The Kota Alliance

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The Kota Alliance A World Center for Gender Equity

Collaborate, Advocate, Empower.

The Kota Alliance serves as a hub and incubator for individuals, NGOs, entrepreneurs, and social enterprises that share the like-minded goal of improving gender equity and the empowerment of women and girls, locally and globally. Centered in West Harlem, Kota offers collaborative programming and community space for workshops, trainings, advocacy, resources, and network-building in the areas of economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, and social enterprise. Visit our website for more details on becoming a Kota member - either individually or as an organization - to unlock these benefits. Together, we can achieve a world with equal opportunities and equal respect for all people.

We’re getting ready for Sunday and can’t wait to celebrate with you! 🥂Only a few spots left for this Sunday’s Celebratio...
10/08/2026

We’re getting ready for Sunday and can’t wait to celebrate with you! 🥂

Only a few spots left for this Sunday’s Celebration Brunch!

Join us for a joyful afternoon celebrating artist Wilhelmina ”Obatola” Grant-Cooper’s 70th birthday with delicious local food from RedKup and Home Sweet Harlem , live music, art, and community! 🩷

🎟️ Tickets: $7
Grab yours before they’re gone! Link in bio.

Gather with us to celebrate Wilhelmina and 70 years of life and resilience through art, food, and music!🫶In honor of loc...
10/08/2026

Gather with us to celebrate Wilhelmina and 70 years of life and resilience through art, food, and music!🫶

In honor of local community artist, author, and advocate Wilhelmina "Obatola" Grant-Cooper’s 70th birthday, The Kota Alliance invites friends, family, neighbors, and art lovers to a festive afternoon celebration set within her solo exhibition, SECOND LIFE.🎉

Whether you are here to celebrate alongside Wilhelmina or discovering her work for the first time, this afternoon brings people together over delicious local food, live music, and shared storytelling to honor her milestone alongside the enduring strength, creativity, and hope of breast cancer survivors everywhere.🩷

Tickets: $7
Tickets are limited, get yours now through Eventbrite. Link in bio!

Special thank you to Red Kup and Home Sweet Harlem, who are providing some delicious local treats for the occasion.

Moments from the opening of SECOND LIFEWhat a magical evening! 💛 A huge thank you to the incredible Wilhelmina Grant-Coo...
10/02/2026

Moments from the opening of SECOND LIFE
What a magical evening! 💛

A huge thank you to the incredible Wilhelmina Grant-Cooper for sharing her powerful work, stories, and spirit with us. It was such an honor to celebrate you and bring SECOND LIFE to life at The Kota Alliance.

And thank you to everyone who joined us! The warmth, conversations, laughter, and beautiful sense of community made the evening so special. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to open the exhibition.

The exhibit is open by appointment through October 26th. Just send us an email or a text message before your visit! 🫶

Can’t wait to celebrate Wilhelmina’s 70th birthday at Kota next weeks Sunday. We would love you to join us, stay tuned!

A sneak peek of our first solo art exhibition SECOND LIFE ✨We’re getting ready for the opening of SECOND LIFE, a solo ex...
09/29/2026

A sneak peek of our first solo art exhibition SECOND LIFE ✨

We’re getting ready for the opening of SECOND LIFE, a solo exhibition by Harlem-based artist Wilhelmina “Obatola” Grant-Cooper, this Thursday at The Kota Alliance!

Through mixed-media assemblages created from discarded and found objects, Wilhelmina explores themes of healing, renewal, and giving new life to what has been left behind.

The Exhibition is curated by Delfin Idänpään-Heikkilä & Fanni Kare.

Join us this Thursday to experience the exhibition, meet the artist, and celebrate the opening with us! 💛

October 1 | 6–8 PM
The Kota Alliance, 43 St Nicholas Pl
Free opening tickets — RSVP through the link in bio!

Meet the artist behind SECOND LIFE 🎨Harlem-based visual artist, published author, teaching artist, and health advocate ...
09/18/2026

Meet the artist behind SECOND LIFE 🎨


Harlem-based visual artist, published author, teaching artist, and health advocate Wilhelmina ”Obatola” Grant-Cooper has turned her own story of survival into a lifelong passion for art and expression.
Though her journey as a two-time breast cancer survivor and founder of SISTAAH, Inc. (Survivors Inspiring Sisters Through Art and Advocacy for Health) has brought her into the hearts of many, her core mission remains simple: to inform, inspire, and encourage others.

A self-taught creator and former artist-in-residence in hospital settings, she brings deep intention to her work. Whether channeling her passion for urban gardening into community growth or crafting her signature mixed-media assemblages from found objects, she transforms reclaimed materials into powerful symbols of life, healing, and renewal.

