Active Cultures
Active Cultures is a 501(c)(3) public arts nonprofit in Los Angeles producing artist-led projects at the intersection of art, food, and ecologies. It serves the LA community through communal programming funded by foundation grants, an annual membership, donations, and sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Active Cultures does
Active Cultures is a 501(c)(3) public arts nonprofit founded in 2018 and headquartered in Los Angeles that produces artist-led projects exploring the intersection of art, food, and ecologies. The organization operates a portfolio of seven core programs — The Garden, ECOTONES, Summer Solstice, the Seeds Film Series, Research Poems, a bi-monthly Book Club, and the Migratory Table collaboration — delivered through free or sliding-scale ($0-$15) public events, communal meals, film screenings, foraging walks, performances, and workshops at venues including the Audubon Center at Debs Park, 2220 Arts + Archives, ArtCenter College of Design, and Now Instant cinema. Distribution is built on a WordPress website, an Instagram presence (@activeculturesla), and an email newsletter, with co-marketing through cultural media partners such as KCRW and Now Instant. The organization is governed by a six-person Board of Directors with three Emeritus members, including co-founder Glenn Kaino, and is led by a four-to-five person core team anchored by Director and Co-Founder Laura Fried (formerly founding Artistic Director of the Seattle Art Fair) and Curator Nanette Orly (formerly Senior Curator at MAMA, 2024 ICA LA curatorial fellow).
The underlying technology stack is intentionally minimal: standard web publishing (WordPress), social media, and email, with Meech Boakye's Research Poems project featuring a digital garden that grows seasonally online. There is no proprietary platform, no app, and no API. The bulk of the artistic and curatorial work is delivered in physical, in-person formats, with digital channels functioning as marketing and lightweight documentation layers rather than primary delivery surfaces.
The revenue model is diversified across four streams: foundation and government grants (Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Getty Foundation, Vera R. Campbell Foundation, and others), a Members Circle annual membership priced at $3,000 with installment plans, individual tax-deductible donations, and customized sponsorships. The customer base is split between a distributed public audience attending free or low-cost events and a small, high-touch patron cohort subscribed to the Members Circle, with international co-presenters (LagoAlgo, Cocina Colaboratorio) extending reach into Mexico City as of 2026.
Active Cultures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Active Cultures
- Legal name
- Active Cultures
- Website
- https://active-cultures.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Active Cultures is a 501(c)(3) public arts nonprofit in Los Angeles producing artist-led projects at the intersection of art, food, and ecologies. It serves the LA community through communal programming funded by foundation grants, an annual membership, donations, and sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Active Cultures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Arts & Cultural Programming
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Arts & Culture Appreciation (Art History, Film Appreciation, Music Appreciation) (EDAAAGAO)
Keywords
Where Active Cultures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Active Cultures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership (Members Circle): Annual membership at $3,000 providing exclusive invitations to Suppers, recognition on communications, priority access to Artist Lunch series and studio visits. Members Circle is designed for socially engaged patrons supporting Active Cultures' mission.
- Donations: Fully tax-deductible gifts from individuals supporting artists and programming accessibility.
- Sponsorship: Customized partnerships for individuals and institutions with on-site presence, community access, and inclusion in print and online materials.
- Foundation and Government Grants: Sustained support from Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Vera R. Campbell Foundation, Getty Foundation, Jerry and Terri Kohl Family Foundation, Maurice Marciano Family Foundation, Offield Family Foundation, Teiger Foundation, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Sliding Scale Event Tickets |
| Subscription | Annual | Members Circle Annual Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Active Cultures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Active Cultures is a public arts nonprofit that produces artist-led projects and programs exploring the intersection of art, food, and ecologies. Its offerings include communal meals, performances, film screenings, book clubs, workshops, seasonal gatherings, and membership-based patron engagement, delivered as free or sliding-scale public programs primarily in Los Angeles. The organization also commissions and supports interdisciplinary artists through projects such as Research Poems, ECOTONES, Summer Solstice, and the Seeds Film Series.
