apexart

What apexart does

apexart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational arts institution founded in 1994 by Steven Rand and headquartered at 291 Church Street in New York City. The organization operates four core programs: (1) Open Calls — a transparent, decentralized jury-based proposal system for exhibition selection, with 15,960 proposals and 14,191 jurors historically; (2) Exhibitions — 269 shows presented across 39 countries since inception, free to the public; (3) Fellowship — a distinctive introspective month-long residency program embedding creative professionals in foreign countries where they are required to refrain from producing creative work; and (4) Publications — a catalog of six or more books documenting curatorial practice, including titles such as 'Cautionary Tales: Critical Curating' and 'Life Between Borders.' The organization has served 1,200+ exhibited artists and 240+ fellows from 50+ countries.

apexart's revenue model is that of a non-commercial arts nonprofit. Gallery admission is free; the institution is funded by a diversified portfolio of foundation grants (National Endowment for the Arts, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Kettering Family Foundation, Buhl Foundation, Trust for Mutual Understanding), public funds (NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYSCA), and tax-deductible individual donations. Secondary revenue includes book sales (ebook and print). The organization has six staff members plus a board that includes former NYC Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Luis R. Cancel, Aldrich Museum ED Cybele Maylone, and Parsons faculty Rosemary O'Neill. Distribution is through the NYC gallery, international exhibition venues (e.g., Sewoon Hall in Seoul), and digital channels (website, Instagram Live, Eventbrite, email newsletter via Brevo).

The core go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: decentralized jury pools curate exhibitions, fellowships are awarded through alternative-selection processes, and audience engagement is built through public programming (tours, walks, performances) rather than commercial marketing. The organization explicitly positions itself as anti-exclusivity in the art world, claiming that "exclusivity is contrary to creativity." Socially and politically engaged thematic content (decolonization, gun violence, Black love, rural agriculture) is increasingly prominent in the 2026-2027 exhibition calendar.

Name

apexart

Legal name

apexart

Website

https://apexart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

apexart is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational arts institution founded in 1994 that operates open-call exhibitions, international fellowships, and publications for artists, curators, and the public across 39 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Arts Education and Exhibition Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Portfolio & Audition Preparation (Arts School Admissions) (EDAMAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Artist fellowship programs
• Curatorial open calls
• Nonprofit arts education
• Art publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Nyack

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: apexart is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals. The organization explicitly states 'Giving $10 means a lot and makes a big difference' indicating a broad base of small donor support.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Funded by foundations including National Endowment for the Arts, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Kettering Family Foundation, Buhl Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and public funds from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.
3. Publication Sales: Sale of ebooks and print books including Cautionary Tales, Life Between Borders, Playing by the Rules, The apexart Fellowship, On Cultural Influence, and Not Going it Alone.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

apexart is a nonprofit educational arts institution that runs a transparent, jury-based Open Call program for selecting exhibitions, presents curated exhibitions in NYC and internationally, hosts public events (tours, walks, performances, workshops), and offers a Fellowship Program that sends artists and curators abroad for month-long introspective stays. It also publishes books and ebooks on curatorial practice. All gallery admission is free and offerings are funded by grants, donations, and publication sales.

Product overview

apexart is an educational arts institution that operates as a single unified platform offering multiple interconnected programs. Its core offerings include: Open Calls (a transparent proposal submission and jury selection system for exhibitions), Exhibitions (curated shows in NYC and internationally), Events (public programs including tours, walks, performances, and workshops), and a Fellowship Program (international travel-based educational opportunities for artists and curators). Additionally, apexart publishes books documenting curatorial practices, including titles such as Cautionary Tales: Critical Curating, Life Between Borders, Playing by the Rules, The apexart Fellowship, On Cultural Influence, and Not Going it Alone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Calls A transparent proposal submission program where curators and artists compete for exhibition opportunities. Proposals are evaluated by large decentralized juries, emphasizing fairness and inclusivity in the selection process.
• Exhibitions Curated art exhibitions presented in NYC and internationally across multiple locations including Seoul, London, La Paz, Badagry, Jeju, and Cleveland.
• Events Public programs including online curatorial tours, city walks, performances, lectures, workshops, and artist talks that complement exhibitions.
• Fellowship Program An alternative educational program inviting creative individuals to travel abroad for month-long stays in foreign countries. Fellows engage in non-art activities and are required to refrain from producing creative works, enabling reflective introspection.
• Cautionary Tales: Critical Curating A book examining the increased influence of independent curators and how the role has evolved, addressing institutional versus independent work, ethical issues, and curatorial career considerations.
• Life Between Borders: The Nomadic Life of Curators and Artists A book exploring identity formation in contemporary art's mobile, migrating lifestyle, examining how artists and curators reconcile cultural identity in a globalized world.
• Playing by the Rules: Alternative Thinking/Alternative Spaces A publication addressing the perceived rules of developing and running alternative spaces, emphasizing the importance of critical and alternative thinking in art world practices.
• The apexart Fellowship: An Experiment in Vertical Cultural Integration A book exploring the methodology, practice, and effects of apexart's unique Fellowship model, which provides inspiration through exposure to new cultures and experiences.
• On Cultural Influence A collection of papers from three apexart international conferences (Wroclaw, Rio de Janeiro, Honolulu) presenting international viewpoints on the changing cultural landscape.
• Not Going it Alone: Collective Curatorial Curating A book offering understanding of collective approaches to curatorial practice, its debates, and possibilities across various temporalities and geographical perspectives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 269 exhibitions presented since 1994 in 39 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sewoon Hall (Seoul, Korea)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue hosting apexart's international exhibition 'Bad Boundaries: Bodies in Tension' at Sewoon Hall, 159 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/apexartnyc
• Xx.com/apexart
• Facebookfacebook.com/apexartnyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apexart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 apexart