NEW ORLEANS — Salon22, a membership-based professional women’s club and “idea hub,” will celebrate the grand opening of its new headquarters at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 29 at 2407 Bienville Street.
The two-year-old group’s new digs are housed in a former church designed by Ferdinand Lucien Rousseve, first Black architect licensed in Louisiana. The structure was built in 1944. NANO architects led the renovation.
A combination of a co-working space, event venue, and professional social club, Salon22 aspires to provide an environment for women to connect, collaborate, work and create
“This is not just a place to work; it’s a movement,” said Christa Talbott, who co-founded the organization in 2021 with partners Fay Kimbrell, Fresh Johnson and Mariska Morse. “New Orleans needs a space created by and for women with the intentional goal of bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering solidarity and collective activism. These spaces are essential for building a more inclusive, equitable and just society.”
The group has about 150 members and is accepting new ones on a rolling basis. It will offer programming and gatherings — including speakers, workshops and coaching sessions — tailored for a diverse group of professional women. The goal, the founders say, is to be a “breeding ground” for innovation, creativity and meaningful exchanges of ideas.
“Women possess a unique skill set the world needs right now,” said Kimbrell. “New Orleans women, in particular, are creative, powerful and ready to see change within themselves and their communities. Salon22 provides the container for this transformation.”