Pride in Art Society - Queer Arts Festival

What Pride in Art Society - Queer Arts Festival does

Pride in Art Society is a Vancouver-based registered nonprofit charity (Registration #83998 8326 RR0001) that operates the annual multidisciplinary Queer Arts Festival (QAF) and the year-round SUM Gallery, presenting visual art, performing arts, film, literary events, and workshops by and for 2SLGBTQIA+ and QTBIPOC artists and audiences. Founded in 1998 by artists Robbie Hong, Jeffery Austin Gibson, and a collective, the organization incorporated as a nonprofit in 2006, launched QAF in 2008, and founded SUM Gallery in 2018 as a permanent exhibition space in the BC Artscape Sun Wah Centre. Current leadership is Artistic Director Mark Takeshi McGregor (since 2021, succeeding co-founder SD Holman), supported by General Manager Tabitha McIntyre, Exhibition Coordinator Benjamin Siegl, and a volunteer Board of Directors.

Name

Pride in Art Society - Queer Arts Festival

Legal name

Pride in Art Society

Website

https://queerartsfestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pride in Art Society is a Vancouver nonprofit running the annual multidisciplinary Queer Arts Festival and the year-round SUM Gallery, commissioning and presenting visual art, performance, film, and literary work by 2SLGBTQIA+ and QTBIPOC artists for queer communities and allies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Cultural Events

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Community Pride & Identity Events (Pride, Cultural Identity Days) (MPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Queer arts festival
• Community art exhibitions
• Performing arts events
• Visual arts programming
• LGBTQ cultural programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individual donors supporting the festival's mission to commission and incubate cutting-edge new queer work and nurture the next generation of queer talent. The organization is a registered charity (Registration #83998 8326 RR0001) issuing tax receipts for donations of $20 or more.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue from festival event tickets sold through Eventbrite platform, with sliding scale pricing to ensure financial accessibility.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnership and sponsorship opportunities including full-colour Festival collateral advertising, social media and website exposure, reaching audiences aged 18 to 80.
4. Government Funding: Operating funding from BC Arts Council, City of Vancouver, and Canada Council for the Arts, achieved operating status with each respectively in 2013, 2015, and 2025.
5. Catalogue Sales: Sale of visual exhibition catalogues documenting each year's festival exhibitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pride in Art Society operates the annual Queer Arts Festival (QAF), a transdisciplinary, artist-run festival featuring visual art exhibitions, performing arts, film screenings, literary readings, workshops, artist talks, panels, and media art at multiple venues across Vancouver. The organization also runs SUM Gallery, a permanent year-round exhibition space dedicated to queer art presentation, making it one of the few permanent spaces worldwide dedicated to 2SLGBTQIA+ and QTBIPOC artistic work.

