Dear Life of the Party,
At Urban Arts’ Color Ball April 30th, four extraordinary young people took the stage—and owned it. Their powerful stories and remarkable achievements received a rousing response from a room filled with nearly 500 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 2026 raised $1.1 Million (and counting!) in a single night! That’s right, you made it rain (philanthropically speaking), and our Urban Arts students are the real winners! Rafael Martos, 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.
“Urban Arts became a second home. It didn’t carry the same pressure as high school. I made close friends and we’ve shared and nurtured our passions with each other, from photography, art, to narrative and programming. It was at Urban Arts I became inspired to take the first step in producing my own music. At Urban Arts I realized I can create anything.” —Rafael Martos 2026 Nagler Scholar
A huge thank you to our honorees, Phil Wiser, CTO of Paramount, and Alia Jones-Harvey, Associate Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, for their leadership and unwavering partnership. We couldn’t ask for better collaborators in this mission to fuel access and opportunity.
We also celebrated a huge milestone with long-time Board Member Niclas Nagler. Twenty years ago, Niclas and his family created The Nagler Scholarship to enable high school students from low-income communities to define their future. Each year, one winning scholar is awarded $60,000 to pursue their dreams. We are proud to celebrate 20 Years of the Nagler Scholar and this life-changing initiative, made possible by the generosity of the Nagler family.
Nagler scholars are artists, computer wizards, designers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and global changemakers. They exemplify leadership in their schools, a demonstrable focus and vision for their post-secondary careers, and a strong desire to use their talents and skills to impact the community. We’re thrilled for Rafael Martos, this year’s scholar who will study rehabilitative engineering. His goosebumps speech is here.
Thank you to our partners Paramount, Google, Take-Two Interactive, Unity, Hearst, NBCUniversal, KeyBank, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, PACOA, hashtag#RadiancePrivateWealth, General Atlantic, PwC, Brown Advisory, Arnold & Porter, and Deloitte. We also welcomed new partners to the Urban Arts community last night: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, AHEAD, Adobe, Stand8 Technology Consulting, Accenture, CDW, LTM, Proskauer Rose LLP, White & Case, Latham & Watkins, Apollo Global Management, and Centerview Partners. We’re grateful and excited for what we will build together.
Talent is everywhere across this city. Together, we are making sure access keeps pace.
Shout out to Dave Guy and his band, who rocked the house and showcased a VERY SPECIAL GUEST on guitar (😉 peep ⬇️).
To each and every one of you in the room 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:
- $1.1M raised,
- The Chief Technology Officer at Paramount on stage blazing on guitar to “Uptown Funk”
- a sea of sequins, bright neon, plus stripes, florals, checks, marabou feathers, animal prints, plaids, metallics, rhinestones, paisley, velvet, and …
- … a pair of $100 bill Ben Franklin sandals.
Learn what a partnership with Urban Arts can look like.
Schedule a visit to see our work in practice and meet our students.
Reach out at Development@urbanarts.org
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR STUDENT PERFORMERS, left to right
Kim Aponte Garcia, Urban Arts Studio, The High School of Fashion Industries, Class of 2026; Farhan Kamal, Urban Arts Studio, Thomas A. Edison Career & Technical Education High School, Class of 2026; Mely Vazquez, Urban Arts Studio, Curtis High School, Class of 2026; Jannat Bajwa, Urban Arts Studio, John Dewey High School, Class of 2026
