Off the Kerb Gallery
Off the Kerb Gallery is a Melbourne-based Artist Run Initiative founded in 2007 that operates four exhibition spaces in Collingwood to foster emerging and mid-career Australian artists, curators, designers, and sound producers, generating revenue through exhibition commissions, artist fees, paid mentoring programs, and opening night bar sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersCollingwood, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Off the Kerb Gallery does
Off the Kerb Gallery is a Melbourne-based Artist Run Initiative (ARI) founded in 2007 by Shini Pararajasingham. It operates four exhibition spaces (front, back, upstairs, and side galleries, totaling approximately 75 square meters) at 66B Johnston Street, Collingwood, and is run by a small team of five including the director, general team members, an opening night sales assistant, and a bar manager. The organization exists to foster and exhibit emerging to mid-career Australian artists, curators, designers, and sound producers, positioning itself as a developmental space that helps new talent transition into the public arena rather than a commercial gallery focused on established names.
The business operates four revenue streams: (1) commission on artwork sales during exhibitions, the primary revenue line; (2) exhibition fees charged to exhibiting artists, which are subsidized for qualifying emerging artists via the Off the Kerb Foundation; (3) paid Learning and Mentoring Programs (school/TAFE talks at $200, grant writing classes at $130, portfolio reviews at $85, exhibition proposal workshops at $85, business management training at $85, and curating workshops at $110); and (4) bar sales during opening nights. The go-to-market motion is community-led, centered on opening night events that bring together artists, collectors, and audiences, supplemented by organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), the gallery website, email inquiries, and PDF exhibition catalogues. Key recurring institutional partners include the Off the Kerb Foundation (subsidizing fees and supporting charities), Melbourne Polytechnic (annual Bachelor of Illustration graduate shows), and in-kind sponsors Young Henrys and Fox Creek Wines.
The organization is a privately held, non-profit-style entity with no external investors, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue. It has hosted over 200 exhibitions since founding (reaching the 100th show milestone in 2014), maintains an annual birthday show tradition paired with charitable giving to causes such as Edgar's Mission, Red Dust, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Signal Hill Sanctuary, and Caritas Ukraine, and serves a geographic market limited to Melbourne and Victoria, Australia.
Off the Kerb Gallery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Off the Kerb Gallery
- Legal name
- Off the Kerb
- Website
- https://offthekerb.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Off the Kerb Gallery is a Melbourne-based Artist Run Initiative founded in 2007 that operates four exhibition spaces in Collingwood to foster emerging and mid-career Australian artists, curators, designers, and sound producers, generating revenue through exhibition commissions, artist fees, paid mentoring programs, and opening night bar sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Off the Kerb Gallery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contemporary Art Gallery
- NAICS
- Art Dealers (459920)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration) (EDAAAGAA), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)
Keywords
Where Off the Kerb Gallery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Collingwood
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Off the Kerb Gallery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Art Sales Commission: The gallery takes commission on artwork sales during exhibitions, serving as the primary revenue stream from their exhibition activities.
- Education and Mentoring Programs: Paid educational services including school talks, grant writing classes, portfolio reviews, exhibition proposal workshops, business management training, and curating workshops.
- Exhibition Fees: Fees charged to artists for exhibiting at the gallery. The Foundation provides subsidized fees for emerging artists not in a financial position to fully realize their potential.
- Opening Night Bar: Revenue from bar sales during exhibition opening nights.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | School/TAFE Talks - 45 minutes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Grant Writing One-on-One Class - 1.25 hours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Portfolio Review/Creative Mentorship - 1 hour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | How to Write an Exhibition Proposal - 1 hour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | How to Manage Your Business as an Artist - 1 hour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | How to Curate an Exhibition or Large Scale Project - 1.25 hours |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Off the Kerb Gallery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Off the Kerb Gallery is a Melbourne-based Artist Run Initiative that operates four physical exhibition spaces hosting rotating exhibitions for emerging to mid-career Australian artists, curators, designers, and sound producers. It earns revenue through commissions on artwork sales, exhibition fees, paid learning and mentoring programs (school talks, grant writing, portfolio reviews, business management, curating workshops), and bar sales at opening nights. It also runs the Off the Kerb Foundation, which subsidizes exhibition fees for emerging artists and supports charitable causes.
