Queer|Art
Queer|Art is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that provides mentorship, public programming, and grants to LGBTQ+ artists in the United States through QAM, QAF, QA Pride, and the Illuminations and Design grant programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersWest New York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Queer|Art does
Queer|Art is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in New York City, providing mentorship, public programming, and material support for LGBTQ+ artists across the United States. Its programmatic portfolio centers on the Queer|Art Mentorship (QAM) program, the Queer|Art Film (QAF) screening series, the annual QA Pride festival, and a grants program that includes the Design Grant and the Illuminations Grant. It also operates QA Artist Editions, a recurring annual neon-commission series now in its third year, produced in partnership with Lite Brite Neon. In 2025, the QAM program received a record 605 applications, indicating demand substantially exceeding available cohort capacity.
The organization's business model is nonprofit philanthropy rather than commercial sales: revenue is generated through foundation grants (including Ford Foundation), corporate sponsorship, individual donations, and a small earned-revenue tail from merchandise and ticketed programming. Its current operating budget is approximately $600K annually, with a 2025–2030 strategic plan targeting growth to $1.2M. Governance transitioned to a Trans-led Co-Director model in 2023, signaling mission-aligned leadership to funders and community.
Queer|Art does not operate a technology platform; its core product is curatorial infrastructure — pairings of established LGBTQ+ artists (e.g., Kate Bornstein, Tommy Pico) with emerging ones, exhibition and screening opportunities, small cash grants, and commissioning platforms for new work. Its competitive position rests on a multi-year alumni network, curatorial prestige, and access to high-profile mentors rather than proprietary technology or data assets.
Queer|Art firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Queer|Art
- Legal name
- QUEER | ART, Inc.
- Website
- https://queer-art.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Queer|Art is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that provides mentorship, public programming, and grants to LGBTQ+ artists in the United States through QAM, QAF, QA Pride, and the Illuminations and Design grant programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Queer|Art industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts and Culture Nonprofit Programming
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Queer|Art is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Queer|Art business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Support: Queer|Art operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dependent on donations and public support. The organization references ongoing fundraising efforts and invites artists, partners, and supporters to build an organization that can sustain LGBTQ+ artists for generations. No specific donation tiers or amounts are disclosed.
- Grant Programs: Queer|Art administers grant programs including the Design Grant and the Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists. These grants provide material support to LGBTQ+ artists. The organization is growing its budget from $600K to at least $1.2M over 3-5 years to ensure equitable pay for artists and arts workers.
- Merchandise Sales: The organization operates a shop selling merchandise including limited-edition tees (e.g., Queer|Art x Megami Tee). Proceeds directly benefit Queer|Art's mission to support LGBTQ+ artists across disciplines and generations.
- Benefit Exhibitions and Events: Queer|Art hosts benefit exhibitions and events including the annual Pride festival and benefit shows. These events serve both as programming and fundraising mechanisms. The QA x Beverly's Benefit Exhibition allowed collectors to purchase works from participating artists.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Fellowship stipend for 10-month mentorship program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Queer|Art product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Queer|Art is a nonprofit arts organization that runs a year-long LGBTQ+ artist mentorship program (Queer|Art|Mentorship) pairing emerging and established artists across Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art, alongside targeted grants, a monthly film screening series, and an annual Pride festival. The organization provides intergenerational mentorship, public programming, and material support to cultivate a sustainable community of LGBTQ+ artists.
Product overview
Queer|Art is an arts organization that cultivates a dynamic community of LGBTQ+ artists across generations and artistic disciplines. The organization operates several interconnected programs: the flagship Queer|Art|Mentorship (QAM) year-long program supporting emerging and established artists in Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art; grant programs including the Design Grant and Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists; the Queer|Art|Film monthly screening series; the annual Queer|Art|Pride summer festival; and a monthly newsletter. Material support is provided through grants and stipends, with public programming including film screenings, exhibitions, readings, and performances. The organization was founded in 2011 and is currently in its 16th year of mentorship programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Queer|Art|Mentorship (QAM) A year-long creative and professional development program that supports exchange between emerging and established LGBTQ+ artists in four disciplines: Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art. Each cycle selects 12 Fellows (3 per discipline) who receive a $2,500 stipend, travel support for the spring in-person retreat, 1:1 coaching from QA staff, outreach to professional connections, and inclusion in the QAM alumni network.
- Queer|Art|Design Grant
Quantifiable outcome
- 605 applications received in 2025 (record high), demonstrating growing demand and recognition
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Queer|Art
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Queer|Art technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Queer|Art partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- IFC CentercoreLong-term partner for the Queer|Art|Film monthly screening series. Also partnered for T4TV Black trans film celebration in 2025 Pride programming. IFC Center is a prominent art house cinema in New York City.
