UAP Company

What UAP Company does

UAP Company (Urban Art Projects) is a privately held, Brisbane-headquartered art fabrication and consultancy founded in 1993 by the Tobin family, operating across Australia, the United States, China, and Saudi Arabia with 251–500 employees. The company delivers an integrated suite of services spanning the full public art lifecycle — curatorial consultancy (artist procurement, public art strategy, masterplanning), manufacturing (welding, robotic milling, lost wax casting, sand casting, AR/VR-integrated fabrication, stone masonry, finishing), and preservation (conservation, restoration, digital preservation). Its client base is horizontal and project-based, spanning property developers, government and public sector bodies, architectural firms, museums and cultural institutions, individual artists, and corporate clients. The 2019 acquisition of New York-based Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry anchored its US footprint and foundry capability, while partnerships with IMCRC, QUT, RMIT, and Griffith University underpin its Industry 4.0 and Public Art 360 initiatives.

The business model is commission-based professional services plus one-time fabrication contracts, with pricing set per project based on scope, materials, artist, and geography. Revenue is generated from consultancy fees, fabrication contracts, conservation and preservation engagements, and artist residency programs; no standardized pricing tiers are publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement from early vision stages through installation, supported by thought-leadership content (annual Best Public Art surveys with Artsy, Journal publication, Biennial 'Be Better' sustainability reports). The company has delivered more than 5,000 public art projects globally, including the Oscar statuette, Lindy Lee's 'Ouroboros' for the National Gallery of Australia, and commissions for Studio Museum in Harlem, Shanghai Library, City of Melbourne, and Mirvac.

Underlying technology combines traditional fine art craftsmanship with advanced manufacturing — robotics, vision systems, CNC milling, 3D modelling, digital sculpting, AR/VR integration — developed through the Industry 4.0 collaboration with IMCRC, QUT, and RMIT. Proprietary tools include the Design Robotics for Mass Customisation framework, the Artwork Ingredient List (a carbon-footprint calculator co-developed with Future Normal), and Public Art 360 (impact measurement research with Griffith University). Sustainability is operationalised through the One Earth initiative, targeting 45% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030 and net-zero by 2050, aligned to eight UN SDGs. The company is founder-controlled with no observed external institutional investment or private equity involvement in the source material.

Name

UAP Company

Legal name

UAP

Website

https://uapcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

UAP Company (Urban Art Projects), founded in 1993 and headquartered in Brisbane, is a privately held global art fabrication and consultancy serving property developers, governments, architects, museums, and artists through end-to-end curatorial, manufacturing, and preservation services delivered across workshops in Australia, the USA, China, and the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Northgate

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Art Consultancy Services: UAP provides curatorial services, artist procurement and management, public art strategy development, masterplanning, cost estimating, and artwork briefs for developers, governments, and institutions. This covers the conceptual and planning phases of public art projects.
2. Art Fabrication & Manufacturing: End-to-end fabrication of public artworks including digital sculpting, 3D modelling, welding, casting, finishing, patina application, and installation. Manufacturing capabilities span diverse materials including bronze, stainless steel, aluminium, stone, and mixed media.
3. Art Preservation & Conservation Services: Expert conservation services including condition reporting, restoration, refabrication, maintenance scheduling, and digital preservation strategies for artworks and collections.
4. Artist Residency Programs: Programs providing artists with resources and studio space to explore and extend their practice, fostering collaborative relationships with UAP's design and fabrication teams.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

UAP Company provides end-to-end public art services spanning curatorial consultancy, advanced custom fabrication (welding, robotic milling, casting, 3D modelling), and conservation/restoration of existing artworks. Engagements typically begin with curatorial or advisory input and proceed through design engineering, manufacturing in metal, stone, or composite media, and long-term preservation of the installed work.

