Make the Road New York’s annual Dignity, Community, and Power Awards Gala celebrates our organization and honors leaders who fight to achieve dignity and justice for immigrant and working-class communities.

Join us to celebrate our communities and honorees, and look ahead to the future we can, and must, collectively create. We’ll hear from our honorees & leaders in our movements, and reflect on our accomplishments over the past year. Come gather for a night of joyful celebration, music, delicious food and drinks, and activities including a silent auction of beautiful art pieces from community members – all to benefit our critical work.

As our most important fundraiser of the year, the Gala raises truly critical general operating support and gives us the opportunity to bring our members, staff, closest allies, and supporters together. Thank you for your support.

Getting There – Location TBD

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Gala Artist and Design Concept

Abigail Miller is a graphic designer who works with movement organizations and nonprofits working for racial, economic and social justice. At the heart of her work is a commitment to sharing the power of art and design and demystifying technical expertise. Abigail was thrilled to work on the design concept for the 2024 Gala, inspired by the beauty and energy of the soon-to-be-revealed mosaic and mural at Make the Road’s new Queens Community Center, and local wildflowers and medicinal plants. Abigail lives in Brooklyn with her partner and cat.

This year’s gala design is inspired by the mosaic in our new Queens Community Center, opened in April of 2025. The mosaic is a permanent tile installation on the great steps in the auditorium, visible from the street. At Make the Road NY, we understand and use art as a form of, and tool for, protest, expression, and healing. For the Queens Center, we established a task force of art curators and artists experienced public art and our community to create art that embodies Make the Road NY. The task force facilitated the selection of talented local artists to create the two original artworks in the auditorium; a mosaic by Street Theory / Marka 27, and mural by Parlante Visual. Artists developed the designs informed by community members; including symbols like butterflies and megaphones, renderings of our protests, and slogans including “Here to Stay.” Stop by the Queens Center to see the artwork for yourself!