The Newark Public Library will host its annual fundraiser, Booked for the Evening, on Wednesday Dec. 6th, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Nanina’s in the Park in Belleville. This is the library’s major fundraiser of the year, and an enjoyable way for the community to demonstrate its support for the library.
The evening’s centerpiece is celebrating the Gala honorees whose contributions have strengthened and enriched Newark and beyond. This year, the focus is on the arts.
If you’ve ever walked through the atrium of the Hahne & Co. building, and looked up, you may know Willie Cole’s work. He created the breathtaking Lumen-Less Lantern, made from more than 6,000 plastic bottles. Cole is well known for his sculptures and social commentary, often transforming ordinary, used objects (irons, shoes, appliances, etc.) into imaginative art. His solo exhibitions have been held at the Museum of Modern Art, Bronx Museum of the Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Adebunmi Gbadebo is a multi-media artist who explores culture, history and land on sites of slavery. She employs materials ancestors would have used, including indigo dye, soil and hair. Gbadebo worked to build community support for the Harriet Tubman Monument built across from the Main Library in Harriet Tubman Square. Her art has appeared in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Newark Museum of Art among others.
John Schreiber, president and CEO of NJPAC, is especially proud of fostering young talent, young people’s growth, both in their art and their lives. He was instrumental in encouraging Savion Glover to be an engaged and active member of the NJPAC family. Schreiber knows firsthand the impact of the arts as an economic driver for Newark, and the importance of offering a wide range of performances, for all ages and interests, to the people of Newark and beyond.
Adhering to the arts theme, Wayne Winborne, executive director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers Newark, will serve as the Gala’s master of ceremonies. He is also an assistant professor at the university and often presents on jazz, art and culture, racial reckoning and non-profit management. Jazz musician Dermel Warren will also perform during the evening.
“This gala brings together like-minded people who want to have fun, see old friends, make new ones, and show their support for this incredible institution of, by and for the people of Newark,” said Christian Zabriskie, director of Newark Public Library. “We are grateful Mayor Baraka and the City of Newark provide us such generous support. But the people attending the gala provide the extra funds we need to expand our resources and run hundreds of activities and events throughout the year. We couldn’t do it without the money raised at Booked for the Evening.”
This year an esteemed committee of women enmeshed in the arts in Newark served on the gala committee for Booked for the Evening. Laura Bonas Palmer, Founder and Owner of Akwaaba Gallery; Antoinette Ellis Williams, Artist, Professor and Poet; Adrienne Wheeler, Lead Curator, Artist Initiatives, Newark Arts; Linda Morgan, RBH Group, Executive Vice President; and Susan Koblin Schear, President and Founder of Artisin, which helps artists and arts organizations achieve their professional and strategic goals.
Members of the gala committee selected artists whose work will be showcased and available for sale at the gala. The following artists will donate 50% of their proceeds to the library.
- Amanda J. Thackray
- Antoinette Ellis Williams
- Armisey Smith
- Heather Williams
- Kervin Andre
- Malik Whitaker
- Mashell Black
- Melisa Gerecci
- Serron Green
The after party, from 9-11 p.m., will feature DJ Duce Martinez and friends who’ll be spinning the ones and twos. Tickets for this portion of the evening can be purchased separately.
For more information on the Booked for the Evening gala contact Karen Dinkins at 973-733-7744. Click here to buy a ticket or journal ad, become a sponsor or make a donation.