Product overview

Pride in Art Society operates a unified arts programming platform centered on two core offerings: the annual Queer Arts Festival (QAF) and the year-round SUM Gallery. QAF is a three-week transdisciplinary arts festival featuring visual art exhibitions, performing arts, film screenings, literary events, and workshops across multiple Vancouver venues. SUM Gallery provides permanent exhibition space for ongoing programming. The product portfolio includes community art shows (QAF Community Art Show), themed exhibitions (Varied Editions printmakers exhibition), literary events (A Night of Storytelling), fitness programs (Trans Boxing, Queer Weight Lifting 101), workshops (Papermaking, Silkscreen, Zine-making), film screenings (Skátne), performance pieces (My House), community events (Clothing Swap), poetry readings, and jazz co-productions. The organization also publishes visual art exhibition catalogues documenting each year's curated visual arts programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Queer Arts Festival (QAF) Annual artist-run, transdisciplinary arts festival featuring visual art exhibitions, performing arts, film screenings, literary readings, workshops, artist talks, panels, and media art at venues throughout Vancouver, Canada. Produced by the Pride in Art Society since 2008.
• SUM Gallery Year-round permanent gallery space dedicated to presenting queer art, located on the 4th floor of the BC Artscape Sun Wah Centre in Vancouver's Chinatown. One of the only permanent spaces worldwide dedicated to queer art presentation.
• QAF Community Art Show Annual community visual art exhibition showcasing work by local 2SLGBTQIA+ artists, honoring the legacy of Pride in Art founder Robbie Hong.
• Varied Editions Queer Printmakers Exhibition featuring printmaking works that explore queerness as a shared experience expressed in unique ways, now in its fourth year and includes community workshops.
• A Night of Storytelling Literary event featuring writers performing original pieces around annual festival themes, curated by Danny Ramadan.
• Trans Boxing Intro Series 4-week intro to boxing for trans, nonbinary, Two Spirit, and gender nonconforming individuals, led by coach Tsvi Levi at Witness the Fitness.
• Papermaking Workshop Hands-on papermaking workshop using tree-fibre pulp, led by Edward Fu-Chen Juan at Malaspina Printmakers.
• Silkscreen Workshop Silkscreen printing workshop guiding participants through designing, stencil creation, and printing their own one-colour design on paper.
• Zine Workshop DIY zine-making workshop exploring zines as tools for storytelling, self-publishing, activism, and queer creative expression.
• Queer Weight Lifting 101 Strength training workshops covering Deadlift, Squat, and Bench Press fundamentals in an inclusive queer-centered space at Witness the Fitness.
• Skátne (All Together) Film screening event celebrating Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer excellence with short films and music videos by Indigenous artists from Turtle Island and beyond.
• My House by FakeKnot Performance celebrating Ballroom Culture and the familial bonds within a HOUSE, featuring voguers from the Canadian Ballroom Scene.
• I Love Them By The Edge: Queer Indigenous Poetry Poetry reading event exploring Queer Indigenous expression relating to oneself, others, land, and desire, featuring Vance Wright and Justin Ducharme.
• Visual Art Exhibition Catalogues Published catalogues documenting QAF's curated visual art exhibitions, including titles such as Vanishing Act (2022), It's not easy being green (2021), WICKED (2020), rEvolutions (2019), DECADEnce (2018), UnSettled (2017), and Drama Queer (2016).
• Jazz Festival Co-Production with Tomoki Sanders Jazz performance featuring Tomoki Sanders, presented in partnership with Vancouver International Jazz Festival (Coastal Jazz).

Quantifiable outcome

• Commissioned and premiered Canada's first lesbian opera 'When the Sun Comes Out' by Leslie Uyeda and Rachel Rose
• +4 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• SUM GallerycoreOthersSUM Gallery (founded 2018) is a permanent space for year-round programming of the Queer Arts Festival, presenting multidisciplinary exhibitions and events. Located on 4th floor of BC Artscape Sun Wah Centre, SUM represents the summation of Pride in Art's work and serves as one of only permanent spaces dedicated to queer art worldwide.
• BC Artscape Sun Wah CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with BC Artscape providing the physical space at 268 Keefer St for SUM Gallery operations in Vancouver's historic Chinatown
• Malaspina PrintmakerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for printmaking workshops and Varied Editions exhibition featuring queer printmakers. Co-presents workshops including papermaking and silkscreen.
• Full Circle: First Nations PerformancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner in SUM Gallery initiative. Co-presents events including Piano Burning and Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer programming. Partnership celebrates Indigenous and queer artistic intersections.
• On Main GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner in SUM Gallery space. Hosts Varied Editions printmaking exhibition as part of QAF 2026. Collaborative venue partner for year-round programming.
• Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner in SUM Gallery initiative, bringing Indigenous queer and trans programming to the permanent space.
• Vancouver International Jazz Festival (Coastal Jazz)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual co-presentation partnership for jazz performances featuring artists like Tomoki Sanders, Adria Kain & Janette King, and Witch Prophet
• Talking Stick FestivalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presents day-long celebration of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer artistry including Love After the End anthology events
• The Dance CentremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presents My House by FakeKnot, a bold new work celebrating Ballroom Culture featuring voguers from the Canadian Scene
• The BirdhousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner hosting Skátne (All Together) Queer Indigenous Films, Tomoki Sanders performance, and Fin'Amor by Firehall Arts Centre
• Roundhouse Community CentrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistoric venue partner for festival exhibitions, performances, and ArtParty events since the festival's inception
• Firehall Arts CentrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner hosting Fin'Amor (Songs from a Former Criminal) performance
• Or GallerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue partner hosting poetry readings and community presentations including I Love Them By The Edge
• Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian ArtmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Vanishing Act curated visual art exhibition, examining diasporic journeys and intersections of queerness, migration, and belonging
• Griffin Art ProjectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner venue for Vanishing Act exhibition presentation
• Community PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExtensive network including Qmunity, Vancouver Queer Film Festival, Frank Theatre Co., Vines Art Society, Zee Zee Theatre, SFU, and 20+ other organizations for cross-promotion and community engagement

