Women Photographers International Archive

What Women Photographers International Archive does

Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded November 18, 2018 in Miami, Florida by Cuban-born art historian and curator Aldeide Delgado and visual artist Francisco Masó. The organization researches, promotes, supports, and educates on the role of women and non-binary photographers globally, operating through a digitized historical archive, recurring convenings, artist residencies, fellowships, educational workshops, exhibitions, and publications. Its core content asset is the Catalog of Cuban Women Photographers — a pioneering historic and critical survey of Cuban women photographers from the 19th century to today — supplemented by a portfolio of programs including the biennial WOPHA Congress (held 2021 and 2024 at Pérez Art Museum Miami), the WOPHA Artist-in-Residence Program (with El Espacio 23), the WOPHA Research Fellowship (4 annual cycles since 2023), the CCI + WOPHA Fellowship with Caribbean Cultural Institute at PAMM, the WOPHA Institute for Photographic Practices, the 'Becoming Sisters' photobook, and digital/community programs such as WOPHAGRAMS, WOPHA With, and Photowalks at Miami Design District.

WOPHA's business model is a nonprofit donation-and-grant model rather than a commercial product sale. All public programs (Congress, exhibitions, symposiums, portfolio reviews, photowalks) are free or low-cost, underwritten by foundation grants, government arts funding, individual donations, and corporate/in-kind sponsorships. Disclosed funding sources include the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation ($150K in 2025), the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation ($100K in 2023 and $100K in 2025), the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (2019), the Green Family Foundation Trust ($30K in 2023), the National Endowment for the Arts ($25K in 2024), and The Miami Foundation (multiple grants). The organization distributes through a curated network of institutional venue partners including PAMM, El Espacio 23, Green Space Miami, Miami Design District, HistoryMiami Museum, Rubell Museum, Norton Museum of Art, Miami International Airport, and The Betsy Hotel, while also maintaining digital reach via the Catalog's online platform, virtual programming, and earned media from outlets including Foam Magazine, Contemporary And, and Centro Cultural Español Miami.

The target beneficiary segments are: (1) women-identified and non-binary photographers, emerging and established, who access residencies, fellowships, exhibitions, and portfolio reviews; (2) scholars, art historians, curators, and writers focused on women in photography and feminist/decolonial archives, who use the Catalog and attend the Congress; and (3) the general public, who attend free exhibitions and community programming. The organization operates with a small leadership team centered on Founder/Director Aldeide Delgado, whose institutional influence spans advisory boards at PAMM, Frost Art Museum, Lucie Foundation, Feminist Art Coalition, and Fast Forward: Women in Photography. The customer/end-user base is highly distributed, but the funding base is concentrated among a handful of repeat foundation partners.

Name

Women Photographers International Archive

Legal name

Women Photographers International Archive, Inc.

Website

https://wopha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WOPHA is a Miami-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that researches, archives, and promotes women and non-binary photographers globally through a digitized Cuban women photographers catalog, biennial Congress, residencies, fellowships, exhibitions, and publications funded by foundation grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photography Archive & Cultural Arts Nonprofit

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAJ

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYMPAJAMAJ

Digital Archives, Libraries & Institutional Access Platforms

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Digital Publishing Platforms (E-books & Online Articles)

Keywords

• Photography archive
• Artist residencies
• Feminist photography
• Art preservation
• Cultural nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: WOPHA relies on voluntary donations and membership fees from individuals. Donations are processed through PayPal and third-party payment processors. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) and contributions are tax-deductible.
2. Grant Funding: WOPHA receives foundational and program support grants from arts foundations and government cultural agencies, including the Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Pérez Family Foundation, Green Family Foundation, Knight Foundation, and Miami-Dade County. Grants fund operations, fellowships, residencies, and the WOPHA Congress.
3. Program Revenue (Fellowships, Residencies, Events): WOPHA generates program-related income through fellowships, artist residencies, workshops, portfolio reviews, and ticketed/sponsored events. The WOPHA Congress and exhibitions are free or low-cost public programs often underwritten by sponsors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

WOPHA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that researches, promotes, supports, and educates on the role of women and non-binary individuals in photography. It operates a digitized historical archive (Catalog of Cuban Women Photographers), hosts the biennial WOPHA Congress (the first global convening of feminist photography collectives), runs artist residencies and fellowships, curates exhibitions, leads portfolio reviews, photowalks, and online working groups, and publishes books and catalogs such as "Becoming Sisters." Most programs are offered free to the public, funded by foundation grants and donations.

