Alexandra Harper MA ’19

We live in a city of 8.6 million inhabitants but there is an epidemic of loneliness plaguing this country and city. Studies show that 47% of Americans often feel lonely and women, in particular, tend to report higher levels of loneliness than men do.

Simultaneously, while New York City is brimming with ways to experience the arts and culture, many New Yorkers don’t take advantage of these opportunities, feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the art world, or don’t go because they can’t find anyone with whom to attend.

Women of Culture is a social enterprise that creates art-based experiences, trips, and private group events designed to connect, inspire, and empower women while also showcasing the power and necessity of the arts. The company seeks to inspire critical thinking, cultivate curiosity, and help women develop a deeper connection to the arts, themselves, and the world around them through all that it does.  

The company has a secondary mission of serving artists and arts institutions by promoting their work and bringing them new audiences. Through encouraging art discovery and increased engagement with the arts, it seeks to fight the paradigm of the starving artist and elevate the role of the arts in society as a whole. As the company’s visibility grows, the goal is to become a resource for artists and creative institutions of all kinds to reach an audience of artful women all over the country.

These missions are fulfilled through art-based experiences, a membership community, and private group outings. The company’s primary target market is anyone 25-65 years old who identifies as female, lives in the New York City area, and has an interest in the arts and cultivating female friendships. The company’s clients come from a wide variety of backgrounds, work in a vast array of professional fields, and earn an average of $50,000 or more per year. Their defining characteristic is a desire for deeper social connections, meaning, and purpose in their lives.

Ultimately, the company’s vision is to contribute to the creation of a more open, connected and empathic society where the values of both genders are given equal priority and the arts and community are seen as essential parts of both a healthy society and a full life. The company seeks to help women, in particular, live a life that is full of art so that they can learn, grow, and rise up together, celebrating and creating space for female friendships as a means of empowerment.