Paula Cooper, Inc.
Paula Cooper Gallery is a privately held New York contemporary art gallery, founded in 1968 as the first gallery in SoHo. It represents ~39 conceptual and minimal artists across three Chelsea exhibition spaces and a seasonal Palm Beach pop-up, serving private collectors and museums.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1968
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Paula Cooper, Inc. does
Paula Cooper Gallery is a privately held, founder-owned commercial art gallery established in 1968 in New York, originally as the first gallery in SoHo. The gallery represents approximately 39 contemporary artists with a curatorial focus on conceptual and minimal art, including historically canonical figures (Sol LeWitt, Carl Andre, Robert Ryman) and high-demand contemporary names (Cecily Brown, Christian Marclay, Rudolf Stingel, Tauba Auerbach). It operates three contiguous Chelsea exhibition spaces at 534, 521, and 529 West 21st Street — housed in an award-winning, Richard Gluckman-redesigned 19th century building — and a seasonal pop-up in Palm Beach, Florida opened in 2020.
The business generates revenue through primary-market sales of artworks by represented artists, conducted via gallery exhibitions, private viewings, and participation in international art fairs including Art Basel. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and works are quoted on inquiry, consistent with a relationship-driven, high-ticket transaction model. The gallery does not maintain a proprietary technology platform; its digital footprint consists of a website, online shop (shop.paulacoopergallery.com), and social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WeChat, email newsletter) used for collector outreach. Distribution is anchored in the Chelsea physical cluster, the Palm Beach pop-up, and art fair participation, supported by press coverage in publications including Artforum, the New York Times, Brooklyn Rail, and Hyperallergic.
Customer segments are private collectors of contemporary art and museums/institutions — with named placements at Park Avenue Armory, Storm King Art Center, and the Barnes Foundation. The gallery is managed by founder Paula Cooper alongside a 2021 partnership structure comprising Steve Henry (Senior Partner), Lucas Cooper (Managing Partner), Anthony Allen (Partner), and Alexis Johnson (Partner), with ~17 named staff across director, registrar, sales, communications, archive, and accounts functions.
Paula Cooper, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Paula Cooper, Inc.
- Legal name
- Paula Cooper Gallery
- Website
- https://paulacoopergallery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1968
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Paula Cooper Gallery is a privately held New York contemporary art gallery, founded in 1968 as the first gallery in SoHo. It represents ~39 conceptual and minimal artists across three Chelsea exhibition spaces and a seasonal Palm Beach pop-up, serving private collectors and museums.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Paula Cooper, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Contemporary Art Gallery
- NAICS
- Art Dealers (459920), Art Dealers (45992)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)
Keywords
Where Paula Cooper, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Paula Cooper, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Art Sales: The gallery generates revenue primarily through the sale of artworks by represented artists. Sales are conducted through gallery exhibitions, private sales, and art fairs. The gallery takes commission on sales.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Paula Cooper, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Paula Cooper Gallery is a commercial contemporary art gallery that represents a roster of established and emerging artists and sells their works through curated exhibitions at its Chelsea (NYC) locations, private sales, and participation in major art fairs. The gallery also coordinates museum exhibitions of its represented artists at external institutions and operates the adjunct literary venue 192 Books.
Product overview
Paula Cooper Gallery is an art gallery providing exhibition and representation services for contemporary artists. The gallery presents rotating exhibitions at its three Chelsea locations (534, 521, and 529 West 21st Street, New York) featuring works by its represented artists, and maintains an extensive archive of past exhibitions. The gallery does not offer technology products, software, or digital services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Contemporary Art Sales & Representation Representation of a roster of contemporary artists and sale of their works through Chelsea exhibition spaces, private sales, and art fairs, for private collectors and institutions.
- Museum Exhibition Coordination Coordination and management of museum exhibitions of gallery-represented artists at external institutions including Park Avenue Armory, Storm King Art Center, and Barnes Foundation.
- 192 Books (Adjunct Literary Program) Adjunct literary organization operated by the gallery since 2003, programming readings and publications alongside gallery exhibitions.
Companies that use Paula Cooper, Inc.
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Paula Cooper, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Paula Cooper, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Art BaselcorePaula Cooper Gallery participates in Art Basel art fairs, including Art Basel OVR: Pioneers, using the platform to present works by represented artists to international collectors.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Paula Cooper, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lehmann Maupin: Contemporary art gallery with NYC Chelsea presence and international expansion (London, Seoul, Hong Kong). Comparable mid-tier gallery model with international growth ambitions and primary market focus.
- Pace Gallery: Major contemporary art gallery with multiple NYC locations (including Chelsea) and a global footprint, representing blue-chip artists with strong museum placement records. Directly comparable business model as a primary market gallery with similar artist caliber.
- White Cube: International contemporary art gallery with London roots and global expansion. Comparable as a primary market gallery representing major contemporary artists with strong institutional exhibition programs.
- David Zwirner: Premier contemporary art gallery in Chelsea, NYC, representing blue-chip contemporary and post-war artists with strong institutional exhibition programs. Direct competitor for top-tier artists, collectors, and museum placements.
- Marian Goodman Gallery: Established contemporary art gallery in NYC with a long-standing focus on conceptual and minimal artists, including historically significant figures. Particularly comparable curatorial focus and artist roster overlap (e.g., conceptual/minimal legacy).
- Gladstone Gallery: Chelsea-based contemporary art gallery with European expansion, representing established and emerging contemporary artists. Directly comparable in NYC primary market positioning and artist development approach.
- Hauser & Wirth: Global contemporary art gallery with Chelsea presence and international locations, representing major contemporary artists with strong curatorial and museum exhibition programs. Directly comparable in scale of artist roster and primary market positioning.
- Gagosian: The world's largest contemporary art gallery with global locations and a roster spanning blue-chip contemporary artists. Directly comparable as a primary market gallery selling high-value works by prominent contemporary artists to collectors and museums.
- Luhring Augustine: Chelsea-based contemporary art gallery representing established and mid-career artists with strong museum exhibition programs. Comparable as a mid-tier NYC primary market gallery with similar artist development and collector relationships.
- Sikkema Jenkins & Co. Chelsea-based contemporary art gallery with a focused roster of prominent artists and museum exhibition presence. Direct competitor for top-tier artists and collector relationships in the NYC primary market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Paula Cooper, Inc. social profiles
Digital presencePaula Cooper, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Paula Cooper, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Paula Cooper, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Paula Cooper, Inc. 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 Paula Cooper, Inc.
What does Paula Cooper, Inc. do?
Paula Cooper Gallery is a commercial contemporary art gallery that represents a roster of established and emerging artists and sells their works through curated exhibitions at its Chelsea (NYC) locations, private sales, and participation in major art fairs. The gallery also coordinates museum exhibitions of its represented artists at external institutions and operates the adjunct literary venue 192 Books.
Is Paula Cooper, Inc. a public or private company?
Paula Cooper, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Paula Cooper, Inc. founded?
Paula Cooper, Inc. was founded in 1968. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Paula Cooper, Inc. based?
Paula Cooper, Inc. is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Paula Cooper, Inc. make money?
One revenue line is on record: art Sales.
Who are Paula Cooper, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lehmann Maupin, Pace Gallery, White Cube, David Zwirner, Marian Goodman Gallery, Gladstone Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, Gagosian, Luhring Augustine and Sikkema Jenkins & Co..
Does Paula Cooper, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Paula Cooper, Inc..
What industry is Paula Cooper, Inc. in?
Paula Cooper, Inc.'s product category is Contemporary Art Gallery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAH, Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit). Its NAICS code is 459920 and its SIC code is 7330.