has served as a juror for the foundation.
• Annenberg Space for Photography: The Annenberg Space for Photography is a Los Angeles cultural destination presenting free photography exhibitions and programming. It is a comparable peer as a free-admission photography exhibition venue; Photoville has partnered with it for Photoville LA since 2019.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/photovillenyc
• Facebookfacebook.com/photovillenyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/photoville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Photoville