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Frameline: Frameline is a San Francisco-based nonprofit producing the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, year-round queer cinema programming, and distribution. It is a direct peer in mission as a queer arts festival and year-round program producer with established government and corporate funding streams.
• Leslie Lohman Museum of Art: Leslie Lohman Museum of Art is a New York-based art museum dedicated to LGBTQ+ art with year-round exhibitions, programming, and a permanent collection. It is the closest analogue to SUM Gallery's role as a permanent queer art exhibition space outside Pride in Art Society's festival window.
• Buddies in Bad Times Theatre: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is Canada's longest-running queer theatre, based in Toronto, producing year-round multidisciplinary LGBTQ+ performing arts, new works, and community programming. Comparable as a queer-mandated multidisciplinary arts producing organization with festival-style programming.
• NewFest: NewFest is a New York-based LGBTQ+ film and media arts organization producing an annual festival and year-round queer cinema programming. It is a direct peer as a queer-mandated festival producer with comparable programming breadth and revenue model.
• Out On Screen: Out On Screen is a Vancouver-based queer arts nonprofit that produces the Vancouver Queer Film Festival and year-round LGBTQ+ film and educational programming. It is the closest geographic and mission-aligned peer to Pride in Art Society, sharing the same city and a complementary queer-mandated arts focus.
• Qmunity: Qmunity is Vancouver's LGBTQ+ community resource centre, offering arts programming, support services, and community events in the same city as Pride in Art Society. It is an active community partner of QAF and shares the local queer-mandated programming focus.
• Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival: Inside Out is a Toronto-based LGBTQ+ film and arts organization producing an annual festival and year-round screening, educational, and community programming. It is a direct peer as a Canadian queer-mandated arts festival operator with comparable revenue model and audience focus.
• One Institute: One Institute (formerly ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives) is a Los Angeles-based LGBTQ+ arts, education, and history nonprofit producing exhibitions, public programs, and Outfest Fusion festival. It is a direct peer as a queer arts and culture organization with festival and programming components.

Broad incumbents

• National Arts Centre: The National Arts Centre is Canada's largest performing arts organization, operating multiple venues and producing multidisciplinary programming nationally with federal government backing. It is a broad incumbent providing context for Canadian arts scale and funding benchmarks relevant to Pride in Art Society's trajectory.

Regional players

• The Cultch: The Cultch (Vancouver East Cultural Centre) is a Vancouver-based multidisciplinary performing arts venue hosting theatre, dance, music, and community programming across multiple venues. It is a regional peer sharing the same city and a comparable multidisciplinary festival-style programming model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/queerartsfestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/qafvancouver
• Instagraminstagram.com/queerarts
• TikToktiktok.com/@queerarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pride-in-art-society---queer-arts-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Pride in Art Society - Queer Arts Festival