What Tiger Strikes Asteroid does

Tiger Strikes Asteroid (TSA) is a non-profit, artist-run network of independently programmed exhibition spaces founded in Philadelphia in 2009. The organization operates five physical gallery locations in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Greenville, South Carolina, each curated independently while sharing governance, resources, and programming exchanges. Since founding, TSA has shown over 2,000 artists in more than 400 exhibitions and projects, serving emerging, mid-career, and established visual artists seeking exhibition opportunities outside the commercial gallery system.

The organization's core offering is physical exhibition space and artist development programs, including the TNT Residency — a 6-month fully funded 430-square-foot studio program in Brooklyn operated in partnership with Transmitter Gallery, running in two cycles per year and culminating in solo exhibitions. Adjacent products include a Bonfire merchandise store, the Tiger Talk podcast on Patreon, and a mailing list newsletter. Marketing is conducted through location-specific social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), the website, and press coverage in major art publications including The New York Times, ArtForum, Hyperallergic, The New Yorker, and The Brooklyn Rail. No proprietary technology, APIs, SDKs, or AI capabilities are part of the offering.

TSA's business model is a hybrid of small-dollar donations, foundation and government grants, merchandise, and in-kind curatorial labor. Monthly sustaining donations start at $5/month via Patreon, with one-time donations via PayPal; institutional support comes from the New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and multiple private foundations. Gallery admission is free. The organization is led by founder Alex Paik (Advisory Steering Committee) and Network Co-Directors Kara Mshinda and Elisa Gutiérrez Eriksen, supported by location co-directors. TSA operates as a non-profit with no parent company, no equity funding, and no public revenue disclosure; financials are not reported in the input data.

Name

Tiger Strikes Asteroid

Legal name

Tiger Strikes Asteroid

Website

https://tigerstrikesasteroid.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tiger Strikes Asteroid is a non-profit, artist-run network of five independently programmed gallery spaces in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Greenville, SC, serving emerging and established visual artists through exhibitions and a Brooklyn studio residency partnership with Transmitter Gallery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Galleries

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Artist-run exhibitions
• Exhibition space network
• Artist residency programs
• Contemporary art curation
• Community art programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monthly sustaining supporter donations through Patreon and one-time donations via PayPal. Donation tiers starting at $5/month with thank-you gifts for supporters.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Support from New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Golden Rule Foundation, Joseph Robert Foundation, Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, and Netvvrk.
3. Membership and Merchandise: Sale of merchandise through Bonfire store and mailing list subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tiger Strikes Asteroid operates a non-profit network of five independently programmed, artist-run exhibition spaces located in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Greenville, SC, hosting contemporary art exhibitions open to the public free of charge. The organization curates over 400 exhibitions with more than 2,000 artists since 2009, runs a 6-month fully funded TNT studio residency in Brooklyn in partnership with Transmitter Gallery, and supports its operations through Patreon recurring donations, foundation and government grants, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Tiger Strikes Asteroid is a non-profit network of five independently programmed, artist-run exhibition spaces operating in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Greenville, SC. The organization offers exhibition space rentals, the TNT Residency artist-in-residence program, merchandise sales via Bonfire, the Tiger Talk podcast, and donation programs through Patreon and PayPal. Since its founding in Philadelphia in 2009, the network has showcased over 2000 artists across more than 400 exhibitions and projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tiger Strikes Asteroid Exhibition Spaces A network of five independently programmed, artist-run exhibition spaces in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Greenville, SC, hosting curated contemporary art exhibitions free of charge and open to the public, designed for visual artists seeking exhibition opportunities outside the commercial gallery system.
• TNT Residency A 6-month fully funded artist-in-residence program providing a 430 square foot studio at 1329 Willoughby Avenue in Brooklyn, concluding with a solo exhibition or open studio event, intended for emerging and mid-career visual artists selected through a competitive application process.
• Tiger Strikes Asteroid Merch Store An online merchandise store on Bonfire selling Tiger Strikes Asteroid branded merchandise, designed for supporters of the network seeking tangible ways to engage with the organization.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• New York State Council on the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor public funding source providing operational support for TSA programs. Supported by the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
• New York City Department of Cultural AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic funding from NYC in partnership with the City Council supporting TSA New York's operations.
• Transmitter GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint TNT Residency program - a 6-month fully funded 430 square foot studio adjacent to both galleries at 1329 Willoughby Avenue in Brooklyn, culminating in solo exhibition. Occurs in two cycles per year (Winter: Jan-Jun, Summer: Jul-Dec).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• White Columns: New York alternative non-profit art space founded in 1970, supporting emerging and underrepresented artists via open calls and exhibitions. Closely matches TSA's artist-run alternative-to-commercial-gallery positioning.
• The Kitchen: Long-standing NYC non-profit presenting experimental contemporary art across visual, performing, and media. Comparable as an artist-centered alternative space with parallel mission of presenting work outside commercial channels.
• Vox Populi: Philadelphia-based artist-run collective and exhibition space — geographically overlapping with TSA Philadelphia, sharing the same artist-run ethos, open-call model, and emerging-artist focus.
• EFA Project Space: New York-based artist-run program of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, producing exhibitions and residencies for emerging and underrepresented artists. Highly comparable alternative-space model.
• Artists Space: Long-running NYC non-profit dedicated to supporting contemporary artists through exhibitions and public programs. Comparable as an institutional alternative space serving emerging artists.
• Transmitter Gallery: Brooklyn-based artist-run exhibition space and TSA's joint partner in the TNT Residency program. Directly comparable in scale and operating model — independent programming, residency offerings, and emerging-artist focus.
• Printed Matter: NYC non-profit devoted to artists' books and publications, with a gallery and bookstore. Comparable as an artist-run non-profit supporting unconventional artistic practice through exhibition and distribution.
• Smack Mellon: Brooklyn-based non-profit providing studio space and exhibition opportunities to emerging artists. Comparable mission of supporting artists outside commercial gallery channels.

Broad incumbents

• BRIC Arts Media: Larger Brooklyn-based arts and media non-profit offering exhibitions, performance, and media programs. Broader scope than TSA but overlaps on emerging-artist exhibition programming.
• Pioneer Works: Brooklyn-based non-profit combining residencies, exhibitions, music, and science programming. Overlaps with TSA on the artist-residency and exhibition side, but operates at significantly larger scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TSAphilly
• Facebookfacebook.com/tsaphilly
• Instagraminstagram.com/TSAphilly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tiger-strikes-asteroid

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Tiger Strikes Asteroid