Product overview
Active Cultures is a public arts nonprofit offering a portfolio of artist-led projects and programs that explore the intersection of art, food, and ecologies. The organization's core offering consists of collaborative, community-building experiences including meals, performances, film screenings, workshops, and gatherings. Key programmatic products include The Garden (research-based ecological exploration), ECOTONES (ecofeminist programming with The Brick), Summer Solstice (annual solstice celebration), and the Seeds Film Series. Additional offerings include the Research Poems digital garden project and a bi-monthly Book Club series. The Members Circle membership program provides exclusive access to suppers, artist lunches, and studio visits for patrons.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Artist-Led Projects and Programs Active Cultures' primary offering: interdisciplinary art projects that explore the intersection of art, food, and ecologies through collaborative, artist-led experiences including meals, performances, film screenings, workshops, and community gatherings, for the Los Angeles community and visiting public.
- The Garden
- ECOTONES A collaborative programming series presented with The Brick exploring local agriculture, foraging, food and herbalism as ritual, and biodiversity, as part of the exhibition Life on Earth: Art & Ecofeminism. Targeted at the Los Angeles public interested in ecofeminist art and ecology.
- Summer Solstice An annual artist-led communal gathering to celebrate the longest day of the year, featuring collaborative meals, performances, guided nature walks, and meditative offerings connecting participants to the natural world. Hosted in partnership with the Audubon Center at Debs Park.
- Seeds Film Series A three-part cinematic meditation on new beginnings, hidden power, and pivotal transformation, exploring seeds as symbols of biodiversity, food sovereignty, and cultural heritage through curated film screenings and artist-led discussions. Co-presented with Now Instant cinema.
- Research Poems A digital garden and artist project by Meech Boakye that investigates plants, foraged and gardened, through transdisciplinary research, AI-collaborative poems, recipes, and sonic explorations over four seasons, hosted online at researchpoems.com. Targeted at audiences interested in foodways, ecology, and experimental digital art.
- Book Club A bi-monthly series exploring the interconnectedness of art, food, and ecologies through collective reading and conversation, examining food aesthetics, culinary resilience, land stewardship, and the impact of migration on cooking practices. Targeted at the Los Angeles reading public.
- Members Circle An annual membership program offering exclusive invitations to intimate suppers with artists and chefs, priority access to Artist Lunch series and studio visits, personalized recommendations, and recognition on communications. Annual dues: $3,000 with installment plans available. Targeted at socially engaged patrons supporting the organization's mission.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2,000 participants engaged by Herb Club LA founder Andrea Jimenez in workshops and events
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Active Cultures
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Active Cultures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Active Cultures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- KCRWmajorKCRW co-presented Compost After Writing at the LA Times Festival of Books at USC. KCRW is a public radio station (89.9FM) connecting diverse perspectives and sounds of Southern California with curious communities.
- Triple CanopycoreCo-presented Holes Marathon, Los Angeles at 2220 Arts + Archives. Triple Canopy is a nonprofit magazine (501(c)(3)) that works with artists and writers to address critical contemporary issues, committed to cultivating unconventional forms of thought and expression.
- Now InstantmajorNow Instant, a cinema and bookstore in Chinatown, Los Angeles, co-presented the Seeds film series with Active Cultures, screening Wild Relatives, Tending the Wild, and The Gleaners and I.
- LagoAlgomajorPartnered with LagoAlgo in Mexico City for Cocina Colaboratorio's Migratory Table project. LagoAlgo is a cultural center in Chapultepec Park combining a sustainable restaurant with an all-access artistic zone managed by OMR Gallery.
- Food ForwardmajorFood Forward, a nonprofit bringing fresh surplus fruits and vegetables to people experiencing food insecurity, partnered on the Community Produce Drive at Hollywood Farmers' Market, collecting approximately 150 lbs of produce.
- Food Access LAmajorFood Access LA, a nonprofit building sustainable food systems ensuring equitable access to fresh foods, partnered on the Community Produce Drive addressing food insecurity in Los Angeles.
- Altadena Seed LibraryminorHosted Seed Sorting Night with Altadena Seed Library, a growing network offering seed exchange boxes and educational resources for seed stewardship and local biodiversity. Altadena Seed Library provides free seeds to affected residents post-Eaton Fire.
- Audubon Center at Debs ParkcoreOngoing partnership hosting Summer Solstice events and Sunstead. The Audubon Center at Debs Park is an environmental education and conservation center for Northeast Los Angeles communities, providing the venue for artist-led gatherings celebrating the longest day of the year.
