GERTIE

What GERTIE does

GERTIE (legally Gertie Enterprises, LLC, a Delaware LLC formerly known as Mama Gertie, LLC) is a Chicago-based for-profit platform for contemporary art and performance, founded in 2024 by cultural producer Abby Pucker. The company operates a hybrid model that combines free public programming with a paid membership community, structured around four interconnected components: Gertie Presents (an in-house, non-selling exhibition program for mid-career artists), Gertie Exchange (a collaborative arm partnering with galleries, institutions, and artists from outside Chicago), the Gertie Hub (a physical exhibition and artist-residency venue at 400 N. Peoria), and Chicago Exhibition Week (CXW), the annual flagship public event. The technology layer is a Peoplevine-powered digital member portal (member.gertie.co) with companion iOS and Android apps, handling membership enrollment, RSVPs, ticketing, and account management; payment processing runs on Stripe and the website uses Google Analytics.

The business model is recurring subscription revenue anchored on two membership tiers: Curious at $600/year (with a $1,000/year Duo option) and an invitation-only Curated tier at $2,500/year plus a $1,500 one-time initiation fee (with a $4,500/year Duo option). Supplementary revenue comes from member-exclusive ticketed events, workshops, and curated travel experiences to art destinations such as Marfa, Detroit, and Iceland. The stated thesis is that membership dues fund free public programming while granting members privileged access — previews, studio visits, intimate dinners, private collection tours, and voting rights on commissions.

The company serves a single persona segment — culturally curious Chicago-based individuals and active collectors — through two complementary go-to-market motions: community-led growth via membership applications and referrals, and earned media via press coverage in ARTnews, Artnet News, Family Style, and Newcity. Distribution is digital-first through the member portal and supplemented by physical programming at the Hub and partner venues (Renaissance Society, Smart Museum, PATRON, Steppenwolf, Chicago Cultural Center). With 7 employees and no disclosed institutional funding, GERTIE currently operates as a founder-controlled, bootstrap business.

Name

GERTIE

Legal name

Gertie Enterprises, LLC

Website

https://gertie.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GERTIE is a Chicago-based for-profit platform for contemporary art and performance, founded in 2024 by Abby Pucker. It operates a physical Hub, free public exhibitions, and a paid membership community (Curious $600/yr, Curated $2,500/yr) serving culturally curious individuals and collectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from Curious ($600/year) and Curated ($2,500/year + $1,500 initiation) tiers. Includes duo membership options. Revenue supports free public programming and artist support.
2. Ticketed Events and Experiences: Additional revenue from member-exclusive ticketed events, workshops, and limited-capacity programs. Some events offer member pricing discounts.
3. Curated Travel Experiences: Members-only travel experiences to art destinations (Marfa, Detroit, Iceland) as premium add-ons to Curated membership tier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gertie is a membership-based platform for contemporary art and performance in Chicago, operating exhibitions, cultural programming, and community experiences through its physical Hub at 400 N. Peoria. The company sells annual memberships (Curious at $600/year and Curated at $2,500/year + initiation) that grant access to previews, studio visits, dinners, and curated travel, while funding free public programming including Chicago Exhibition Week.

Product overview

Gertie is a unified platform for contemporary art and performance in Chicago consisting of multiple integrated offerings: the core Gertie Platform (website and programming), Gertie Hub (physical space at 400 N. Peoria), Gertie Presents (in-house non-selling exhibition program), Gertie Exchange (collaborative programming arm), Chicago Exhibition Week (annual public event), and two membership tiers (Curious at $600/year and Curated at $2,500/year with travel experiences). The platform operates on a model of reciprocity where membership revenues fund free public programming while providing members access to events, experiences, and travel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gertie Presents In-house exhibition program featuring ambitious, non-selling shows that give mid-career artists the resources and platform to produce work they couldn't make anywhere else. For the Chicago art community and visiting audiences.
• Gertie Exchange Collaborative programming arm that creates curated partnerships with galleries, institutions, and artists from outside Chicago for meaningful exchange of ideas, audiences, and networks. For members and the broader Chicago cultural community.
• Gertie Hub Physical space at 400 N. Peoria, Chicago, serving as a hub for Chicago's creative community with institutional exhibitions, commercial programming, and emerging artists in residence. Open Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-6pm.
• Chicago Exhibition Week (CXW) Annual flagship event that is free to the public, part of Gertie's commitment to providing accessible cultural programming across Chicago venues.
• Gertie Curious Membership Annual membership tier at $600/year (or $55/month) providing invitations to member-only previews, early access to programming, priority registration for workshops, newsletter access, and 50% off select ticketed hub programming. For culturally curious individuals wanting to engage with Chicago's art scene.
• Gertie Curated Membership Invitation-only membership tier at $2,500/year + $1,500 initiation fee providing first access to travel experiences, private collection visits, studio visits, intimate dinners with artists/collectors, voting on commissions, and complimentary hub programming tickets. For active collectors seeking premier access.
• Gertie Curated Travel Experiences Members-only curated travel experiences including trips to art fairs, biennials, private collections, studios, and cultural destinations such as Marfa, Detroit, and Iceland. Premium add-on to Curated membership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free public programming for Chicago

