2023 — Booked for
the Evening Gala
Honorees
The Newark Public Library’s Annual Fundraising Benefit Event
Meet the Honorees
2023
Willie
Cole
artist and Newark native, is renowned for his transformative sculptures and social commentary. He has unveiled “Spirit Catcher” and “Lumen-Less Lantern”, created from over 6,000 plastic bottles, displayed at Newark’s Express Newark’s Hahne Building. Cole has had several solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His work has also been featured at the Brooklyn Museum, the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University and at Alexander and Bonin in New York.
Adebunmi Gbadebo
multimedia artist exploring the intersection of culture, history, and land on sites of slavery. She uses materials like indigo dye, plantation soil, and Black hair to convey ancestral stories. A Pew Fellow and Maxwell and Hanrahan Fellow, her ceramics were featured in a groundbreaking Met exhibition. Her work is held in esteemed institutions, including the Smithsonian, and she has spoken at renowned cultural institutions. Gbadebo continues her meaningful work as an artist and advocate, including projects honoring Harriet Tubman and enslaved laborers at Clemson University. She will exhibit at the Biennale of Sydney in 2024.
John
Schreiber
President and CEO of NJPAC, discovered his passion for theater as a child in Queens, taking the subway to see Broadway shows. His career journey led him to music, theater, and festivals. He’s particularly proud of fostering young talent, notably through Savion Glover’s inspiring work with kids in productions like “The Tap Dance Kid.” Schreiber values both artistic genius and kindness in nurturing young people’s growth.