The American Museum Of Ceramic Art

What The American Museum Of Ceramic Art does

The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2003 by David Armstrong in Pomona, California, and opened to the public in September 2004. It operates the largest ceramics-dedicated museum on the U.S. West Coast from a 51,000 square foot former bank building, maintaining a permanent collection featuring works by Ken Price, Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner, Beatrice Wood, and Patty Warashina, alongside the Mettlach Collection and Beer Stein Library. A 12,000 square foot Ceramics Studio with 52 private/semi-private rental studios and professional kilns (Geil DL gas, salt, soda, and Skutt electric) anchors its hands-on programming.

AMOCA serves three primary audiences: K-12 students and educators (via on-site tours and the Mudmobile mobile museum program reaching under-resourced schools within 60 miles of Pomona), ceramic artists and hobbyists (via studio rentals at $250-$800/month, classes, workshops, firing services, clay sales, and the Artist in Residence program), and the general public and families (via rotating exhibitions open Fridays through Sundays, memberships, and a Museum Store). The organization generates revenue through a hybrid nonprofit model combining earned income (admissions, memberships, studio rentals, classes, museum store sales, firing services, clay distribution) with donations and grants from foundations (Windgate Foundation, Frankenthaler Climate Initiative, Ruth and Joseph C. Reed Foundation) and government sources (California Natural Resources Agency, California Cultural and Historical Endowment).

The institution is governed by a Board of Directors with Executive Director Beth Ann Gerstein (appointed 2014) leading day-to-day operations. Strategic distribution is multi-channel, encompassing the physical museum, the adjacent Ceramics Studio, the Mudmobile mobile outreach, a ShopLightspeed e-commerce site, and virtual exhibitions and online programming. The organization's footprint remained concentrated in Southern California through 2025, with sustainability and capital initiatives (Solar Project #2, Frankenthaler Climate Initiative grant, ReJoule partnership) signaling a forward focus on infrastructure modernization.

Name

The American Museum Of Ceramic Art

Legal name

American Museum of Ceramic Art

Website

https://amoca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AMOCA is a nonprofit ceramics-dedicated museum in Pomona, California, operating a 51,000 sq ft facility with rotating exhibitions, a permanent collection, and a 12,000 sq ft Ceramics Studio. It serves K-12 students, ceramic artists, and the public via studio rentals, classes, residencies, and the Mudmobile mobile outreach program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Art Dealers (45992)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Fine Art Materials Retail (Paint, Canvas, Drawing) (CRALACAB)

Keywords

• Ceramic art museum
• Ceramics studio rentals
• Artist residency programs
• Museum education programs
• Ceramic art exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Pomona

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Museum Admissions: The museum is open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 AM-4 PM with paid admission.
2. Memberships: Annual membership program offering benefits including free admission, discounts at the Museum Store, invitations to special events, and other perks for members.
3. Studio Rentals: Monthly rental of private and semi-private studio spaces in the AMOCA Ceramics Studio. 52 studios available ranging from $250 to $800 per month depending on size. Includes 24/7 access, communal glaze area, spray booths, sand-blasting equipment, and free parking.
4. Classes and Workshops: Adult clay classes, youth clay classes, and workshops offered in the Ceramics Studio. Studio scholarships available for adult students facing financial barriers.
5. Museum Store: Physical museum store and online shop (amoca.shoplightspeed.com) selling ceramics, pottery, books, and museum merchandise.
6. Donations and Grants: Charitable donations from individuals, foundation grants from organizations like the Windgate Foundation, California Natural Resources Agency, and government funding through programs like the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative.
7. Firing Services and Clay Sales: Kiln firing services for artists (typically reserved 2 weeks in advance) and clay products distribution (Laguna Clay products including various porcelain, stoneware, and specialty clay bodies).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) presents ceramic art through rotating and permanent exhibitions, a permanent collection that includes works by major American, German, Mexican, and English ceramic artists (Ken Price, Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner, Mettlach Collection, Beer Stein Library), and a fully equipped 12,000-square-foot Ceramics Studio offering classes, workshops, studio rentals, firing services, and Artist in Residence fellowships. It also delivers K-12 and family education programming, including the Mudmobile mobile museum that brings ceramic arts education to schools within 60 miles of Pomona.

