Alexandra Harper, Women of Culture Founder: Using the Power of Art to Bring A Community Together
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.
Their events are carefully curated and thoughtfully organized with the intention of encouraging women to push their boundaries, discover new perspectives, and more deeply understand themselves and the world around them — so they are better equipped to shape it.
In this interview, founder Alexandra Harper talks about her career pivot from Marketing to graphic design, starting Women of Culture, and the challenge of a different kind of shift - moving an in-person events-based business online.
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How did you end up in your current career?
I studied Communications in college, then worked in Marketing for a cosmetics company, but after five years I knew I wanted to do something creative. I was always interested in design but I didn’t know what it was or how to get into it. So I went back to school and did an Associates in graphic design. I’ve always been creative – I danced in college and I was always interested in the arts. Design is a way of combining my creativity with my interest in marketing.
How did your upbringing influence your career choices?
I grew up in a small and very rural town in Vermont where there aren't a lot of art opportunities. I was lucky to have parents who are interested in the arts and very supportive of my artistic nature. My mom would even drive me two hours to take dance classes in Western Massachusetts a few times a week!
In a way, not having easy access to the arts made me more appreciative of them. When I moved to New York after college, I was so enthralled by the museums, galleries, and performing arts opportunities available here, I have never taken them for granted the way others sometimes do. I also was a relatively shy and lonely only child of divorced parents who struggled to make friends, and that experience has definitely led me to want to ensure no one ever feels alone or left out the way I did when I was young.
Who has been your strongest influence in life?
My mom, who I'm very close to, has had a huge impact on me. She is my biggest supporter in this path of solopreneurship, always being my sounding board and silent partner. She’s always encouraged me to be courageous and do what I love and not be scared to do something different. I also look up to other female entrepreneurs such as Geshe Haasthe founder of Dreamers and Doers) and Emilly Merrell (founder of Six Degrees Society) who have been able to build cohesive communities from the group up.
What gave you the idea to create Women of Culture?
I started Women of Culture 5 years ago out of the desire to become more involved in the arts and to build a community of like-minded women. I had been living in NYC for over 10 years, but I was feeling a bit lost, lonely, and unsatisfied with my personal life and career.
After doing some extensive soul-searching, I realized I felt a lack of sisterhood and true female camaraderie in my life. I have long believed that female friendships are of the utmost importance, but I struggled to meet women in NYC who I felt deeply connected to. I also realized the arts were the one thing I had come back to, time after time, whenever I had felt lonely or disconnected in the past.
Becoming more involved in the arts & culture scene in NYC had helped me feel more at home in the city and had given me a sense of purpose for enduring the hardships that exist when living here. I realized that, beyond just making new friends who were interested in the arts, I wanted to help others – especially women. I wanted to help them feel more connected to themselves, one another, and this amazing city. I have always loved planning events and bringing people together, so starting the community came somewhat naturally to me.
What were the challenges you encountered when starting your career journey?
I think one of the biggest challenges for me has been trying to create something totally new that doesn’t really exist in the world. Entrepreneurship and the arts are very connected in that both are about trying to create something out of nothing, and this is very different than my corporate career in which there were always set rules and expectations to follow.
Entrepreneurship is about envisioning a future that doesn’t exist and then trying to get other people to buy into and believe in that vision, which can be difficult. As a naturally shy and introverted person, it has been a challenge to even have the confidence and courage to show my vision to the world and also to continue to stand behind it, especially when many people don’t fully understand why I believe it’s important. But, I am working every day to further develop the clarity and confidence to continue sharing my work.
did you have any moments of clarity or moments you were most proud of?
I love being able to bring women together who might never have otherwise met and to see the connections that develop. It has been so gratifying to see women in the community make new friends and discover new artists, art forms, and ideas through the events.
There is a magic that happens when you bring together smart, curious, and cultured women, and it is amazing to be able to facilitate and witness that.
How do you balance having a career in design, being engaged in non-profits, and building WOC?
I definitely struggle to maintain balance and find time for myself as well. I probably work too much, but with Women of Culture, it often doesn’t feel like ‘work’. I do my best to set boundaries and keep the different parts of my life separate so that my career in design and marketing are separate from my business.
Any changes because of COVID in managing your work?
COVID-19 changed almost everything about my work and my business. My business exists at the intersection of art, tourism/hospitality, and event planning, and each of those industries has been slammed by the pandemic, especially in New York.
Last spring, I had to pivot completely and move the entire community online. I had to get really creative in order to think about ways of keeping the community engaged while museums, restaurants, and performing art venues have been closed. I always had a secondary mission of elevating female artists and bringing artists and audiences closer together, so I started doing a lot of online events where we had intimate conversations with artists, getting a deeper understanding of their creative process through virtual studio tours and performances.
I also wanted to bring more of a personal development aspect to our events. I‘ve always felt that engaging with the arts is a way to connect - with yourself, and with the world around you, helping to broaden your horizons, but with all the chaos going on in the world, I thought now was a good time to bring this aspect of the community to the forefront.
As such, I started hosting an online women’s circle called the Sisterhood of Discovery, which is designed to help participants live a more inspired and connected life by harnessing the power of sisterhood and creative living. It is amazing to be able to take women on this 8-week journey and see what they learn about themselves and manifest in their lives as a result of feeling truly seen, supported, and validated during the experience.
I‘ve always felt that engaging with the arts is a way to connect - with yourself, and with the world around you, helping to broaden your horizons.
What’s your advice to others on pursuing passions?
One thing I continue to tell myself is by pursuing your passions, you’re inspiring others to do the same. There's a quote I love by Howard Thurman, "Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." By pursuing your passions and being a happier person, you are making the world a happier place. It doesn’t serve anyone staying in a job you hate. I think we all have something unique and valuable to give to the world and that’s so important and beautiful to bring forward.
By pursuing your passions and being a happier person, you are making the world a happier place.
What’s your take on following passions and whether it can both be passion and financially sustainable?
That’s a tough question! On the one hand, I believe that, if you are passionate and work hard, and you believe in what you’re doing, the financial reward will come, even if it may not be immediate. But at the same time, I believe in the idea of ‘not quitting your day job’. I also think that we shouldn’t put too much pressure on our passions to be able to provide for us financially, because if we do, we may stifle our creativity as a result. Instead, be open and trust that your work will eventually bring financial reward, without grasping for it.
What’s next for you, what are you looking forward to?
I can’t wait to get back to pre-COVID normal and host more in-person events. Before the pandemic, I was also leading art & food walks for tourists and corporate groups, and I really miss being able to show people all the magic that NYC possesses. I am also looking to continue growing our satellite chapter in LA and perhaps launching more chapters in other cities and also hosting more private and small group events for things like bachelorette and birthday parties.
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Learn more about and connect with Alex and Women of Culture at:
Website: https://www.womenofculture.org/
Instagram: @womenofculturenyc
Facebook: Women of Culture
Twitter: Women of Culture