Her work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout New York and across the US, held in private collections including those of Alice Walker and Bill Clinton, featured in media such as Prime Video’s HARLEM, and recognized with honors like the Creative Power of Women Award and The Black Art Makers Award of National Conference of Artists.

Learn more about her journey, books, and advocacy at sistaah.org.

The Kota Alliance is proud to present SECOND LIFE, a solo exhibition by Wilhelmina ”Obatola” Grant-Cooper, opening October 1st at The Kota Alliance in Harlem, NYC.
Join us for the opening on the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Date: October 1st, 2026

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Location: The Kota Alliance, 43 St Nicholas Pl, New York, NY 10031

Tickets & Info: Link in bio!

Meet the curator behind our upcoming exhibition, DISPLACEMENT: Ruthy Valdez! 🎨✨Ruthy () is a Harlem-based surrealist art...
09/11/2026

Meet the curator behind our upcoming exhibition, DISPLACEMENT: Ruthy Valdez! 🎨✨

Ruthy () is a Harlem-based surrealist artist, educator, and curator with over two decades of experience centering community, identity, and lived experience through the arts. Rooted in her Dominican and Turkish heritage and raised in Harlem and Washington Heights, her practice is deeply tied to the cultural heartbeat of Upper Manhattan.

For DISPLACEMENT, Ruthy brings together mid-career women artists to explore what it means when the world around you shifts—whether through gentrification, migration, or emotional change.

”Displacement is not always about physically leaving a place. Sometimes the place changes around you until you no longer recognize where you are. This exhibition gives women artists the space to tell those stories—to examine what we carry, what we lose, and what we choose to preserve.”
— Ruthy Valdez, Curator

Presented in collaboration with , this exhibition honors Harlem’s rich history of activism, culture, and innovation while uplifting powerful women’s voices.

Stay tuned for opening dates and featured artists! 👇

📍 Presented by The Kota Alliance x Ruthy Valdez
🖼️ Exhibition: DISPLACEMENT
🔗 Learn more via the link in our bio!

What an unforgettable night! ✨ A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made the Kota Spring Benefit Dinner 2026 s...
06/12/2026

What an unforgettable night! ✨ A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made the Kota Spring Benefit Dinner 2026 such a beautiful success.

We are all still thinking about that incredible five-course meal curated by the brilliant chef Lana Lagomarsini. Beyond the amazing flavors, it was deeply inspiring to watch her mentor two incredibly talented students from the Culinary Institute of America, Harmony Carter and Sophia Gahomera, right in our kitchen.

We also loved seeing everyone engage with our exclusive art auction featuring powerful works from our ROOTED exhibition. A special thank you to all who participated, your ticket purchases directly fund Kota’s Arts and Community Programs.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our generous funders and sponsors for their vital support. To our community, board, and partners: thank you for bringing so much heart to this night of cuisine and art. We couldn't do this work without you!

What an unforgettable night! ✨ A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made the Kota Spring Benefit Dinner 2026 s...
06/12/2026

What an unforgettable night! ✨ A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made the Kota Spring Benefit Dinner 2026 such a beautiful success.

We are all still thinking about that incredible five-course meal curated by the brilliant Harlem chef Lana Lagomarsini. Beyond the amazing flavors, it was deeply inspiring to watch her mentor two incredibly talented students from the Culinary Institute of America, Harmony Carter and Sophia Gahomera, right in our kitchen.

We also loved seeing everyone engage with our exclusive art auction featuring powerful works from our ROOTED exhibition. A special thank you to all who participated, your ticket purchases directly fund Kota’s Arts and Community Programs.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our generous funders and sponsors for their vital support. To our community, board, and partners: thank you for bringing so much heart to this night of cuisine and art. We couldn't do this work without you!

Only two days left — and then it’s finally happening 💙Join us next Tuesday for an unforgettable evening of cuisine, comm...
06/07/2026

Only two days left — and then it’s finally happening 💙

Join us next Tuesday for an unforgettable evening of cuisine, community, and art at The Kota Alliance Spring Benefit Dinner 2026.

Enjoy a five-course dinner, connect with our community, and experience a live art auction featuring works from our ROOTED exhibition, all while supporting our mission to create equity and empower marginalized women and girls through Arts & Culture!

This is your last chance to get tickets!

And if you can’t make it in person, you can still support our mission by donating through our Spring Benefit campaign. Every contribution helps us continue creating more equitable communities in the arts for marginalized women and girls.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you ✨

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43 St. Nicholas Place
New York, NY
10031

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