Celebrating Arts & Youth at Night Connections

On a vibrant evening at ARTECHOUSE NYC, ArtsConnection hosted its Night Connections: Spring Bash, celebrating over 46 years of arts education across New York City. Produced by Bee Season Productions, the event welcomed nearly 150 attendees for a dynamic, immersive experience that fused live performance, visual art, and community connection—all in signature NYC style.

Guests enjoyed a high-energy dance performance from students at Restoration Academy, an ArtsConnection partner school, followed by a live DJ set from DJ Ty-Michelle, resident DJ of the WNBA Champion New York Liberty. The night also featured an electric musical performance by Truth Future Bachman, an ArtsConnection Teaching Artist and resident at Joe’s Pub.

Interactive elements played a central role in the evening’s festivities. Artist Ian Sklarsky offered live blind contour sketches, while Nehprii Amenii and Lake Simons led hands-on art-making stations that brought guests directly into the creative process.

The event was thoughtfully curated by ArtsConnection’s Young Professionals Committee and Arts Innovator Awardees, with support from sponsors including Soroban Capital Partners, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Sony, Hauser & Wirth, Centerview Partners, Himalaya Capital, Caroline Kim and Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis. Together, they helped raise nearly $150,000 to support arts programming in NYC schools for the 2024–25 academic year.

ArtsConnection now invites the public to attend the Teens Curate Teens Opening Exhibition, happening Saturday, May 17 from 1:00–3:30PM at The Riverside Church. Titled Collective Pulse, the teen-curated exhibition showcases how young people view culture and community through their own lens. Expect hands-on art, refreshments, and the inspiring final projects of spring program participants.

🎟 Free with RSVP on Eventbrite

To learn more about ArtsConnection and its impact, visit: www.artsconnection.org

Photos by Brian Hatton