exhibit envoy

What exhibit envoy does

Exhibit Envoy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1988 and headquartered (by mailing address) in San Francisco, California. It provides ready-to-install traveling exhibitions to small and medium-sized museums, public libraries, cultural centers, nature centers, schools, and colleges across the United States. The organization has developed more than 90 exhibitions covering art, history, culture, and natural history, with thematic emphasis on marginalized voices and untold histories, and reports that over 250 host organizations have served more than 3 million visitors since inception.

The core product is a catalog of physical traveling exhibitions rented to host venues for 8-week periods at fees ranging from $350 to $5,000 plus shipping. Each exhibition is a curated package comprising framed photographs, text panels, artifacts, audio/video modules, hands-on interactives, and accompanying interpretive, programming, and press materials. Notable productions include 'Bombus! The Natural History of Bumble Bees,' 'Am I An American or Am I Not?' (developed with the Fred T. Korematsu Institute), 'MONSTRAS: Female Legends of Latin America,' and 'Breakthrough in Black: African American Cinema.' A newer online exhibitions product extends the catalog digitally, offering 6-week hosted virtual exhibits at $250 (Essentials) or $500 (All the Extras) tiers.

The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue (rental fees, online hosting subscriptions, consulting fees including a $350 'Getting Started with Exhibits' workshop and sliding-scale project management at $100+/hour) and contributed revenue (tax-deductible donations plus project grants from funders such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, California Humanities, the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, the Schmidt Family Foundation, and corporate sponsors including PwC). Distribution is direct to host venues via website booking, phone, and email, with physical exhibitions shipped via van line or FedEx/UPS and coordinated through a small staff of two employees (Executive Director Amy Cohen and Exhibition & Communications Assistant Iliana Morton) supported by a 9-member volunteer Board of Directors.

Name

exhibit envoy

Legal name

Exhibit Envoy

Website

https://exhibitenvoy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Exhibit Envoy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1988, that rents ready-to-install traveling exhibitions to small and medium-sized museums, public libraries, and cultural institutions across the United States, supplemented by online exhibitions, consulting services, and donor funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum and Cultural Exhibition Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition & Trade Show Management (Conference-Adjacent) (THAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Traveling exhibitions
• Museum consulting
• Cultural exhibition rentals
• Online virtual exhibitions
• Exhibition project management

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Traveling Exhibition Rentals: Primary revenue stream from renting traveling exhibitions to museums, libraries, and cultural institutions. Rental fees range from $350 to $5,000+ shipping per booking for 8-week periods. Requires 25% deposit to secure booking.
2. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including 'Getting Started with Exhibits' workshops ($350 for 2.5 hours) and exhibition development/project management starting at $100/hour based on organizational budget.
3. Online Exhibition Hosting: Virtual exhibition hosting with two price points: Essentials at $250 for 6 weeks and All the Extras at $500 for 6 weeks. Multiple institutions can host simultaneously with unique pages.
4. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Exhibit Envoy accepts donations via check, credit card, securities, and in-kind donations. Tax ID# 73-1644833.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Exhibit Envoy develops and rents ready-to-install physical traveling exhibitions on art, history, culture, and natural history topics to museums, libraries, cultural centers, schools, and colleges across the United States. The organization also hosts online virtual exhibitions on its own servers and offers consulting services including workshops and exhibition development/project management, typically priced between $100 and $5,000+ per engagement.