Product overview

Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of programs to research, promote, support, and educate about women in photography. The core offerings include the Catalog of Cuban Women Photographers (the first comprehensive survey of women photographers in Cuba from the 19th century), the WOPHA Congress (the first global convening of feminist photography collectives), artist residencies and fellowships (WOPHA Artist-in-Residence, WOPHA Research Fellowship, CCI + WOPHA Fellowship), educational programs (WOPHA Institute for Photographic Practices, workshops), exhibition spaces (WOPHA Studios, Green Space Miami partnership), portfolio reviews, community programs (Photowalks, WOPHA With, WOPHAGRAMS), and publications (Becoming Sisters photobook). Together, these programs create a meeting place for the international photography community while advancing Miami as a center for feminist photography scholarship and practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Catalog of Cuban Women Photographers: A pioneering historic and critical survey of Cuban women photographers spanning the 19th century to today
• WOPHA Congress
• WOPHA Research Fellowship
• WOPHA Artist-in-Residence
• CCI + WOPHA Fellowship

Products and services

• Catalog of Cuban Women Photographers (Cat\u00e1logo de Fot\u00f3grafas Cubanas) A pioneering historic and critical survey catalog documenting women photographers in Cuba from the 19th century to the present; an online archive of images, history, and background information on women photographers.
• WOPHA Congress The first-ever global convening of feminist photography collectives and organizations, bringing together leading art historians, curators, and artists. Held biennially at P\u00e9rez Art Museum Miami and across South Florida.
• WOPHA Artist-in-Residence Program A platform supporting emerging and mid-career women and non-binary artists working with photography, providing dedicated time and space for creative development, research, experimentation, and community engagement, presented in partnership with El Espacio 23.
• WOPHA Research Fellowship An eight-month program supporting research initiatives by emerging and established writers examining themes related to women and non-binary voices in photography, made possible with support from Green Family Foundation Trust.
• CCI + WOPHA Fellowship A fellowship program supporting emerging to mid-career women and non-binary photographers of African and/or Indigenous heritage based in Miami, the Caribbean, or its diasporas, in partnership with Caribbean Cultural Institute (CCI) at P\u00e9rez Art Museum Miami.
• WOPHA Portfolio Review A program connecting photographers with curators, editors, and industry professionals for feedback on their work, open to all participants regardless of gender.
• Photowalks at Miami Design District Free, bilingual, photography-based walking workshops in partnership with Miami Design District, led by women photographers, guiding participants to photograph iconic Miami neighborhoods.
• WOPHA With A documentary series of conversations between women photography organizations and collectives moderated on Zoom, part of WOPHA's Research Program.
• WOPHAGRAMS Weeklong Instagram takeovers by women photographers, providing a platform for emerging photographers to present their projects and share their stories in their own words.
• WOPHA Institute for Photographic Practices, Criticism, and Historiography An educational institute offering workshops, criticism, and historiography programs for photographers, launched with the 'Photobook as Object' workshop led by Yumi Goto.
• Exhibitions Program Physical and digital exhibitions curated by WOPHA highlighting themes and portfolios of work held in the archive, presented at Green Space Miami, P\u00e9rez Art Museum Miami, Miami International Airport, and other partner venues.
• Becoming Sisters: Women Photography Collectives & Organizations A 286-page photobook by editors Aldeide Delgado and Ana Clara Silva centering collaborative practices in photography from a feminist perspective, shortlisted as Best Book in the Independent category of the 2022 Lucie Photo Book Prize.
• Placing Political Art An art-on-loan program placing politically-based photographs by emerging women-identified photographers in the homes of Miami residents, exploring feminisms, body politics, social justice, and climate crisis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 events organized impacting 46 art historians/curators, 42 collectives/organizations, and over 100 women photographers since founding in 2018.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• Green Space MiamicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025A year-long partnership with Green Space Miami (7200 Biscayne Blvd) provides WOPHA with a physical home throughout 2026, presenting a series of exhibitions and artistic encounters. The partnership opens collaborations with The Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University and extends the ongoing partnership with the Green Family Foundation Caribbean Cultural Institute at PAMM.
• Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024PAMM is the primary institutional partner for the WOPHA Congress (2021, 2024). PAMM's Caribbean Cultural Institute (CCI) co-brands the CCI + WOPHA Fellowship supporting emerging to mid-career women and non-binary photographers from the Caribbean and its diaspora. PAMM also hosts WOPHA's virtual programming and exhibition partnerships.
• Caribbean Cultural Institute (CCI) at PAMMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CCI partners with WOPHA on the CCI + WOPHA Fellowship, supporting emerging to mid-career women and non-binary photographers of African and/or Indigenous heritage based in Miami, the Caribbean, or its diasporas. The fellowship includes residency at El Espacio 23.
• El Espacio 23majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021El Espacio 23 hosts WOPHA's Artist-in-Residence program, providing dedicated studio space for emerging and mid-career women and non-binary photographers to immerse themselves in research, experimentation, and community engagement in Miami's cultural landscape.
• Faena ArtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020WOPHA partnered with Faena Art to inaugurate an Artist-in-Residence initiative, offering studio space to Miami-based photographer Amanda Bradley as part of Faena's inaugural Artist in Residence program.
• 1854 Media / British Journal of PhotographymajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20201854 Media, publisher of the British Journal of Photography, partnered with WOPHA to present the Female in Focus exhibition in Miami, bringing the winners of this international photography competition to the city for the first time. Aldeide Delgado served as a juror for the competition.