Product overview
Off the Kerb is a Melbourne-based Artist Run Initiative (ARI) founded in 2007 that operates as a multi-space contemporary art gallery. The organization offers exhibition opportunities for emerging to mid-career Australian artists across four physical gallery spaces, complemented by educational programs (Learning and Mentoring) and charitable initiatives through its Foundation. The core offering consists of rotating exhibitions, educational workshops, and community outreach programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Exhibition Spaces and Exhibition Program Four dedicated physical exhibition spaces (front gallery 4.5 x 5.8m black concrete floor, back gallery 4.5 x 4.5m dark brown wooden floorboards, upstairs gallery 4.5 x 3.3m dark brown wooden floorboards, side gallery 4.5 x 3m white floorboards) hosting rotating exhibitions for emerging to mid-career Australian artists, curators, designers, and sound producers. Exhibitions run throughout the year and are free to attend, with artworks sold on commission during the show and at opening nights.
- Learning and Mentoring Programs Structured paid education and mentoring sessions delivered to artists, students, and arts practitioners at the gallery. Offerings include School/TAFE Talks ($200, 45 min), Grant Writing one-on-one ($130, 1.25 hr), Portfolio Review/Creative Mentorship ($85, 1 hr), How to Write an Exhibition Proposal ($85, 1 hr), How to Manage Your Business as an Artist ($85, 1 hr), and How to Curate an Exhibition or Large Scale Project ($110, 1.25 hr). Sessions are booked via email.
- Off the Kerb Foundation (Subsidized Exhibition Fees and Charitable Programs) The Foundation works with local government, businesses, and individuals to raise funds supporting emerging artists and charities in Australia. It provides career developmental opportunities, benevolent programs, and subsidized exhibition fees for qualifying emerging artists. Annual birthday shows also donate proceeds to partner charities (e.g., Caritas Ukraine, ASRC, Red Dust, Edgar's Mission, Signal Hill Sanctuary, beyondblue).
Quantifiable outcome
- Founded in 2007, continuously operating as an ARI for nearly two decades
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Off the Kerb Gallery
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Off the Kerb Gallery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Off the Kerb Gallery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Ukraine Crisis Appeal / Caritas UkraineminorArt4Ukraine fundraiser group show partnership. Off the Kerb gallery sold all artworks on show and donated 100% proceeds to the Ukraine Crisis Appeal in official partnership with Caritas Ukraine.
- Signal Hill SanctuaryminorANIMALIA exhibition (OTK's 12th birthday show) supporting Signal Hill Sanctuary, a safe and caring home for abused, neglected or unwanted farm animals. Proceeds from art sales donated to the sanctuary.
- Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)minorSPHERE exhibition (OTK's 11th birthday show) donating 10% of proceeds from art sales to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, an independent not-for-profit organisation supporting and empowering people seeking asylum.
- Red DustminorYOUTH exhibition (OTK's 10th birthday show) supporting Red Dust by donating the entirety of the gallery commission. Red Dust works to improve health outcomes for Indigenous Australians in remote communities.
- Edgar's MissionminorTHE WILD exhibition (OTK's 9th birthday show) supporting Edgar's Mission, a not for profit Farm Sanctuary seeking to create a humane and just world for homeless, abused, injured or abandoned animals.
- Young HenrysminorYoung Henrys beer sponsorship for various exhibitions and events. Recurring sponsor for birthday shows and group exhibitions including SPHERE, Animalia, and Winter Days exhibitions.
- Off the Kerb FoundationcoreThe Foundation works with local government, businesses and individuals to raise funds to support Emerging Artists and charities in Australia. Provides career developmental opportunities, benevolent programmes and subsidized exhibition fees.
- Melbourne PolytechniccoreAnnual partnership for Bachelor of Illustration Graduate Shows at the gallery. STOK (2017, 2024) and FRUITS (2018) graduate exhibitions showcase emerging illustrators.
