aljira.org

What aljira.org does

Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art (legal entity Aljira, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 1984 in Newark, New Jersey, by artists Victor L. Davson, Carl E. Hazlewood, Fausto Sevila, Liz Seaton, and Seitz Frankfort. It operates a single physical gallery at 591 Broad Street, Newark, with public hours of Wednesday through Friday (12-6pm) and Saturday (11am-4pm). Its mission centers on exhibiting contemporary art by emerging and under-represented artists, providing professional development and career management for artists, and delivering community-based visual arts education — including programming for Newark Public School teens. The organization has earned repeated recognition from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (Distinguished Arts Organization designation in 1997; Major Arts Institution designation in 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2011), the New Jersey Governor's Award (2002), and was one of only eight organizations nationwide selected for the Andy Warhol Foundation Capital Initiative (2001).

Aljira's programmatic portfolio includes four primary branded offerings: Emerge (a professional development and career management program for emerging artists, operated in collaboration with Newark's Gallery Aferro), emergeNEXT (continued professional development for Emerge alumni), Culture Creators (a semester-long youth education program currently serving four Newark Public Schools), and Aljira Design (a wholly-owned graphic design studio founded in 1991 that generates earned revenue to support the Center's programming). Distribution channels include the physical gallery, an ecrater.com online shop for benefit prints and archival print portfolios, Paddle8 art auctions, and gallery facility rental for events. Marketing is conducted primarily through organic social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, Flickr, Tumblr blog) and PR/earned media (e-catalogs, press coverage). Funding sources include individual and institutional donors, government arts grants, facility rental income, and earned revenue from Aljira Design and merchandise sales.

The current state of the organization is defined by an active restructuring period: the website prominently features a Board-authored "transition" message and an active donation appeal supporting restructuring plans. There is no public disclosure of current headcount, audited financials, or recent programmatic growth, and the most recent verifiable strategic milestones in the source material date to 2011. The organization operates without a parent company, has no subsidiaries beyond Aljira Design, and has not pursued M&A, equity funding, or material geographic expansion.

Name

aljira.org

Legal name

Aljira, Inc.

Website

https://aljira.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Aljira is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary art center founded in 1984 in Newark, NJ, operating a single gallery at 591 Broad Street. It exhibits emerging and under-represented artists, runs professional development (Emerge) and youth education (Culture Creators) programs, and supplements donations with revenue from Aljira Design and facility rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Center

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK), Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

Keywords

• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Visual arts education
• Artist professional development
• Community arts programming
• Graphic design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aljira operates a nonprofit contemporary art center in Newark that presents exhibitions and provides visual arts education and professional development for artists, teens, and the public. Its offerings include the Aljira Emerge and Culture Creators programs, Aljira Design graphic design services, gallery facility rental, public programs, and benefit-print and merchandise sales that support the center.

Product overview

Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art, is a single-entity art gallery and cultural center offering exhibitions, educational programs, and community engagement activities. The organization operates as a unified entity providing exhibition space for emerging and under-represented artists, professional development programs (Emerge), youth programming (Culture Creators), and merchandise sales through its online shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Emerge: Artists' career management program providing professional development training for emerging artists, operated in collaboration with Newark's Gallery Aferro
• Culture Creators
• Aljira Design
• emergeNEXT

Products and services

• Contemporary Art Exhibition Program Public exhibition program at Aljira's Newark gallery, presenting contemporary art and creating display opportunities for emerging and under-represented artists.
• Aljira Emerge Professional development and career management program for emerging artists, offered in collaboration with Newark's Gallery Aferro.
• Culture Creators Semester-long education program connecting Newark Public School teens with arts professionals and building literacy, analytical, interpersonal, and career-awareness skills.
• Aljira Design Graphic design studio that generates revenue to support Aljira's programming and growth.
• Gallery Facility Rental Rental of Aljira's gallery space for events and functions.
• Benefit Art Auctions Art sales and fundraising auctions conducted through Paddle8 to support Aljira.
• Archival Prints Portfolio Portfolio of 30 archival prints by 10 artists, offered as limited-edition prints to benefit Aljira.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Creative CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005As a result of its pilot program with Creative Capital in 2005, Aljira redesigned the Aljira Emerge program to offer strategic planning seminars for artists.
• Gallery AferrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAljira Emerge is offered in collaboration with Newark's Gallery Aferro. This partnership provides career management and professional development for emerging artists through the Emerge program.
• Central Utah Art Center (CUAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe exhibition superHUMAN originated at and is sponsored in part by Central Utah Art Center (CUAC).

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Drawing Center: A nonprofit contemporary art institution in New York City dedicated to exhibiting and interpreting drawing and visual arts. Closely comparable to Aljira as a nonprofit visual-arts exhibition and education space serving emerging and established artists.
• Visual Arts Center of New Jersey: A regional New Jersey nonprofit arts center offering exhibitions, studio art classes, and community education programs. Directly comparable to Aljira in mission (visual arts + education), geography (NJ), and nonprofit operating model.
• The Studio Museum in Harlem: A NYC-based nonprofit museum historically focused on artists of African descent and other under-represented communities. Closely aligned with Aljira's mission of supporting emerging and under-represented artists through exhibitions and professional development.
• BRIC Arts Media: A Brooklyn-based nonprofit contemporary arts and media organization presenting exhibitions, performances, and education programs. Comparable in scale, programming mix, and nonprofit arts-center operating model to Aljira.
• The Kitchen: A NYC nonprofit presenting contemporary visual and performing arts, with an artist-residency model. Comparable to Aljira as a nonprofit platform for experimental and emerging artists across disciplines.
• Socrates Sculpture Park: A NYC nonprofit outdoor sculpture park offering exhibitions, artist residencies, and community education. Comparable as a nonprofit visual-arts institution combining exhibitions with public programming and community engagement.
• Smack Mellon: A Brooklyn nonprofit art center providing studio programs and exhibition opportunities for under-represented emerging artists. Closely comparable to Aljira's Emerge program in targeting emerging artists outside the mainstream.
• NURTUREart: A NYC-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting emerging and under-recognized contemporary artists through exhibitions and education. Directly comparable to Aljira's mission of providing a launchpad for artists outside the mainstream.

Emerging players

• Hyde Park Art Center: A Chicago-based nonprofit community art center combining exhibitions, studio programming, and education for emerging artists. Comparable as a multi-program nonprofit arts center, though operating in a different regional market.

Others

• Independent Curators International (ICI): A NYC nonprofit that connects curators and artists globally through traveling exhibitions and professional development. Comparable as a nonprofit ecosystem player supporting emerging artists and curators, though focused on curators rather than direct-to-artist services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AljiraTweets
• YouTubevimeo.com/aljira
• Facebookfacebook.com/aljira
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aljira-a-center-for-contemporary-art

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 aljira.org