- ArtCenter College of DesignmajorCo-produced colectivo amasijo: a circular offering at ArtCenter's South Campus rooftop, recreating moments when land was common and paths were cultivated for the milpa to flourish.
- The BrickcoreActive Cultures partnered with The Brick (formerly LAXART) on the ECOTONES series presented in conjunction with the exhibition Life on Earth: Art & Ecofeminism and PST ART: Art & Science Collide. Four public programs explored local agriculture, foraging, food and herbalism as ritual, and biodiversity, modeling an ecofeminist ethos through shared authorship.
- Project X Foundation for Art & CriticismminorConceived TOTAL LANDSCAPING, a roaming critical reading group examining spatial politics of Los Angeles through site-specific research at locations including Franklin Canyon, Verdugo Mountains, and NASA JPL.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Active Cultures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mizna: Twin Cities-based Arab arts nonprofit publishing and presenting literary, film, and performing arts programs; comparable as a small-staff mission-driven arts nonprofit with publication and public programming components.
- Project X Foundation for Art & Criticism: LA-based arts nonprofit and Active Cultures' collaborator on TOTAL LANDSCAPING; both run site-specific critical programming and curatorial projects in the Los Angeles area.
- ForYourArt: LA-based arts nonprofit producing public programs, artist commissions, and citywide cultural activations; closely comparable in mission, scale, and Southern California geographic focus.
- 18th Street Arts Center: Santa Monica-based artist residency and curatorial nonprofit with a similar model of artist-led public programs, exhibitions, and community engagement in the Southern California arts ecosystem.
- The Kitchen: New York-based nonprofit presenting artist-led programs across performance, visual art, and discursive events; a closely matched curatorial nonprofit model with a similar mission to support experimental and interdisciplinary practice.
- MAK Center for Art and Architecture: LA-based nonprofit presenting artist residencies, exhibitions, and public programs exploring architecture and ecology themes; comparable size, programming model, and LA-specific institutional positioning.
- The Brick (formerly LAXART): Los Angeles-based contemporary arts nonprofit and Active Cultures' direct programming partner on the ECOTONES series; both operate at the intersection of curatorial practice, public programming, and LA-specific cultural production.
- Triple Canopy: New York-based nonprofit arts publisher and Active Cultures' co-presentation partner on Holes Marathon; both are 501(c)(3) curatorial organizations working with artists on experimental public programs.
Broad incumbents
- Hammer Museum: Established LA arts institution running public programs, exhibitions, and artist commissions at substantially larger scale; a relevant 'incumbent' benchmark for programming ambition, though not a direct niche competitor.
Regional players
- Self Help Graphics & Art: LA-based nonprofit arts organization focused on Chicanx/Latinx art and community programming; comparable in mission-driven, grant-funded, community-engaged arts nonprofit model, though with a distinct cultural focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Active Cultures social profiles
Digital presenceActive Cultures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Active Cultures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Active Cultures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Active Cultures 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 Active Cultures
What does Active Cultures do?
Active Cultures is a public arts nonprofit that produces artist-led projects and programs exploring the intersection of art, food, and ecologies. Its offerings include communal meals, performances, film screenings, book clubs, workshops, seasonal gatherings, and membership-based patron engagement, delivered as free or sliding-scale public programs primarily in Los Angeles. The organization also commissions and supports interdisciplinary artists through projects such as Research Poems, ECOTONES, Summer Solstice, and the Seeds Film Series.
Is Active Cultures a public or private company?
Active Cultures is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Active Cultures founded?
Active Cultures was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Active Cultures based?
Active Cultures is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Active Cultures make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership (Members Circle) is the primary driver. The others are donations, sponsorship and foundation and Government Grants.
Who are Active Cultures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mizna, Project X Foundation for Art & Criticism, ForYourArt, 18th Street Arts Center, The Kitchen, MAK Center for Art and Architecture, The Brick (formerly LAXART) and Triple Canopy. Hammer Museum is listed as a broad incumbent. Self Help Graphics & Art is listed as a regional player.
Does Active Cultures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Active Cultures.
What industry is Active Cultures in?
Active Cultures's product category is Public Arts & Cultural Programming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music). Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 8600.