The Gold Ball Blends Art, Fashion, and Community to Launch Newark Arts Festival 2025

NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Newark Museum of Art shimmered in gold as The Gold Ball returned to kick off Newark Arts Festival 2025: JOY, New Jersey’s largest celebration of arts and culture. For one unforgettable evening, Festivals United Newark leaders, Newarkers, visionaries, and artists gathered in their finest attire for a night where art, fashion, and community converged.

Inspired by last year’s sold-out Pink Ball, this year’s Gold Ball was bigger, bolder, and brighter. Guests stepped into a world curated by visionary designer Bailey Li and fashion artist Erika Hicks, where immersive art installations and stunning fashion created an atmosphere of pure possibility. From the first golden glow at the entrance to the final beat of the afterparty, attendees experienced JOY in its most radiant form.

“The Gold Ball is more than an event—it’s a celebration of Newark’s creative spirit,” said Lauren LeBeaux Craig, Executive Director of The Newark Museum of Art. “We are proud to open our doors to a night that blends art, fashion, and community, and to launch the Newark Arts Festival with JOY at its heart.”

“Designing a luminous art installation for The Newark Museum of Art was an honor of a lifetime,” said Bailey Li. “Seeing guests interact with shimmering surfaces and soft draped forms was magical.” “This night celebrated culture, creativity, and endless possibilities,” added Erika Hicks. “Watching guests serve up stunning looks was unforgettable.”

The evening also marked the opening of “Ode to Joy”, an exhibition in the Traphagen Gallery featuring six local visual artists. Their works explore JOY as a transformative force through diverse mediums, celebrating resilience, identity, and community.

Li, whose career journey spans real estate, home staging, and now interior design, has earned national acclaim with features in NBC’s Open House NYC, Essence Magazine, Fast Company, and Forbes. Hicks, founder of Milele Atelier, infuses ancestral heritage into fashion, creating wearable stories that spark conversations about culture and humanity.

The Newark Arts Festival continues citywide through October 12, offering exhibitions, performances, and experiences that celebrate JOY in every form.

About Festivals United Newark | www.festivalsunitednewark.org
Funded through a $1.5 million grant awarded to the Newark Alliance from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Festivals United Newark (FUN) is a unique partnership of leading festival and event organizers in the City of Newark, NJ. For the first time, Newark’s major festival planners have come together to form a coalition of the city’s most beloved cultural events. Together under one umbrella, FUN members include AfroBeat Fest, Halsey Festival, Lincoln Park Music Festival, Newark Arts Festival, Newark Pride, and Newark Winter Village, all in partnership with the Newark City Parks Foundation. FUN ensures a summer, fall, and winter filled with music, art, food and community. FUN is more than just a name – it’s a movement.

SOURCE The Newark Museum of Art