Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) is a nonprofit contemporary art museum founded in 1931 in Salt Lake City, offering free admission, rotating exhibitions, artist residencies, educational programs, and direct artist grants to the public.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1931
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Utah Museum of Contemporary Art does
The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1931 and based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The museum serves the general public free of charge, presenting rotating exhibitions of contemporary art alongside educational programming, artist support, and community outreach initiatives. Its core programs include the Projects Gallery, an Artists-in-Residence program (currently paused), Studio Sessions, a mobile Art Truck outreach program, the Catherine Doctorow Prize for Indigenous artists, the Out Loud program, Art Trips, and UMOCA Press publications. UMOCA also operates the Assemblage Art Fund, which has distributed approximately $60,000 directly to artists. The institution is led by Executive Director Laura Allred Hurtado, Curator Jared Steffensen (in role since 2010), and Board President Rich Walje.
UMOCA is funded through a mix of individual donations, memberships, foundation grants (notably $100,000 from the Andy Warhol Foundation and support from the VIA Art Fund), event fees, and program revenue, with Art Trips alone generating $83,400. The museum has established partnerships with the National Gallery of Art, the Andy Warhol Foundation, For Freedoms, and Wake the Great Salt Lake. It operates on a small staff of 1-10 employees and has announced a new building as part of a downtown Salt Lake redevelopment with Salt Lake County, signaling a forthcoming expansion of physical and programmatic capacity.
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
- Legal name
- Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
- Website
- https://utahmoca.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1931
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) is a nonprofit contemporary art museum founded in 1931 in Salt Lake City, offering free admission, rotating exhibitions, artist residencies, educational programs, and direct artist grants to the public.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contemporary Art Museum
- NAICS
- Museums (712110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Museums (THAJADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)
Keywords
Where Utah Museum of Contemporary Art is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Art Trips Fundraising: Curated art trips to international destinations (Frieze London, Art Basel Miami Beach, ZsONAMACO Mexico City, New Orleans Jazz Festival) that serve as fundraisers, generating approximately $83,400 annually to support museum operations and free public access.
- Donations and Memberships: Nonprofit museum supported by community donations and membership programs, with much of programming free and open to the public thanks to community support.
- Grants and Foundation Support: Funding from organizations including Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, George S. & Dolores D. Eccles Foundation, and others supporting exhibitions and programs.
- Event Admissions and Workshops: Program fees for workshops, film screenings, and special events with suggested donations (e.g., $10 admission for film screenings).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Suggested Admission Donation |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Event/Screening Admission |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Studio Sessions Multi-Day Program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UMOCA is a nonprofit contemporary art museum that presents rotating exhibitions featuring local, national, and international artists, including major loaned works such as Sol LeWitt's Wall Drawing No. 309. The museum offers free admission and operates an Artists-in-Residence program, the Assemblage Art Fund grant initiative, educational workshops, community programs such as Out Loud, and curated international Art Trips that double as fundraisers.
Product overview
The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) operates as a nonprofit contemporary art museum offering exhibitions, artist residencies, educational programs, and grant initiatives. The institution presents rotating exhibitions featuring local Utah artists through its Projects Gallery and national/international artists in its main galleries, including major loans from partner institutions. Core programs include the Artists-in-Residence Program (currently paused), Assemblage Art Fund grants ($60,000 annually to local artists), Art Trips (international travel fundraisers generating $83,400), Studio Sessions (multi-day adult workshops), Flow Share Yoga (wellness events), and the Art Truck mobile outreach. Additional offerings include the Catherine Doctorow Prize ($15,000 painting award), Out Loud queer community program, UMOCA Press publications, and educational workshops. The museum's website serves as a digital access point to exhibition archives, events, and community programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- UMOCA Exhibitions
Quantifiable outcome
- $83,400 generated annually from art trips to support museum operations
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Wake the Great Salt LakecoreCollaborative partnership supporting Oscar Tuazon's Salt Lake Water School installation in Abravanel Hall Plaza, addressing environmental crisis facing the Great Salt Lake.
- National Gallery of ArtflagshipPartnership for Across the Nation lending initiative bringing Sol LeWitt's Wall Drawing No. 309 to UMOCA as part of commemorations for the 250th anniversary of America. One of 10 partner museums nationwide.
- For Freedoms Artist CollectivecoreCollaboration on exhibition Our Wake Up Call For Freedoms, examining creativity as core societal value capable of creating political change. Includes participative installations and artist activations.
