1. A NIGHT AT THE GALLERY- 7:00 PM Start

Prepare for a sensory awakening surrounded by Hans Hofmann’s color-filled paintings. Yale Art Gallery Director Stephanie Wiles and Curator Michèle Wije will guide you through a private tour of Hofmann’s legacy beginning at the turn of the 20th century in Munich and Paris, developing Abstract Expressionism and teaching generations of artists.  

See more: https://artgallery.yale.edu/exhibitions/exhibition/hans-hofmann​

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Hosted by Andie & Jeremy Asnes at Union League Cafe, New Haven 

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2. SHINING LIGHT ON TRUTH – 7:00 P.M. Start 

Discover early Black New Haven with Michael Morand, Charles Warner Jr., and David Jon Walker as they guide you through the Shining Light on Truth exhibit at Yale Schwarzman Center. This extraordinary exhibit celebrates Black community building, resistance, and resilience on campus and in New Haven. Following the private tour, guests will proceed to dinner at The Elm City Club. ​

See More:https://schwarzman.yale.edu/events/shining-light-truth-black-lives-yale-new-haven​

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Hosted by Rachel Fine & Carlynne Robinson with Yale Schwarzman Center at the Elm City Club, New Haven 

 

3. AN ENDURING PLACE OF SCHOLARSHIP – 7:00 P.M. Start 

Join University Librarian Barbara Rockenbach for a guided tour of Sterling Memorial Library. Built to evoke the great European libraries of the past, Sterling is approaching its centennial as a place of learning, reflection, and discovery. Explore the Library’s history, its extraordinary collections, and the spaces that continue to support scholarship across generations. Following the private tour, guests will proceed to dinner at Mory’s.   

See More: https://news.yale.edu/2020/04/15/barbara-rockenbach-appointed-yales-next-university-librarian

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Hosted by Tyler Thorpe & Jeannette Ickovics at Mory’s, New Haven 

 

4. PLANNING FOR NEW HAVEN

Consider the future of our fair city with Abdul-Razak Zachariah, Deputy Director of Zoning in the New Haven City Plan Department. Zachariah has known New Haven as a youth, a LEAP staffer and a Yale undergraduate. He uses creative participatory engagement and storytelling to imagine new and resilient futures for the next generation of city stewards.  

See More: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdul-razakzachariah/

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Hosted by Anne Higonnet & John Geanakoplos, Guilford 

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5. DOCUMENTARY DILEMMAS

Go behind the camera with Emmy and Peabody award-winning documentary film director and producer Rachel Dretzin, whose work on Netflix, NBC, and PBS includes Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, Who Killed Malcolm X? and Hope and Fury. She will share the ethical decisions she faces in her work, including the impact of AI on filmmaking.  ​​

See More: https://www.ark-media.net/team/rachel-dretzin

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Hosted by Zehra & Huned Patwa, Hamden 

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6.  DEFENDING CIVIL LIBERTIES IN A PRECARIOUS ERA 

Join David D. Cole in a conversation about the current challenges to constitutional law, national security, criminal justice, and civil rights.  Cole has litigated First Amendment cases in the Supreme Court of the United States, as well as cases concerning civil rights and national security. Described as one of the country’s greatest legal voices for civil liberties, Cole served as the national Legal Director at the ACLU from 2017-2024.  

See More:https://www.law.georgetown.edu/faculty/david-d-cole/

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Hosted by Jack Ciccolo at ZINC, New Haven 

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7. OPEN YOUR EYES 

You’ll enjoy a new way of seeing the world around you when you join George Knight, practicing architect and faculty member at the Yale School of Architecture, who will share the use of sketchbooks as a source of recollection, inspiration, and pleasure. Please come ready to draw (no experience necessary). 