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Armani HowardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2026Artist hosting studio visit and Curious Palette dinner event for Gertie members.
• Temple LabminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2026Venue partner for Armani Howard artist programming including studio visit and Thai Night dinner event.
• PATRON (Gallery)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026ON VIEW series partnership with PATRON gallery for private cocktail hours and exhibition walkthroughs combined with Steppenwolf theater performances.
• Steppenwolf Theatre CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026ON VIEW series partnership merging visual art and live theater. Members attend Steppenwolf performances after gallery programming.
• Smart Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2026Collaborative programming partnership for Chicago Art Week including guided walkthroughs at the Smart Museum for Gertie members.
• Julius Caesar (Artist Collective)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2026Gertie partnered with Julius Caesar artist collective for Barely Fair VIP experience during Chicago Art Week, including access to Tony Lewis's Lewis Bag installation.
• Tony LewisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2026Artist partner for Chicago Art Week programming, exhibiting Lewis Bag experimental cocktail lounge installation.
• Chicago Cultural CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Host venue for Ornament & Information exhibition (April 10-July 19, 2026), a major group show presenting artists from Chicago and Vienna.
• Renaissance SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2025Gertie partners with the Renaissance Society for member programming, including breakfast socials and exhibition walkthroughs. Hosted Leah Ke Yi Zheng exhibition closing event for members.
• Various Chicago GalleriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Gertie Exchange partnerships with Chicago galleries including Donald Young, Rhona Hoffman, Feature, Shane Campbell, Monique Meloche, Corbett vs. Dempsey, GRAY, and others for exhibitions and programming.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NeueHouse: Membership-based creative workspace and cultural platform with curated programming for members in the creative industries. Directly comparable to Gertie on the combination of physical hub, tiered membership, and curated cultural/artist programming, though historically larger in scale and focused on creative work/lounge space.
• EXPO Chicago: Chicago-based international contemporary-art exposition and curatorial platform. Directly comparable on geography (Chicago), audience (collectors and culturally curious), and mission (advancing contemporary art in Chicago); differs by being an annual fair rather than a year-round membership community.
• Hyde Park Art Center: Chicago-based nonprofit art center producing exhibitions, residencies, and community programming for contemporary art. Closely comparable on the mix of exhibitions, artist residencies, and community/membership engagement in Chicago, though structured as a nonprofit rather than for-profit membership model.

Regional players

• Smart Museum of Art (University of Chicago): University of Chicago art museum in Chicago producing exhibitions, programming, and audience engagement for contemporary and historical art. Directly comparable on geography and exhibitions, and an active Gertie programming partner; differs structurally as a university-affiliated institution rather than a membership platform.
• Chicago Humanities Festival: Chicago-based nonprofit producing large-scale arts and humanities programming and events. Comparable in mission of making ambitious cultural programming accessible to general Chicago audiences and operating annual flagship events similar to Chicago Exhibition Week.
• Renaissance Society: Chicago-based non-collecting contemporary-art museum producing exhibitions and public programming. Directly comparable on contemporary-art exhibitions and Chicago membership/community engagement, and an active Gertie programming partner; operates as a free-admission nonprofit rather than a paid-membership platform.

Others

• 1stDibs: Online marketplace connecting collectors with galleries, dealers, and designers for high-end art and objects. Adjacent in serving the contemporary art collector audience and providing curated access, but operates as a transactional marketplace rather than a membership community.

Broad incumbents

• Soho House: Global membership-based club operator with a strong arts, culture, and creative-class orientation. Comparable to Gertie on the recurring membership model and curated cultural programming, but at far larger scale and broader lifestyle positioning rather than a Chicago-specific contemporary-art focus.
• Artsy: Global online marketplace and editorial platform for discovering and collecting contemporary art. Comparable in mission to connect general audiences with contemporary art and galleries; broader in geographic and channel scope but less focused on the curated in-person membership experience that defines Gertie.
• MCA Chicago (Museum of Contemporary Art): Chicago's flagship contemporary-art museum producing exhibitions, performances, and membership programs. Comparable on Chicago contemporary-art audience and tiered membership offerings; differs at far larger institutional scale with permanent collection and ticketed exhibitions rather than a free-access community model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gertie.chicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gertie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 GERTIE