Product overview

Exhibit Envoy is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that provides traveling exhibitions to institutions. The core offerings consist of Physical Traveling Exhibitions (rental of ready-to-install art, history, culture, and natural history exhibits to museums, libraries, and cultural centers) and Online Virtual Exhibitions (web-based exhibits with two pricing tiers). Consulting services include a 'Getting Started with Exhibits' workshop and Exhibition Development & Project Management consulting. The physical exhibitions range from $350 to $5,000+ for 8-week rentals, while virtual exhibitions are priced at $250-$500 for 6-week hosting periods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Physical Traveling Exhibitions Ready-to-install traveling exhibitions available for rental to museums, libraries, and cultural institutions. Exhibits cover art, history, culture, and natural history topics, ranging from 500-2,000 sq. ft. or 40-250 linear feet. Rental fees range from $350 to $5,000+ shipping for 8-week bookings.
• Online Virtual Exhibitions Virtual ready-to-share exhibits hosted on Exhibit Envoy's servers and accessed via branded links, designed to reach audiences online. Two tiers: 'All the Extras' ($500 for 6 weeks) includes audio, video, and downloadable content; 'The Essentials' ($250 for 6 weeks) provides images and text.
• Getting Started with Exhibits Workshop Interactive 2.5-hour workshop for staff and volunteers at community museums covering exhibit display techniques on a budget, exhibit development process, label writing, and professional resources. Fee is $350.
• Exhibition Development & Project Management Consulting Professional consulting for exhibition projects including traveling/temporary/permanent exhibitions, curatorial work, basic exhibition design, registration, and fabrication/installation. Sliding scale fees begin at $100/hour based on organizational budget.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3 million visitors have experienced traveling exhibitions at community institutions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers31 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• Fred T. Korematsu InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped 'Am I An American or Am I Not?' exhibition in partnership with the Fred T. Korematsu Institute. The exhibition explores Japanese American WWII incarceration through themes of solidarity, loyalty, resistance, and resilience, drawing on the legacy of Fred Korematsu.
• AGH Arts StrategiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on development of 'Am I An American or Am I Not?' exhibition.
• The Black CanonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBreakthrough in Black exhibition originated with The Black Canon arts collective, dedicated to preserving and promoting African American literary, performing, visual and media arts. Collection contains historian James E. Wheeler's work.
• James Abbe ArchiveflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganized 'An Age of Change' exhibition featuring James Abbe's photography. Partnership includes Jenny Abbe and Julie Fry of Dot To Dot Consulting.
• UC Merced LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped 'Building a New Future: Art and Activism in Farmworker Organizing' exhibition. UC Merced Library created the exhibition which tours through Exhibit Envoy.
• John WhittleseycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated 'Bombus! The Natural History of Bumble Bees' exhibition featuring his extensive photography of California native bees.
• Gateway Science MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced 'Bombus! The Natural History of Bumble Bees' exhibition with John Whittlesey and Exhibit Envoy.
• George Ballis EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition features photography by George 'Elfie' Ballis documenting farm labor and organizing efforts in California's Central Valley.
• Cal Ag Roots Project at California Institute for Rural StudiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on 'We Are Not Strangers Here: African American Histories in Rural California' with podcast series. Supported by California Humanities and Schmidt Family Foundation.
• California African American MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on 'We Are Not Strangers Here' exhibition representing the California African American Museum.
• California Historical SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on 'We Are Not Strangers Here' exhibition representing the California Historical Society.
• California HumanitiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on 'War Comes Home' initiative raising awareness of veterans and exploring war's impact on communities. Also partner on 'Take Me to the Water' exhibition.
• Center for American War Letters at Chapman UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition 'War Comes Home' based on CAWL collection and curated by Director Andrew Carroll and Professor John Benitz.
• California State LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on 'War Comes Home: The Legacy' exhibition.
• The California MuseumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced 'The Newest Americans' exhibition in partnership with The California Museum, featuring photography by Sam Comen and reporting by Michael Estrin.
• Josie IselinflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner'The Curious World of Seaweed' features works and research of photographer and author Josie Iselin, based on her Heyday Books publication.
• Heyday BookscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished Josie Iselin's 'The Curious World of Seaweed' book on which the exhibition is based.
• Hayward Area Historical SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Hayward Area Historical Society on 'Tattooed and Tenacious' exhibition.
• History San JosecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on 'Tattooed and Tenacious' exhibition and 'Through My Father's Eyes' exhibition.
• The Alvarado ProjectflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner'Through My Father's Eyes' features Ricardo Alvarado's photography in partnership with The Alvarado Project established by his daughter Janet Alvarado.
• Grace Hudson MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStitching California originated at the Grace Hudson Museum and travels in partnership with Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA).
• Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on 'Stitching California' traveling exhibition featuring fiber artworks by 40+ artists.
• California Historical SocietyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner'Telling Stories of Mexican California' developed by California Historical Society, drawing from CHS Collection at Stanford.
• Dr. Caroline CollinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition 'Take Me to the Water' curated by Dr. Caroline Collins, Assistant Professor at UC San Diego. Also partnered on 'We Are Not Strangers Here'.
• California HumanitiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner'Wherever There's a Fight' is part of California Humanities' Searching for Democracy program. Based on Heyday Books publication.
• Heyday BookscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner'Wherever There's a Fight' exhibition based on Heyday Books publication by Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi.
• SmithsonianmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Smithsonian on exhibitions including 'Americans' traveling exhibition.
• Oakland Museum of CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution since founding, contributing to exhibitions showcasing California's cultural heritage.
• California State LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing to exhibitions and programs.
• Bancroft LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing to exhibitions.
• Heyday BookscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime publishing partner contributing to exhibition content.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES): The Smithsonian's traveling exhibition service circulates curated exhibitions to museums and cultural institutions across the U.S., directly overlapping with Exhibit Envoy's core rental model, though SITES operates at significantly larger scale and budget.
• Mid-America Arts Alliance (ExhibitsUSA): Operates the ExhibitsUSA program, a national traveling exhibition service that rents exhibitions to museums and community venues, directly competing with Exhibit Envoy in the small/medium-museum affordable-exhibitions niche.
• California Historical Society: A California-based historical society that develops exhibitions — including Telling Stories of Mexican California, which Exhibit Envoy tours. Operates in the same cultural-heritage exhibition space and serves overlapping host venues.

Emerging players

• American Association for State and Local History (AASLH): Provides programming, publications, and resources to small historical societies and museums, intersecting with Exhibit Envoy's small-institution target market through shared audience and overlapping mission of supporting community-based cultural institutions.
• Museum of Science, Boston: Develops and tours interactive science exhibitions (similar in form to Exhibit Envoy's Bombus! natural history show), serving comparable mid-sized science museums and nature centers as host venues.

Broad incumbents

• American Library Association: National professional association supporting libraries (a core Exhibit Envoy customer segment). Offers programming resources and exhibition support at scale, with broader scope but overlapping target audience in public library exhibition programming.
• Library of Congress Traveling Exhibitions: Develops and circulates exhibitions to libraries and cultural institutions nationwide, competing in the same public-library exhibition channel that Exhibit Envoy serves, but at a substantially larger scale and with deeper institutional backing.

Others

• California Humanities: A nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities that funds and develops public humanities programming in California. Exhibit Envoy relies on California Humanities for project funding and co-development partnerships, making it both a funder and a thematic ally.
• Oakland Museum of California: Longtime partner institution contributing to Exhibit Envoy's exhibition pipeline showcasing California's cultural heritage. A peer cultural institution that also develops touring content, occasionally overlapping in curatorial domain.
• American Association of Museums (American Alliance of Museums): The principal professional association for the museum field. Board members like Jim DeMersman serve as peer reviewers for AAM's Museum Assessment Program, embedding Exhibit Envoy in the broader museum professional ecosystem it serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/exhibitenvoy
• Instagraminstagram.com/exhibitenvoy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exhibit-envoy-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 exhibit envoy