- New York Live ArtsmajorCo-presenter of 'madder and madder and hotter and hotter' neon exhibition at the Ford Foundation Live Gallery (located in the Live Arts Lobby). Partnership for Pride 2025 programming featuring neon as a queer medium of resistance.
- Lite Brite NeonmajorQueer and trans-led neon fabrication studio co-organizing exhibitions and co-creating QA Artist Editions (annual neon commissions in their third year). Collaboratively produces neon artworks with featured artists.
- The Poetry ProjectmajorCo-presenter of 'MARSHA!' event with artist/filmmaker Tourmaline celebrating her book about Marsha P. Johnson. Partnership for Pride 2025 Juneteenth programming.
- Pen + BrushmajorCo-presenter of 'I made it home' solo exhibition by Golden (2024 Community Portrait Project). Venue for Pride 2025 programming.
- Ford FoundationmajorVenue provider for 'madder and madder and hotter and hotter' exhibition at Ford Foundation Live Gallery. The Ford Foundation supports social justice and equity, aligning with Queer|Art's mission.
- HBOminorLogo sponsor of Queer|Art|Film series. HBO is one of the city's most adventurous repertory programs according to Dennis Lim of The New York Times.
- Body HackmajorPartner for annual Pride celebrations including the Queer|Art x Body Hack Pride Celebration, featuring 15+ vendors. Multi-year partnership for Pride events.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Queer|Art competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Creative Capital: Creative Capital is a nonprofit that supports innovative individual artists through multi-year grants and professional development. Comparable model to Queer|Art's design/illuminations grants and QAM fellowship, with a much larger endowment and broader scope; operates in the same artist grantmaking category but is not LGBTQ+-specific.
- Fractured Atlas: Fractured Atlas is a large arts-services nonprofit providing fiscal sponsorship, insurance, and technology resources to thousands of artists and small arts organizations. Operates in the same broader nonprofit-arts ecosystem and supports many of the same individual artists, but functions as an enabling infrastructure player rather than a direct program provider.
- New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): NYFA is a large New York nonprofit that supports artists across disciplines through grants, fellowships, and professional development. Operates in the same artist-support/grantmaking space as Queer|Art but at materially larger scale and broader geographic scope (statewide NY), functioning as a broader incumbent rather than a niche LGBTQ+ specialist.
Emerging players
- MAP Fund: MAP Fund is a small grantmaking nonprofit supporting experimental performing arts projects. Comparable operating model (small-budget grantmaking for artists) but with a narrower discipline focus (live performance) and no LGBTQ+ specialization.
- The Laundromat Project: The Laundromat Project is a NYC-based nonprofit that brings arts programming directly into communities historically excluded from cultural institutions. Overlaps with Queer|Art on community-engaged arts programming and small nonprofit scale, but focuses on neighborhood-based rather than identity-based artist development.
Direct peers
- Lambda Literary: Lambda Literary is a nonprofit organization advancing LGBTQ+ literature through the Lambda Literary Awards, year-round programming, and writer mentorship. Directly comparable in mission, LGBTQ+ arts focus, New York base, and combination of grantmaking/public programming/mentorship.
- Visual AIDS: Visual AIDS is a NYC-based nonprofit that supports LGBTQ+ artists through residencies, public programming, and an archive focused on HIV/AIDS-era work. Operates an almost identical model to Queer|Art: 501(c)(3) arts org, mentorship/community programming, public exhibitions, and grant-based artist support.
- The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center: The NYC LGBT Community Center is a larger nonprofit LGBTQ+ cultural and community hub that runs arts programming, exhibitions, and cultural events. Directly comparable because it serves the same NYC LGBTQ+ community with public cultural programming, although its mission is broader than Queer|Art's artist-development focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Queer|Art social profiles
Digital presenceQueer|Art financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Queer|Art leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Queer|Art funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Queer|Art 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 Queer|Art
What does Queer|Art do?
Queer|Art is a nonprofit arts organization that runs a year-long LGBTQ+ artist mentorship program (Queer|Art|Mentorship) pairing emerging and established artists across Film, Literature, Performance, and Visual Art, alongside targeted grants, a monthly film screening series, and an annual Pride festival. The organization provides intergenerational mentorship, public programming, and material support to cultivate a sustainable community of LGBTQ+ artists.
Is Queer|Art a public or private company?
Queer|Art is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Queer|Art founded?
Queer|Art was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Queer|Art based?
Queer|Art is headquartered in West New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Queer|Art make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Support is the primary driver. The others are grant Programs, merchandise Sales and benefit Exhibitions and Events.
Who are Queer|Art's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Creative Capital, Fractured Atlas and New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). Emerging players are MAP Fund and The Laundromat Project. Direct peers are Lambda Literary, Visual AIDS and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.
Does Queer|Art have an API?
No public API is recorded for Queer|Art.
What industry is Queer|Art in?
Queer|Art's product category is Arts and Culture Nonprofit Programming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAH, Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs. Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 7900.