See More: https://www.knightarchitecture.com/george-knight

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Hosted by Sarah & Andy Boone, Woodbridge 

 

8. DRUM UP YOUR SPIRITS

Be prepared to learn and dance with Norka Hernandez Nadal, founder of BombaWorksNYC.  Dancer, singer, percussionist, and drum maker, she will introduce you to Bomba music and dance. Developed by enslaved West African people and their descendants, Bomba reflects historic resistance on Puerto Rico’s sugar plantations and current cultural solidarity. ​

See More: https://www.discussionsinpercussion.com/home/2023/1/3/313-norka-hernandez-nadal-percussionist-vocalist-dancer-educator-and-more

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Hosted by Nick Lloyd at Firehouse 12, New Haven 

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9. FOOD AS MEDICINE

Break bread with Doctor-Chef Nate Wood, Director of Culinary Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital, as he welcomes the community into the kitchen to learn about the important ties between nutrition and health. Evidence-based, his work draws from culinary arts, nutrition science, and medical education. ​​

See More: https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/nathan-wood/

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Hosted by Anthony & JoAnn Scillia at Adriana’s Restaurant, New Haven 

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10. FOUNDATIONAL INSIGHTS

Welcome back to New Haven Jonathan Fanton—former President of the MacArthur Foundation and President Emeritus of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences—as he explores why foundations' role in bridging public and private capital has never been more vital in supporting critical issues like climate change, criminal justice reform, and social equality. ​

See More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Fanton

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Hosted by Dr. Karen DuBois-Walton at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, New Haven 

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11. GET LOST IN NEW HAVEN

Step into the story of New Haven with Robert S. Greenberg, founder of the Lost in New Haven Museum, as he guides you through immersive exhibits and rare artifacts. Explore New Haven’s story, from its indigenous roots and 1638 settlement to the waves of immigrants whose creativity, talent, and ingenuity continue to define the city today. ​​

See More: https://www.robertsgreenberg.com/lost-in-new-haven

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Hosted by Maggie Moffett & Tom Ferrell at Lost in New Haven Museum, New Haven 

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12. NBA COURTSIDE SEATS

Emmy-nominated filmmaker and New Haven native Peter J. Scalettar takes you behind his Netflix documentary series "Starting 5," which follows five elite NBA stars, including LeBron James and 2025 league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, on and off the court during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons. ​​

See More: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-scalettar-a6989210/

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Hosted by Ann & Greg Pepe at Friends Center for Children, New Haven 

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13. WELCOMING NATION?

Join Kica Matos, President of the National Immigration Law Center, and Jeremy Robbins, Executive Director of the American Immigration Council, for a conversation on the tension between immigrants as vital contributors to our nation and the extreme hostility facing targeted communities. Matos and Robbins work on the front lines of policy advocacy, litigation, and direct support on the streets. ​​

See More: https://www.nilc.org/people/kica-matos/

See More: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/authors/jeremy-robbins/

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Hosted by Barbara Chesler & Karen Dahl, Stony Creek 

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14. UNCERTAIN RECOVERY

Explore with Professor of Immunobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Investigator Akiko Iwasaki the evolving science of why some people fail to recover from COVID and other post-acute infections.  Nominated for the Time100 List by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Iwasaki’s studies have led to the development of vaccines to prevent infection, transmission, and recurrent diseases.  

See More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akiko_Iwasaki

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Hosted by Drs. Deborah Dyett Desir & Gary V. Desir, Woodbridge 

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15. IN OUR OWN BACKYARD 

Join James Forman Jr., Ariane Lewis, and Ray Boyd of Yale Law School's Law and Racial Justice Center to envision projects that advance racial justice right here in New Haven. The Center brings together residents, students, faculty, city officials, and national experts to turn ideas into action. ​​

See More: https://law.yale.edu/centers-and-workshops/law-and-racial-justice-center

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Hosted by James Forman & Ify Nwokoye, New Haven 

