Cultured Magazine

What Cultured Magazine does

CULTURED Magazine is a privately held art, design, and architecture publication founded in 2012 by Sarah Harrelson, who continues to serve as editor-in-chief. Operating from New York editorial offices, the company publishes five collectible print issues per year and operates a digital publication covering art, architecture, design, fashion, film, literature, music, food, and travel. Its editorial franchise includes the annual CULT100 list honoring 100 cultural figures and the new Young Writers list developed with Montblanc, alongside the Critics' Table, a weekly art-crit digest and gallery guide.

The product surface is built on a website publishing platform hosted on DigitalOcean CDN, with content distributed across the magazine, a wholly-owned e-commerce shop (Shop Cultured), and merchandise. The business model rests on tiered recurring subscriptions — Digital ($12/month or $120/year), Print + Digital (five issues annually), and VIP ($750/year with exclusive event access) — supplemented by merchandise sales, advertising, brand-sponsored events (notably the CULT100 celebration at the Guggenheim co-hosted with Valentino and Valentino Beauty), and book publishing (The Cultured Collector via Monacelli).

Go-to-market combines content marketing via culturedmag.com, organic social on TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify, email newsletter, and an event-driven motion targeting high-net-worth cultural tastemakers and collectors. Customer segments are split across art enthusiasts and collectors (primary), architecture/design professionals, fashion industry, literature/publishing, and film/entertainment, with luxury brand partnerships (Valentino, Montblanc, Monacelli) serving as a distinct commercial channel for sponsored editorial and co-hosted cultural programming.

Name

Cultured Magazine

Legal name

Cultured Magazine

Website

https://culturedmag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CULTURED Magazine is a privately held, New York-based art, design, and architecture publication founded in 2012, serving cultural tastemakers, collectors, and creative professionals through tiered digital and print subscriptions, flagship events (CULT100), and luxury brand partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscription: Monthly and annual digital subscriptions providing unlimited access to Cultured Magazine's full digital content including Critics' Table coverage, articles, and gallery guides. Tiered pricing at $12/month or $120/year for digital-only access.
2. Print + Digital Subscription: Combined subscription delivering five collectible print issues per year plus unlimited digital access. Premium tier targeting collectors and enthusiasts who value physical magazine experience.
3. VIP Membership: Premium $750/year membership including front-row access to CULTURED parties and previews, private dinners and salons, five print issues annually, Critics' Table membership, and full digital content access.
4. Shop / Merchandise: E-commerce storefront selling exclusive merchandise, CULTURED-branded products, and print issues. Shop available at shop.culturedmag.com offering CULTURED merch and exclusive collaborations.
5. Book Publishing: CULTURED publishes books exploring art collections and cultural topics. The Cultured Collector book by Sarah Harrelson published by Monacelli represents an additional revenue stream and brand extension.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cultured Magazine publishes a subscription-based arts, design, and architecture magazine available in digital, print + digital, and VIP membership tiers. The magazine produces five collectible print issues per year and unlimited digital content spanning art, architecture, design, fashion, film, literature, music, food, and travel, supplemented by editorial features such as the CULT100 list, the Young Writers list with Montblanc, and the Critics' Table weekly art-crit section. Additional offerings include e-commerce merchandise, gift subscriptions, and book publishing under the Cultured brand.

Product overview

Cultured Magazine is an arts, design, and architecture publication offering a tiered subscription model with Digital ($12/month or $120/year), Digital + Print (five collectible print issues annually), and VIP Member ($750/year with exclusive events) options. The magazine also publishes annual editorial features including the CULT100 list of cultural influencers and the Young Writers 2026 list developed with Montblanc. Additional offerings include gift subscriptions and specialty publications like the book 'The Cultured Collector.' Content categories span Art, Architecture, Design, Food, Fashion, Film, Literature, Parties, Music, and Travel, with the Critics' Table providing weekly art-crit digests for subscribers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CULT100: Annual list honoring 100 individuals shaping culture across art, fashion, film, literature, politics, food, and more.
• Young Writers List
• Critics' Table

Products and services

• Digital Subscription

Quantifiable outcome

• CULT100 recognizes 100 cultural figures annually, establishing industry-standard recognition list
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• MontblanccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2026Montblanc collaborated with CULTURED on the inaugural Young Writers 2026 list, developed to spotlight 10 rising literary talents. The partnership includes an unrestricted cash prize awarded to one of the writers in September to support their work, part of Montblanc's commitment to literature and writing. The collaboration leverages Montblanc's brand association with serious writers and CULTURED's editorial credibility in cultural coverage.
• ValentinomajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Valentino co-hosted the third annual Cult100 event with CULTURED at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The event drew celebrity guests including Keke Palmer, Tory Burch, and Naomi Watts, with the partnership positioning Valentino within CULTURED's cultural authority and premium audience of tastemakers and collectors.
• Valentino BeautymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Valentino Beauty co-hosted the Cult100 event alongside CULTURED and Valentino, creating a multi-brand luxury partnership for the high-profile cultural celebration. The event showcased footwear from Valentino collections worn by celebrity attendees.
• MonacelliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonacelli, a publishing imprint, published The Cultured Collector book by Sarah Harrelson in October 2026. The book explores 30 top art collections worldwide and represents an extension of CULTURED's editorial brand into publishing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Aperture Magazine: Photography-focused art publication with quarterly issues and foundation backing. Comparable to Cultured's collectible quarterly cadence and arts-focused editorial, though narrower in scope (photography only).
• CABARET Magazine: Independent contemporary art publication with strong design sensibility. Comparable to Cultured in editorial positioning (contemporary art criticism) and collectible independent publishing model.

Direct peers

• Artforum: Long-established contemporary art criticism magazine. Directly comparable to Cultured Magazine in audience (art world professionals and collectors) and editorial focus on contemporary art criticism, though with a print-centric weekly cadence rather than collectible quarterly issues.
• Wallpaper*: Global design, architecture, fashion, and lifestyle magazine with subscription and premium membership model. Closely comparable to Cultured in horizontal coverage of design, architecture, and culture, plus tiered subscription product.
• Frieze: Contemporary art magazine tied to the Frieze art fairs, covering art criticism and cultural commentary. Comparable to Cultured in audience (collectors, curators, art world) and editorial positioning, with stronger fair-event integration.
• Interview Magazine: Independent arts and culture magazine with strong event-driven and celebrity/fashion coverage. Comparable to Cultured Magazine's mix of cultural commentary, parties coverage, and high-profile interview-driven editorial.
• Surface Magazine: Design and architecture-focused independent magazine covering interiors, fashion, and culture. Comparable in editorial scope (architecture, design, fashion), audience (design professionals and luxury consumers), and independent publication model.
• V Magazine: Independent fashion and culture magazine with collectible print issues and event programming. Comparable to Cultured in publishing model (collectible print + digital + cultural events) and overlapping fashion/cultural coverage.
• Galerie Magazine: Independent art, design, and architecture magazine targeting collectors and design professionals. Closely comparable to Cultured Magazine in editorial scope, audience (collectors, design professionals), and premium subscription/print model.

Broad incumbents

• Architectural Digest: Mass-market shelter and design magazine from Condé Nast. Overlaps Cultured's architecture/design coverage but serves a much broader consumer audience and operates with substantially larger scale and advertiser base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cultured_mag
• Instagraminstagram.com/cultured_mag
• TikToktiktok.com/@culturedmag?_t=8iJwE09qwJJ&_r=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/CulturedMagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cultured-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Cultured Magazine