Queer|Art

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.

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

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

• Artist mentorship programs
• LGBTQ+ arts nonprofit
• Public arts programming
• Artist grants funding
• Interdisciplinary arts support

Headquarters

HQ city

West New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• IFC CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-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 ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-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 NeonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueer 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 ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of 'MARSHA!' event with artist/filmmaker Tourmaline celebrating her book about Marsha P. Johnson. Partnership for Pride 2025 Juneteenth programming.
• Pen + BrushmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of 'I made it home' solo exhibition by Golden (2024 Community Portrait Project). Venue for Pride 2025 programming.
• Ford FoundationmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue 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.
• HBOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo 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 HackmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner 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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/queerartnyc
• Instagraminstagram.com/queerart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/queerart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Queer|Art