• HistoryMiami MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoryMiami Museum is listed as a WOPHA cultural partner, hosting exhibitions and programs related to women photographers and Miami's cultural history.
• Norton Museum of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a WOPHA cultural partner, contributing to the organization's ecosystem of institutional support in South Florida.
• Fast Forward: Women in PhotographymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOPHA is a signatory to the Fast Forward Manifesto and collaborates with Fast Forward: Women in Photography on international convenings. WOPHA's Aldeide Delgado participated in the Fast Forward conference at Tate Modern in 2019. The organizations share goals of increasing visibility of women in photography.
• AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research, and ExhibitionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOPHA partners with AWARE on the 'On the Edge of Visibility' international symposium held at PAMM, focusing on Black and Indigenous women and non-binary artists with special focus on photographic practices in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the diaspora.
• 10x10 PhotobooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a WOPHA cultural partner. 10x10 Photobooks supports WOPHA's mission to promote and distribute photography publications.
• Miami Design DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiami Design District partners with WOPHA on the Photowalks program — free bilingual photography walking workshops led by women photographers — and hosts WOPHA programming during Miami Art Week. The partnership increases accessibility of the Design District through community-oriented programming.
• Rubell MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a WOPHA cultural partner and venue for the WOPHA Portfolio Review in 2025 at the Rubell Museum Library.
• The Bunker ArtspaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a WOPHA cultural partner supporting the organization's ecosystem in South Florida.
• Lucie FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a WOPHA cultural partner. Lucie Foundation awards the Lucie Photo Book Prize, for which WOPHA's 'Becoming Sisters' book was shortlisted.
• Girls' ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a WOPHA cultural partner, supporting the organization's programming in Miami's arts community.
• The Betsy HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Betsy Hotel is a WOPHA cultural partner that has hosted exhibitions (e.g., 'Strange Territory' by Nadia Huggins) and provides in-kind venue support for WOPHA programming.
• Miami-Dade Public Library SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a WOPHA cultural partner, providing community access to WOPHA's educational programming.
• Palm Film LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a WOPHA cultural partner supporting the organization's technical and production needs.
• CREO / Sony World Photography AwardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a WOPHA media partner, contributing to the organization's marketing and promotional reach.
• Foam MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a WOPHA media partner providing editorial coverage and promotional support.
• Contemporary AndminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a WOPHA media partner providing editorial coverage and promotional support.
• Centro Cultural Español MiamiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a WOPHA media partner providing promotional support and cross-cultural programming.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Foto Féminas: Latin American organization promoting women and non-binary photographers across the region, listed as a WOPHA cultural partner. Comparable mission, comparable Latin American focus, and overlapping community and exhibition programming.
• Fast Forward: Women in Photography: International coalition advocating for women in photography, with which WOPHA co-signs the Fast Forward Manifesto and co-convenes programming (including events at Tate Modern). Highly comparable mission — advancing visibility, collecting, and exhibiting women photographers — and overlapping convening and publishing functions.
• AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions: Paris-based nonprofit dedicated to research on women artists including photographers, co-hosting with WOPHA the 'On the Edge of Visibility' symposium at PAMM. Directly comparable archival-research and scholarly-publication mission.
• Feminist Art Coalition: Coalition of arts institutions committed to feminist programming, on whose advisory board WOPHA's founder sits. Comparable advocacy and gender-parity mission in the visual arts ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• International Center of Photography (ICP): Major New York-based photography museum and school with deep archives, exhibitions, and education programming. Comparable archival, exhibition, and educational functions but at much greater scale and broader (non-gendered) photographic scope.
• Foam Magazine: Amsterdam-based photography magazine and platform publishing and exhibiting photography internationally. Listed as a WOPHA media partner and editorially overlapping on women in photography coverage.
• Lucie Foundation: Established photography nonprofit running the annual Lucie Photo Book Prize and broader photography-awards programming. Shortlisted WOPHA's 'Becoming Sisters' book and is a listed cultural partner — comparable awards and publishing scope, broader photography focus.
• Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM): Major Miami art museum hosting the WOPHA Congress and partnering on the CCI + WOPHA Fellowship. Comparable curatorial and exhibition programming at much larger scale and broader (non-gendered) focus.

Regional players

• Maison de la Photographie de Guyane-Amazonie: French Guiana photography institution listed as a WOPHA cultural partner. Comparable archival and exhibition mission focused on photography, operating in a different geography (French Guiana / Caribbean-French context).

Emerging players

• 10x10 Photobooks: Nonprofit supporting photobook publishing and distribution, listed as a WOPHA cultural partner. Comparable photobook-publishing and distribution overlap (relevant to WOPHA's 'Becoming Sisters' publication).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wophafoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/wophafoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/wophafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-photographers-international-archive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Women Photographers International Archive