- Workshop SLCcoreCo-hosting Studio Sessions, a multi-day adult art program combining instruction, hands-on workshops, gallery learning, and outdoor studio practice at Tracy Aviary Nature Center.
- Tracy Aviary Nature CenterminorHosting final day of Studio Sessions program, providing natural landscape setting for outdoor artistic practice and creative development.
- Meadowlark ElementaryminorTitle I school partnership providing art and cultural curriculum to 86 in-person students and 121 virtual participants, with content shared with other Utah K-12 educators.
- Utah Muslim Civic LeagueminorPartnership extending Meadowlark Elementary program to include Ramadan curriculum, supporting Muslim students' cultural representation.
- Salt Lake City Public LibraryminorPartnership with For Freedoms exhibition organizing Creative Library with curated selection of books on relevant social issues.
- Utah Film CenterminorPartnership for film screenings around Our Wake Up Call For Freedoms exhibition.
- Angie Smith (Photographer)minorArt Truck exhibition collaboration featuring photographer Angie Smith's work on refugee experience in Utah.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis: A nonprofit contemporary art museum of comparable scale and mission to UMOCA, focusing on exhibitions, community programming, and free or low-cost public access in a mid-sized U.S. city.
- SITE Santa Fe: A nonprofit contemporary arts organization running rotating exhibitions and community programming in a Western U.S. city — a direct analog to UMOCA's Salt Lake City operating model.
- The Contemporary Austin: A Texas-based contemporary art institution with rotating exhibitions, artist commissions, and community programs — comparable in mission and scope to UMOCA's contemporary focus.
- Contemporary Arts Center (Cincinnati): A regional contemporary art museum offering rotating exhibitions and educational programming, structurally and missionally similar to UMOCA's nonprofit exhibition model.
- Wexner Center for the Arts: A university-affiliated contemporary arts center presenting rotating exhibitions, film, and performance — comparable to UMOCA's contemporary-art scope with a stronger institutional backer.
- Institute of Contemporary Art Boston: A free-admission contemporary art museum with rotating exhibitions and community programming — a directly comparable institutional model to UMOCA, though with a larger urban audience.
- Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: An Omaha-based nonprofit supporting contemporary artists through residencies, exhibitions, and public programs — closely comparable to UMOCA's artist-residency-driven model.
Broad incumbents
- Walker Art Center: A major multidisciplinary contemporary arts institution combining visual art, performance, and film — overlapping with UMOCA's contemporary focus but operating at a far larger national scale.
- Mass MoCA: A much larger contemporary art museum with rotating exhibitions, residencies, and music programming — comparable in contemporary focus but significantly larger in scale, footprint, and operating budget than UMOCA.
Regional players
- Utah Museum of Fine Arts: The University of Utah's fine arts museum in the same Salt Lake City market as UMOCA, serving overlapping local audiences but with a broader historical-collection focus rather than contemporary-only programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art social profiles
Digital presenceUtah Museum of Contemporary Art financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
What does Utah Museum of Contemporary Art do?
UMOCA is a nonprofit contemporary art museum that presents rotating exhibitions featuring local, national, and international artists, including major loaned works such as Sol LeWitt's Wall Drawing No. 309. The museum offers free admission and operates an Artists-in-Residence program, the Assemblage Art Fund grant initiative, educational workshops, community programs such as Out Loud, and curated international Art Trips that double as fundraisers.
Is Utah Museum of Contemporary Art a public or private company?
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Utah Museum of Contemporary Art founded?
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art was founded in 1931. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Utah Museum of Contemporary Art based?
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Utah Museum of Contemporary Art make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Art Trips Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are donations and Memberships, grants and Foundation Support and event Admissions and Workshops.
Who are Utah Museum of Contemporary Art's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, SITE Santa Fe, The Contemporary Austin, Contemporary Arts Center (Cincinnati), Wexner Center for the Arts, Institute of Contemporary Art Boston and Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. Broad incumbents are Walker Art Center and Mass MoCA. Utah Museum of Fine Arts is listed as a regional player.
Does Utah Museum of Contemporary Art have an API?
No public API is recorded for Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.
What industry is Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in?
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art's product category is Contemporary Art Museum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAA, Art Museums, with a secondary code of THAJADAH, Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit). Its NAICS code is 712110.