Dear Life of the Party,
At Urban Arts’ Color Ball on April 10th, five extraordinary young people took the stage—and owned it. Their powerful stories and remarkable achievements received a rousing response from a room filled with 400 guests. It was a night that celebrated not only their success, but the limitless potential of every Urban Arts student.
Because of you—our incredible supporters, champions, and dance-floor legends—Color Ball 2025 raised $800k in a single night! That’s right, you made it rain (philanthropically speaking), and our Urban Arts students are the real winners! Daniel Glenn-Schultz, our inspiring Nagler Scholar, deserves a standing ovation. His story reminds us why we do this work—because talent deserves opportunity, and every student deserves a chance to create their future.
“Imagine a little boy standing at Parkchester Subway station. I’m staring at a vast subway map. I’m following the multi-colored lines. As I stare at that map, I feel I can go anywhere! Urban Arts has changed my life. And now this scholarship will change my life yet again.”
—Daniel Glenn-Schultz, 2025 Nagler Scholar
A huge thank you to our honoree, NBCUniversal’s Josh Feldman, for his leadership and to NBCUniversal for your unwavering partnership. We couldn’t ask for better collaborators in this mission to fuel access and opportunity.
And let’s talk about Louis Cato and his band, who absolutely rocked the house (and may or may not have caused some sore feet this morning). Louis brought the perfect energy to cap off an unforgettable evening!To each and every one of you in the room and who raised your hand or bid wildly on auction items—THANK YOU! Your generosity ensures that Urban Arts students can dream big, create freely, and achieve their full potential.Missed the event but still want to make an impact? There’s still time to support our students and get involved! With deep gratitude, we’re heading into the future energized and inspired. Thank you for being part of this unforgettable night and the Urban Arts journey.
Highlights from the night:
• 100% college acceptance rate,
• $32M in college scholarships to date,
• $800K raised,
• 3 conga lines on the dance floor,
• a sea of sequins, blinding amounts of neon, plus stripes, florals, checks, comic-book print, marabou cuffs, animal prints, plaids, metallics, rhinestones, paisley—
• and one red cape!
Check out photos from the night: COLOR BALL 2025
STUDENT & ALUMNI PERFORMERS
FAIZA MOHAMED RABEEK
Urban Arts Alum
New York University
Class of 2028
PAOLA SOTO
Urban Arts Studio
Kipp NYC College Prep
Class of 2025
Lehigh University
Class of 2029
DANIEL GLENN-SCHULTZ
Urban Arts Studio
Urban Assembly Gateway
Class of 2025
JENNY ZENG
Urban Arts Studio
Millennium High School
Class of 2025
Harvard University
Class of 2029
DJUENSIE CHERFILS
Urban Arts Studio
Brooklyn Technical High School
Class of 2025
Hamilton College
Class of 2029