Product overview

The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA) is a single-site museum dedicated to ceramics with a unified offering centered on exhibitions, education, and studio programming. The core experience combines rotating and permanent exhibitions in its galleries with a comprehensive Ceramics Studio featuring 12,000 square feet of equipment. Supporting offerings include an Artist in Residence program for ceramic artists, Studio Rentals for 52 private/semi-private spaces, Firing Services for kiln access, a Museum Store for retail purchases, and Education Programs spanning K-12 tours, family activities, and the Mudmobile mobile museum. The museum also maintains permanent Collections including the Mettlach Collection and Beer Stein Library, and offers docent-led tours and studio scholarships for accessibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ceramic Art Exhibitions
• Ceramics Classes and Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• Average of 2-3 student groups per week visit the museum
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The School of Arts + Enterprise (SAE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022Multi-year strategic partnership between AMOCA and The School of Arts + Enterprise (a tuition-free public charter high school serving grades 6-12). Features include free admission for SAE students, staff, and families; SAE classes in AMOCA Studio; and launch of AMOCA + SAE Ceramic Art Dual Major. Annual SAE + AMOCA Day designed to welcome students, staff, and families with behind-the-scenes museum opportunities.
• Pomona Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2021Partner in Mudmobile mobile museum program bringing ceramic arts education directly to schools. Focus on under-resourced school sites within 60 miles of Pomona.
• Los Angeles Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2021Partner in Mudmobile mobile museum program. Dr. Didi Watts (Chief of Staff to LAUSD Board District 7 Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin) participated in ribbon cutting ceremony.
• Laguna Clay and Glaze CompanycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 October 2021Clay supply sponsor providing materials for Mudmobile program and annual clay stipend for Artist in Residence program. AMOCA is a distributor for Laguna Clay products.
• Clay Studio (Philadelphia)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2021Model organization for Mudmobile program development. AMOCA thanks Jennifer Zwilling (Curator and Director of Artistic Programs at Clay Studio) for sharing expertise in developing the mobile museum program.
• Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery (Scripps College)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2016 to produce exhibitions of works by guest curators of the Scripps College Ceramic Annual.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Clay Studio: Philadelphia-based nonprofit ceramic art center with gallery exhibitions, studio access, classes, and residencies — explicitly cited by AMOCA as a model for the Mudmobile program, making it the closest direct peer.
• Pewabic Pottery: Historic Detroit ceramics studio and museum combining production, exhibitions, classes, and residencies — directly comparable to AMOCA in combining a working studio with a public-facing ceramic art collection.
• Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts: Maine-based ceramics residency and education nonprofit. AMOCA Executive Director Beth Ann Gerstein sits on its board, evidencing close organizational comparability in mission, residency model, and ceramics-only focus.
• Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts: Montana-based foundation dedicated to ceramic arts through residencies, exhibitions, and education — a long-established direct peer with a comparable studio-plus-exhibitions operating model.
• Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts: Tennessee-based craft school and gallery offering workshops, residencies, and exhibitions across craft disciplines including ceramics — a direct peer in craft-focused nonprofit education with comparable studio and residency programming.
• Haystack Mountain School of Crafts: Maine-based craft school offering residencies, workshops, and conferences across disciplines including ceramics — comparable residency-plus-education operating model to AMOCA's Artist in Residence program.

Regional players

• Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery (Scripps College): Claremont-area academic art gallery that has partnered with AMOCA since 2016 on the Scripps College Ceramic Annual exhibitions. Regional peer serving overlapping Southern California audiences with overlapping curatorial interests in ceramics.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA): Major regional art museum with collections spanning ceramics, decorative arts, and broader fine arts. Represents the broad incumbent that AMOCA competes against for general cultural-visitor share in the same Southern California market.
• Fuller Craft Museum: Massachusetts-based craft museum with collections, exhibitions, and education programs. AMOCA Executive Director Beth Ann Gerstein sits on its Collections Committee, evidencing organizational comparability, though its scope is broader than ceramics-only.
• Society of Arts and Crafts (Boston): Boston-based nonprofit craft organization supporting contemporary craft through exhibitions, education, and sales. Beth Ann Gerstein served as its Executive Director for 20 years — a strong organizational model analog for AMOCA's mission structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/amocamuseum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AMOCAmuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanMuseumofCeramicArt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-museum-of-ceramic-art
• Instagraminstagram.com/amocamuseum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The American Museum Of Ceramic Art