- Yarra City CouncilminorSupported 'Nice Day To Go To The Pub' exhibition by Simon O'Carrigan documenting pubs in the City of Yarra. A portion of proceeds donated to PBS 106.7 FM.
- BodriggyminorSponsor for Art4Ukraine exhibition, along with Frames Ready Made and Milkbar.
- Fox Creek WinesminorSponsor for THE WILD exhibition supporting Edgar's Mission.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
Off the Kerb Gallery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- CGP London / CGP Southwark (dilettante art model): Artist-run community gallery model with educational outreach comparable to OTK's Learning and Mentoring programs. Useful as a structural peer for the non-profit ARI + education combination, though geographically separate.
Direct peers
- Langford120: Melbourne-based contemporary art project space showing emerging and experimental work. Similar small-team, developmental ARI ethos with regular exhibition programming.
- Sutton Gallery: Long-running Melbourne gallery exhibiting contemporary Australian artists. Comparable in city, exhibition-led programming, and engagement with emerging-to-mid-career practices.
- Seventh Gallery: Artist-run contemporary art space in Melbourne exhibiting emerging artists. Similar small-team ARI operating model, developmental focus, and Collingwood/inner-Melbourne location.
- West Space: Melbourne-based Artist Run Initiative presenting contemporary exhibitions and public programs. Comparable as a peer ARI with emerging-artist focus and community-driven programming.
- Neon Parc: Melbourne ARI / contemporary art space supporting emerging and established Australian artists. Comparable in scale, exhibition-led programming, and focus on nurturing new talent.
- Gertrude Contemporary: Melbourne-based Artist Run Initiative exhibiting emerging and experimental contemporary artists. Direct peer in the ARI model, mission-driven gallery programming, and artist-development ethos.
- Anna Schwartz Gallery: Established Melbourne commercial gallery representing contemporary Australian artists. Comparable as a Melbourne gallery in the same exhibition and sales market, though at a higher commercial tier.
Broad incumbents
- Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA): Major Melbourne institution presenting contemporary art exhibitions and public programs. Comparable exhibition programming for contemporary audiences, but at a much larger, publicly funded institutional scale.
- National Gallery of Victoria (NGV): Australia's largest and oldest public art museum, presenting exhibitions across historical and contemporary Australian art. Comparable Melbourne art-market context but operates at institutional scale far beyond OTK.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Off the Kerb Gallery social profiles
Digital presenceOff the Kerb Gallery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Off the Kerb Gallery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Off the Kerb Gallery subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Off the Kerb Gallery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Off the Kerb Gallery 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 Off the Kerb Gallery
What does Off the Kerb Gallery do?
Off the Kerb Gallery is a Melbourne-based Artist Run Initiative that operates four physical exhibition spaces hosting rotating exhibitions for emerging to mid-career Australian artists, curators, designers, and sound producers. It earns revenue through commissions on artwork sales, exhibition fees, paid learning and mentoring programs (school talks, grant writing, portfolio reviews, business management, curating workshops), and bar sales at opening nights. It also runs the Off the Kerb Foundation, which subsidizes exhibition fees for emerging artists and supports charitable causes.
Is Off the Kerb Gallery a public or private company?
Off the Kerb Gallery is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Off the Kerb Gallery founded?
Off the Kerb Gallery was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Off the Kerb Gallery based?
Off the Kerb Gallery is headquartered in Collingwood, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Off the Kerb Gallery make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Art Sales Commission is the primary driver. The others are education and Mentoring Programs, exhibition Fees and opening Night Bar.
Who are Off the Kerb Gallery's main competitors?
CGP London / CGP Southwark (dilettante art model) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Langford120, Sutton Gallery, Seventh Gallery, West Space, Neon Parc, Gertrude Contemporary and Anna Schwartz Gallery. Broad incumbents are Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) and National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).
Does Off the Kerb Gallery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Off the Kerb Gallery.
What industry is Off the Kerb Gallery in?
Off the Kerb Gallery's product category is Contemporary Art Gallery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAH, Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit), with a secondary code of EDAAAGAA, Visual Arts (Drawing, Painting, Illustration). Its NAICS code is 459920.