Canvas Institute, Staten Island, New York, USA to celebrate 10th Anniversary with Annual Gala
The Canvas Institute of Arts, Culture & Civic Engagement will celebrate its 10th anniversary and fifth annual gala on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in Staten Island, New York.
The event, according to a notice by Bobby Digi Olisa, the Brooklyn-born social entrepreneur, community organizer, educator, and Executive Director of Canvas Institute and Island Voice, both based in Staten Island, New York, will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Avenue, Staten Island.
This year’s gala is themed “Coming to America: A Royal Celebration of Legacy, Culture & Community.” The event will celebrate culture, community and the impact of the Institute’s work over the years.
Guests will enjoy live music, special celebrity appearances and recognition of outstanding community leaders and Canvas board members.
The Institute’s honorees include Minority Leader David M. Carr, the New York City Council Member of the Staten Island-based 50th Councilmanic District representing the Mid-Island and Southern Brooklyn, Dr. Roderick Palton, the Superintendent of Community School District 31, Staten Island’s public school district and Quentin Walcott, Executive Director, CONNECT, a New York City organization working to prevent and end intimate partner violence through community engagement, legal advocacy and systems change.
Also listed are Matt Hopkins, a Principal and cofounder of ACONA Real Estate Advisors, where he helps nonprofits, cultural groups and community organizations find and secure lasting homes, Toby Rappaport, a Principal and cofounder of ACONA Real Estate Advisors, Chris Williams, Founder, Williams Eye Works, a lifelong Staten Islander, who started in the optical trade at 14.
Tanisha Franks, Educator, Unionist and Organizer, also a lifelong Staten Islander, mother of three, educator, unionist and community organizer, is equally on the list, as are Teresa ‘Teri’ Caliari, a retired NYC public school teacher who now teaches adult group exercise classes at the JCC, Jill Pincus, a Canvas Institute board member and a Coordinator with the 1199 National Benefit Fund’s Staten Island office, Dennis A. Brown, who has spent decades building opportunity for New Yorkers, Michelle Akyempong who has served on the Canvas Institute board since its founding and Celia Iervasi, a real estate broker and the founder of Celia Iervasi Consulting Inc.
The Institute is also expected to make major announcements about its next chapter during the gala.
The Canvas Institute said the celebration will also highlight its commitment to youth and community development.
For a decade, the Institute has created opportunities for young people, families, artists, and communities of all backgrounds to learn, create, connect, and lead, with a particular commitment to expanding access for historically underserved communities.
As Staten Island’s first Black-led arts and multicultural organization, it was built on the belief that arts, culture, education, and civic engagement can create meaningful and lasting change.
Through partnerships with schools, community centers, community-based organizations, and civic partners, its work now extends throughout New York City and beyond, including a growing international presence in Nigeria.
This year’s celebration also concludes a milestone year recognizing 20 years of youth and community advocacy through Island Voice and the 20th Annual Youth Empowerment Summit, which welcomed more than 1,400 attendees.
Early bird tickets for the historic event went on sale Monday, September 14, while sponsorship opportunities are still available.
For more information, you can contact the Institute on 718.273.6160 or via info@canvasinstitute.org.
