VGA Gallery
VGA Gallery is a Chicago-based nonprofit art organization that exhibits, studies, and sells video game art through gallery exhibitions, publications, and limited print sales, serving video game art enthusiasts, collectors, and collaborating artists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersChicago Park, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What VGA Gallery does
VGA Gallery is a Chicago-based nonprofit art organization founded in 2013 that exhibits, studies, and sells video game art through exhibitions, education, publications, and print sales. It operates VGA Project Lab, a physical exhibition space located within Mana Contemporary (Unit 843, 2233 South Throop Street, Chicago, IL), where it hosts exhibitions and immersive installations — most recently 'Dreaming The Prairie,' a game-poetry collaboration with localStyle and poet Michael Swierz, on view March 21–28, 2025. The organization serves video game art enthusiasts, general art collectors, and artists/creators seeking a dedicated venue for video game and digital-native art, addressing the limited availability of physical spaces dedicated to gaming aesthetics and archival preservation of game-related artwork.
Its core offerings span physical exhibitions (at VGA Project Lab), an e-commerce storefront selling art posters and giclee prints (available globally via the website), scholarly and cultural publications (VGA Reader and VGA Zine), and the VGA Archive Project, which documents and preserves video game art history. The technology stack is minimal and non-proprietary — the organization runs on a standard Squarespace-hosted website with email subscription functionality and integrates with Squarespace's built-in e-commerce for print sales. There is no proprietary software, API, or AI component; the 'product' is fundamentally the curation, programming, and physical/digital artifacts themselves.
The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue structure combining (1) direct-to-consumer sales of limited art prints and giclees, (2) donations accepted through the website's Support section, and (3) event-based revenue from exhibitions and immersive installations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led: audience acquisition relies on the physical gallery's presence at Mana Contemporary, the website's events calendar, email newsletter subscriptions, and word-of-mouth within the video game art and indie game development communities. The organization holds no VC/PE funding, operates with 1–10 employees, and uses the VGA® registered trademark under license from VGA Foundation.
VGA Gallery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VGA Gallery
- Legal name
- VGA Foundation
- Website
- https://videogameartgallery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- VGA Gallery is a Chicago-based nonprofit art organization that exhibits, studies, and sells video game art through gallery exhibitions, publications, and limited print sales, serving video game art enthusiasts, collectors, and collaborating artists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VGA Gallery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Gallery
- NAICS
- Art Dealers (45992)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)
Keywords
Where VGA Gallery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
VGA Gallery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Art Prints and Giclees Sales: The gallery sells art posters and giclee prints through their Prints section on the website. This represents a direct-to-consumer e-commerce revenue stream for physical products.
- Donations and Support: The gallery operates a Support section on their website with a donate option, indicating they accept charitable contributions from supporters.
- Event-based Revenue: The gallery hosts exhibitions and immersive installations (such as Dreaming The Prairie with localStyle), which may generate revenue through admissions, programming, or related sales.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
VGA Gallery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VGA Gallery is a non-profit art organization that exhibits, studies, and sells video game art through physical exhibitions, immersive installations, limited-edition giclee prints and posters, and publications (VGA Reader and VGA Zine). Operating the VGA Project Lab physical gallery at Mana Contemporary in Chicago, the organization curates exhibitions, hosts collaborative installations, maintains an archive of video game art history, and accepts donations to support its mission.
Product overview
VGA Gallery is a single unified offering (a gallery and arts organization) rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization operates through multiple interconnected content sections: the core website provides access to Events programming at VGA Project Lab (their physical exhibition space), Prints/Giclees for merchandise sales, the VGA Reader and VGA Zine as publications, and the Archive/Archive Project for historical documentation. Support functions enable patron donations. These components work together to serve the organization's mission of exhibiting and preserving video game and digital art.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VGA Zine: A zine publication by VGA Gallery featuring art and cultural content
- VGA Project Lab
- VGA Reader
Products and services
- Art Prints and Giclees Limited-edition art posters and giclee prints featuring video game-inspired artwork, available for purchase through the gallery's e-commerce storefront to collectors and art enthusiasts worldwide.
- VGA Reader A reader publication produced by VGA Gallery featuring scholarly content and writing about video game art and culture, offered to enthusiasts and the art community.
- VGA Zine A zine publication created by VGA Gallery featuring art and cultural content related to video game aesthetics and digital art.
- Exhibitions and Immersive Installations Curated video game art exhibitions and immersive game installations hosted at the VGA Project Lab, providing in-person experiences for visitors, collectors, and community members.