Product overview

UAP Company (Urban Art Projects) is a global public art fabrication and consultancy company offering an integrated suite of services across the entire artwork lifecycle. The core offerings include Consultancy Services (curatorial advisory, artist procurement, public art strategy, and masterplanning), Manufacturing (fabrication, welding, casting, robotics, and finishing), and Preservation (conservation, restoration, and maintenance). These services are supported by three key initiatives: the Artist Residency Program for creative development, Public Art 360 for impact research, One Earth for sustainability strategy, and Industry 4.0 for advanced manufacturing technology. The company operates workshops in Australia, USA, and China to deliver public art projects from vision through installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consultancy Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 85,000+ oyster shells collected for Megan Cope's 'Whispers' installation through community workshops
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Polich Tallix Fine Art FoundrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019UAP acquired New York-based Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry in 2019. Polich Tallix has a legacy dating back to 1968 and is one of America's premiere fine art foundries. The acquisition expanded UAP's US capabilities and combined Polich Tallix's unmatched industry knowledge of traditional manufacturing with UAP's global reach and advanced manufacturing investments. Dick Polich noted that combining skills of craftspeople from both firms boldly expanded capabilities and expertise.
• Dick PolichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Dick Polich, founder of Polich Tallix, was a renowned art foundryman who led foundries including Tallix, Polich Art Works, and Polich Tallix. His foundries realised works for artists including Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Jeff Koons, and Richard Serra. UAP acquired Polich Tallix under his leadership to secure the longevity of the foundry and jobs of craftspeople.
• IMCRC (Innovation Manufacturing Centre Research Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration on Industry 4.0 initiative exploring robotics, vision systems and user-centred software interfaces for artwork design and bespoke manufacturing. IMCRC provides research funding and academic partnerships.
• QUT (Queensland University of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Industry 4.0 collaboration engaging art designers, academics, workshop craftspeople, cross reality designers and researchers.
• RMIT UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Industry 4.0 collaboration contributing research expertise in robotics and advanced manufacturing for art fabrication.
• Griffith Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional development and training facilitated by Griffith Business School Professors Nick Barter and Chris Fleming for UAP's One Earth sustainability initiative. Training started in Australia and cascaded to US and China offices.
• Griffith UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored research article with UAP for The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society on 'The Impacts of Public Art on Cities, Places and People's Lives.' Developed Public Art 360 initiative that quantifies benefits of public art.
• United Nations (SDG alignment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Earth initiative identified eight UN Sustainable Development Goals and associated projects for UAP's transformation to become sustainable. Goals include 45% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.
• Outer SpaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Outer Space for inaugural emerging artist residency program, providing resources and support for emerging artists to experiment and develop their practice at UAP workshops.
• Art MakersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNew York-based organisation that works with mid-career and established artists to create significant works for public display. Collaborated with UAP on Agnes Denes' 'The Debate' recreation.
• Future NormalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Future Normal and Carbon Footprint to launch the Artwork Ingredients List - a tool that calculates an artwork's carbon emissions.
• Taylor & Francis / RoutledgeminorOthersPublisher of the academic journal article 'The Impacts of Public Art on Cities, Places and People's Lives' co-authored by UAP and Griffith University.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Arandal Larson Studio: Pacific Northwest foundry and fabrication studio offering full-service sculpture production from digital modelling through casting, comparable to UAP's end-to-end Manufacturing line.
• Pangolin Editions: UK-based foundry and fabrication house producing sculpture for leading contemporary artists, offering a comparable mix of casting, fabrication and digital sculpting services.
• Walla Walla Foundry: One of the largest fine art foundries in the US, producing large-scale bronze and stainless steel sculpture for public and private commissions — overlapping directly with UAP's manufacturing capability.
• Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry: Acquired by UAP in 2019 and now operating as UAP's US foundry brand; the closest direct comparable as a premier fine art foundry serving artists like Jeff Koons, Richard Serra and Louise Bourgeois.
• Modern Art Foundry: Long-established New York fine art foundry specialising in bronze casting and large-scale sculpture fabrication, serving many of the same contemporary artists and institutions as UAP.

Broad incumbents

• Meow Wolf: Large-scale immersive art production company with in-house fabrication capabilities; broader in scope and consumer-facing, but competes for the same highly-financed, large-format art commissions.

Emerging players

• teamLab: Digital art collective building large-scale immersive installations with in-house engineering and fabrication; an emerging competitor for premium developer and cultural-venue commissions where the boundary between art and experience is blurring.
• Fabric Workshop and Museum: Philadelphia-based artist residency and fabrication organisation that collaborates with artists on bespoke material works, overlapping with UAP's Artist Residency and bespoke manufacturing offerings but with a museum/nonprofit structure.

Others

• Public Art Fund: New York nonprofit that commissions and presents public art; operates as a curator/commissioner rather than fabricator, but competes for the same developer and municipal budgets that fund UAP projects.

Regional players

• Fonderia Artistica Battaglia: Historic Milan-based bronze foundry serving Italian and European contemporary artists, comparable in craft and customer profile to UAP but operating almost exclusively in Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UAPcompany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about UAP Company