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16. STORY TELLING

Join Jake Halpern to explore how powerful stories transcend format. His graphic narrative Separation, a Pulitzer Prize nominee following an undocumented New York City family, is currently running in The New York Times. His podcast Deep Cover was named one of the year's 10 best by the Times. ​​

See More: https://www.jakehalpern.com/

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Hosted by Jake Halpern & Kasia Lipska, New Haven 

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17. GUN VIOLENCE AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM: WHAT WE KNOW, AND WHERE WE ARE GOING 

Convene with Megan Ranney, Dean of the Yale School of Public Health, to focus on the application of public health tools to research and implement effective solutions to address the causes and impacts of gun violence.  Leading the Firearm Injury Prevention Program, Dean Ranney will reflect on the collaborative process of engaging gun owners and non-owners to achieve change.​

See More: https://ysph.yale.edu/profile/megan-ranney/

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Hosted by Shelley & Gordon Geballe, Branford 

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18. AUTHOR, AUTHOR! (BOOK) 

Open your heart to a conversation with celebrated novelist Amy Bloom, whose writing is renowned for exploring family dynamics, hidden histories, and the complexities of human connection. You’ll be part of a special discussion of language and love, covering Amy’s most recent novel, I’ll Be Right There; her memoir, In Love: A Memoir of Love & Loss (which is being made into a movie with George Clooney and Annette Bening); and her upcoming mystery novel. ​​

See More: https://www.amybloom.com/

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Hosted by Deb & Ron Nudel, Woodbridge 

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19. HUNTING FOR SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES  

Join Yale astrophysicist Chiara Mingarelli to explore the universe’s giants: supermassive black holes. Professor Mingarelli will discuss how astronomers find them, including the 2023 discovery of evidence for their mergers. The adventure into space will include stunning full-color images from the James Webb Space Telescope and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. ​​

See More: https://www.chiaramingarelli.com/

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Hosted by Rick & Nancy Antle, New Haven 

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20. RADICAL PHILANTHROPY (BOOK) 

In 1922, young idealist Charles Garland bequeathed a fortune to activists who envisioned a future where free speech, racial equality, and democracy for the working classes could flourish. Join Yale Law Professor John Fabian Witt, author of The Radical Fund: How a Band of Visionaries and a Million Dollars Upended America, to discuss the potential and pitfalls of philanthropic attempts to change the world.   ​​

See More: https://law.yale.edu/john-fabian-witt

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Hosted by Cynthia Farrar & Paul Kennedy, New Haven 

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21. CONFRONTING TRAUMA  (BOOK) 

Reflect with Reverend Doctor Odell Montgomery Cooper, founder of Interruptions: Disrupting the Silence, as she shares the trauma experienced following her son’s murder.  She will recount her personal path towards healing, captured in her recent book Letters to My Son, while shedding light on structural racism and inequities in mental health.  ​​

See More: https://www.interruptionswithoutwalls.com/team

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Hosted by Deborah Stanley-McAulay at the Dixwell Community “Q” House, New Haven 

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22. CHARTER FOR SUCCESS

Go back to school with Principal Ché Dawson and get to know Highville Charter, a close-knit, community-rooted, culturally affirming PreK-12 school characterized by small classes, caring relationships, data-driven curriculum, and whole child growth. Before assuming leadership of Highville in 2021, Dawson served as Executive Director of LEAP and in other educational roles around New Haven.  

See More: https://www.highvillecharter.com/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=731116&id=0

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Hosted by Cynthia Mann & Sostena Romano at Highville Charter School, New Haven 

 

23. WHAT IS SEX REALLY? (BOOK)

Ornithologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Prum will explore the genetics, development, and evolution of sex. Drawing on his book Performance All the Way Down: Genes, Development, and Sexual Difference, Prum will push back against the idea that individual sex can be defined by genes, chromosomes, or hormones and argue that sex is not an individual essence but a becoming– a performance of the sexual self.​

See More: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo207283773.html

 

Hosted by Mira Debs, and Alexandre DebsHamden