Companies that use VGA Gallery
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
VGA Gallery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
VGA Gallery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- localStylecoreVGA Gallery partnered with localStyle and poet Michael Swierz to present 'Dreaming The Prairie', an immersive game installation on view at VGA Project Lab from March 21st to March 28th, 2025. This represents a collaborative artistic installation combining game design with poetry, demonstrating the gallery's role as a venue for video game art collaborations.
- Mana ContemporarycoreVGA Project Lab is housed at Mana Contemporary, Unit 843, 2233 South Throop Street, Chicago, IL 60608. Mana Contemporary serves as the physical host/landlord for the gallery space, providing the facility for exhibitions and installations.
- VGA FoundationcoreVGA Foundation owns the VGA® registered trademark that VGA Gallery uses under license. The foundation grants VGA Gallery the right to use the VGA brand identity for their gallery operations and programs.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
VGA Gallery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Video Game Museum: Frisco, TX-based museum dedicated to preserving and exhibiting video game history. Directly comparable to VGA Gallery because both are mission-driven organizations focused on celebrating and preserving video game culture as cultural heritage, though NVDM uses a museum rather than gallery model.
- Eyebeam: NYC-based non-profit art and technology organization supporting artists working at the intersection of art, technology, and culture. Comparable to VGA Gallery because both are non-profit cultural organizations supporting artists and presenting work that bridges digital and traditional art forms.
- Museum of the Moving Image: Astoria, NY-based museum of film, television, and digital media with significant video game exhibitions and a permanent arcade. Comparable to VGA Gallery because it exhibits and educates the public about video games as cultural artifacts, though with a broader media scope.
- Postmasters Gallery: NYC-based gallery with a long history of exhibiting digital and new media art. Comparable to VGA Gallery as an established gallery that has consistently championed digital and technology-driven art forms in a traditional gallery setting.
- bitforms gallery: NYC-based gallery representing digital and new media artists. Comparable to VGA Gallery because it shares the gallery model of exhibiting and selling digital and new media art, with a focus on artists working at the intersection of technology and culture.
- The Strong National Museum of Play: Rochester, NY-based museum of play with substantial video game collections and exhibitions. Comparable to VGA Gallery because it shares the mission of preserving and exhibiting video game-related history and culture, with a strong archival and educational focus.
- Videogame History Foundation: Non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, documenting, and celebrating video game history. Directly comparable to VGA Gallery because both pursue archival and educational missions around video game culture, with VHF focused on preservation and VGA on exhibition and sales.
- Babycastles: NYC-based non-profit gallery and arcade dedicated to independent video games and the intersection of games and art. Closely comparable to VGA Gallery as a non-profit cultural organization with a physical space that exhibits and celebrates video game culture through community programming.
Emerging players
- IndieCade: International festival of independent games held in Los Angeles. Comparable to VGA Gallery because it shares an interest in independent video games and the cultural/artistic dimensions of the medium, though it operates through a festival model rather than a permanent gallery.
Broad incumbents
- Mana Contemporary: Chicago and Jersey City-based art center that hosts VGA Gallery at its Chicago facility. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the gallery space — Mana provides infrastructure and curatorial context for many art organizations including VGA Gallery, but is not specialized in video game art.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
VGA Gallery social profiles
Digital presenceVGA Gallery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VGA Gallery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
VGA Gallery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VGA 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 VGA Gallery
What does VGA Gallery do?
VGA Gallery is a non-profit art organization that exhibits, studies, and sells video game art through physical exhibitions, immersive installations, limited-edition giclee prints and posters, and publications (VGA Reader and VGA Zine). Operating the VGA Project Lab physical gallery at Mana Contemporary in Chicago, the organization curates exhibitions, hosts collaborative installations, maintains an archive of video game art history, and accepts donations to support its mission.
Is VGA Gallery a public or private company?
VGA Gallery is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was VGA Gallery founded?
VGA Gallery was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is VGA Gallery based?
VGA Gallery is headquartered in Chicago Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does VGA Gallery make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Art Prints and Giclees Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Support and event-based Revenue.
Who are VGA Gallery's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Video Game Museum, Eyebeam, Museum of the Moving Image, Postmasters Gallery, bitforms gallery, The Strong National Museum of Play, Videogame History Foundation and Babycastles. IndieCade is listed as an emerging player. Mana Contemporary is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does VGA Gallery have an API?
No public API is recorded for VGA Gallery.
What industry is VGA Gallery in?
VGA Gallery's product category is Art Gallery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAH, Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit). Its NAICS code is 45992 and its SIC code is 7330.