Latitude 53

What Latitude 53 does

Latitude 53 (legally Latitude 53 Society of Artists) is a non-profit artist-run centre and registered charity founded in 1973 by a collective of Edmonton artists, making it one of Canada's oldest continuously operating artist-run centres. It provides physical exhibition space in the ground floor of the McLeod Building in downtown Edmonton alongside a secondary gallery and The Garage space, presenting contemporary art exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, opening receptions, and collaborative projects for Edmonton-based, national, and international artists. Programming is sourced through open submissions from artists and curators, with professional compensation paid in accordance with CARFAC-RAAV Category I minimum recommended fee schedules.

The organization's core offerings center on gallery exhibitions and cultural programming, supported by a publications program, a membership program, a volunteer program with ProServe certification perks, and collaborative projects such as 'Writing From Here' (with Mitchell Art Gallery, extended onto Discord) and 'Art From Here' (with Ociciwan Contemporary Art Collective and SNAP Gallery). Additional experimental programs include 'Artist Civil Service', which supports Edmonton-based visual artists working part-time in civil service roles while developing their practice. The underlying technology is a minimal Squarespace-based web presence with email capture via Zeffy and community hangouts on Discord — no proprietary platform, no application product, and no software revenue.

Latitude 53 earns no direct revenue from admissions (gallery is free) and instead operates on a diversified non-profit funding model: recurring government grants from Canada Council for the Arts, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and Edmonton Arts Council; project-specific grants from Edmonton Community Foundation; bingo fundraising via Fort Road Bingo Association (over $2,000 per event); annual memberships; volunteer-driven operations; and modest revenue from a small online shop. It is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors and led by two Co-Executive Directors, with eight total employees. Customer/beneficiary segments are Edmonton artists and curators (primary) and the general arts-interested public (secondary).

Name

Latitude 53

Legal name

Latitude 53 Society of Artists

Website

https://latitude53.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Latitude 53 is a non-profit artist-run centre and registered charity, founded in 1973 in Edmonton, Alberta, that operates a contemporary art gallery presenting exhibitions, programming, and collaborative projects for local, national, and international artists, funded primarily by government arts grants and community support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Gallery & Artist-Run Centre

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Artist-run centre
• Gallery programming
• Arts community engagement
• Cultural programming services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Annual memberships offering free one-year L53 membership as a volunteer perk, providing recurring revenue from artists and community supporters.
2. Government Funding: Core funding from Canada Council for the Arts, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and Edmonton Arts Council. Project-specific funding for exhibitions and programs.
3. Bingo Fundraising: Fort Road Bingo Association events raise over $2,000 per event to support upcoming programming.
4. Collaborative Projects: Partnership projects with Mitchell Art Gallery, Ociciwan Contemporary Art Collective, and SNAP Gallery supported by Edmonton Arts Council and Edmonton Community Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Latitude 53 operates a contemporary art gallery in Edmonton where it presents rotating exhibitions and cultural programming by local, national, and international artists. It accepts programming proposals from artists and curators, runs volunteer and membership programs, produces publications, and hosts collaborative projects and artist-led events, paying artists professional fees in accordance with CARFAC-RAAV standards.

Product overview

Latitude 53 is an artist-run center in Edmonton, Alberta, providing exhibition space and programming for contemporary artists. Founded in 1973, it is one of Canada's oldest artist-run centres. The organization operates as a single unified offering centered on gallery exhibitions and cultural programming, supported by programming submissions, volunteer opportunities, membership, publications, and collaborative projects including Writing From Here (with Mitchell Art Gallery) and Art From Here (with multiple partner organizations). The gallery follows the CARFAC-RAAV professional fee schedule for artist compensation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Mitchell Art GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatitude 53 and Mitchell Art Gallery partnered to commission 'Writing From Here' - a series of personal letters by and for emergent artists in Edmonton exploring community, connection, and artists' relationships. Also partnered for 'Art From Here' project.
• Ociciwan Contemporary Art CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Art From Here' collaborative project showcasing new projects by Amiskwacîwâskahikan/Edmonton artists every Wednesday, culminating with virtual studio visits.
• SNAP GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Art From Here' collaborative project. Latitude 53 was influential in the formation of SNAP (Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists) in 1978.
• The Invisible PracticemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn Indigenous-informed Deaf arts collective that created 'Light+Vibrotactile' exhibition at Latitude 53. The Invisible Practice is an Indigenous-informed Deaf arts collective dedicated to building capacity for Deaf-centric creativity.
• GendaimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collective based in Tkaronto/Toronto that has supported experimental curatorial and organizational practices for 25 years, creating space for East Asian artists and artists of colour. Presented discussion at Latitude 53 about alternative art economies.
• Fort Road Bingo AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for bingo fundraising events. Each Fort Road Bingo Association event raises over $2,000 to support upcoming programming at Latitude 53.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art: Winnipeg-based artist-run centre presenting contemporary art exhibitions, publications, and public programming. Directly comparable as a Canadian Prairies peer with similar mandate, free-admission model, and public-funder dependence.
• Articule: Montreal-based artist-run centre in operation since 1980, with an exhibition, residencies, and programming model closely aligned to Latitude 53's mandate.
• Gallery 101: Ottawa artist-run centre exhibiting contemporary Canadian art with free admission and public-funder support. Directly comparable in size, mission, and operating model.
• Mitchell Art Gallery: Edmonton-based contemporary art gallery at MacEwan University that co-developed 'Writing From Here' with Latitude 53. Comparable in contemporary art focus and Edmonton audience, though institutionally anchored to a university.
• Mercer Union: Toronto-based artist-run centre focused on contemporary art exhibitions and commissioning. Comparable in mission, scale, and CARFAC-aligned artist compensation practices to Latitude 53.
• Xpace Cultural Centre: Toronto-based artist-run centre providing exhibition and project space to emerging artists, with a similar small-staff, grant-supported model and focus on contemporary practice.
• PAVED Arts: Saskatoon-based artist-run centre supporting contemporary art through exhibitions, residencies, and new media programming. Comparable in Prairies location, non-profit status, and programming focus to Latitude 53.
• SAW Gallery: Ottawa-based artist-run centre producing contemporary art exhibitions and events. Similar non-profit, membership-driven, CARFAC-compliant operating model to Latitude 53.
• Contemporary Art Gallery: Vancouver-based artist-run centre exhibiting contemporary Canadian and international artists, free to the public, and operating with a similarly small staff and grant-funded model. Closely comparable in mission, scale, and operating model to Latitude 53.

Broad incumbents

• Art Gallery of Alberta: Edmonton-based public art museum operating at significantly larger scale than Latitude 53. Overlaps geographically and in contemporary art programming, but operates as a broader public institution rather than an artist-run centre.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/latitude-53

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Latitude 53