The Editor as Curator with Sarah Harrelson on Building CULTURED

• The Discipline of Beauty - Sarah’s early life as a competitive equestrian instilled a love of visual precision, self-discipline, and independence—elements that continue to shape her editorial eye.
  
• From Politics to Publishing - With a college focus on the politics of poverty, Sarah originally envisioned a career in public service. That political awareness now informs her coverage of art, fashion, and the underdog stories that drive CULTURED.
  
• Shyness as Superpower - Once a shy child, Sarah reveals how observing from the sidelines helped her understand power dynamics, refine her instincts, and eventually find her editorial voice.
  
• Why She Built CULTURED Around Events - Events have been a core pillar of CULTURED since its inception—intimate, thoughtful gatherings that bring creative disciplines together and foster unexpected connections.
  
• The Anti-Algorithmic Editorial Approach - Sarah is unapologetic about choosing stories based on meaning rather than metrics, spotlighting talent before the industry catches on—even if it means fewer clicks.
  
• The Art of Cross-Pollination - Long before it became standard, Sarah was curating spaces where fashion designers, artists, architects, and tech figures could genuinely connect—not network, but engage.
  
• Rejecting Editorial Rigidity - In response to legacy media’s narrow guidelines, Sarah launched CULTURED with a rebellious spirit—including two blank pages in the first issue to make a statement about creative freedom.
  
• The Power of Staying Grounded - With three kids and a close-knit personal circle, Sarah prioritizes time, presence, and humility. “I don't like cliques,” she says. “I'm interested in being inclusive.”
  
• Cultured VIP & Democratizing Access - Through the CULTURED VIP program, she’s opening doors to readers who don’t always have access—offering things like museum tours, studio visits, and meaningful cultural experiences.
  
• What’s Contemporary Now? - For Sarah, contemporaneity isn’t about what’s trending—it’s about authenticity, curiosity, and kindness. A genuine lens, she says, is the most powerful tool any cultural voice can have.

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Notable Quotes: 

• “I didn’t start CULTURED to follow the traditional editorial model—I started it because I was tired of hearing what we couldn’t do. You could only cover an artist if they had a show, only run a story if it was pitched by a PR. I wanted to create a space that wasn’t driven by permission.”
• “Events weren’t a pivot—they were part of the DNA from the very beginning. I had three kids at the time and a group of friends who didn’t want to go out for the sake of it. So if I was going to ask people to come together, I wanted it to be meaningful.”
• “Growing up riding horses shaped so much of who I am. You’re waking up at four in the morning, competing all day, surrounded by adults—and yet it’s a world of extreme beauty and discipline. It’s luxury with no luxury. That stayed with me.”
• “I’ve always gravitated toward emerging artists—not because it was strategic, but because I couldn’t get blue-chip names when I started. I didn’t have access, so I had to build it. And now, it’s the part of the job I love most—spotting people before the world knows their name.”
• “I’ve never been interested in cliques. I try to create spaces—whether it’s an event or an issue of the magazine—where you might find a movement director sitting next to a tech founder, or a choreographer talking to a gallerist. That cross-pollination is where the interesting stuff happens.”
• “I still believe that the best editorial leads, and the advertising follows. I know that might sound old-fashioned, but I never wanted to make decisions based on who might spend. You do the story you believe in, and the right partners show up.”
• “CULTURED VIP came from this realization that access isn’t always about money or connections—sometimes it’s just about not being on the right list. And I wanted to create a program where more people could experience the art world in a meaningful way.”
• “The thing that drives me, always, is curiosity. I can talk to an artist, a designer, a security guard, a billionaire collector—it doesn’t matter. If someone is passionate about what they do, I want to know how they got there and why they care.”
• “People think I’m very social, but I’m actually most comfortable standing quietly in a room, observing. That’s how I learned—watching how people move, how power shifts, how conversations unfold. I think that shaped my sense of how to tell stories.”
• “What’s contemporary now? I think it’s about having an authentic lens. Slowing down enough to really see what matters. Being brave enough to cover someone no one knows yet. That’s what keeps this work exciting to me.”