Art Night 2K25 raises an unprecedented $164,960 for WPA and local arts

Hosted in partnership with Washington Project for the Arts (WPA), Art Night has raised over $2 million in its 25-year history

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2025—This October, Hickok Cole celebrated the 25th anniversary of its annual Art Night, welcoming a full house to its Union Market District headquarters and raising a record-breaking $164,960 supporting Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) and the local artist community. Over 500 artists, collectors, and members of the DC real estate community gathered on the evening of October 16 to mark the launch of the Art Night 2K25 gallery.

The week-long Art Night 2K25 gallery was available both virtually and in-person, enabling Hickok Cole’s online network to participate in the event. The 2K25 collection, curated by the vetted team at WPA, showcased over 240 works by more than 110 local artists across various media and price points. Particular focus was given to highlighting resident artists from the neighborhoods surrounding Hickok Cole’s offices, including NoMa, the Union Market District, Gallaudet University, and Richmond, VA. As always, 100% of sales proceeds are split equally between each artist and WPA.

This was also a milestone year for WPA, celebrating 50 years since its founding in 1975. WPA is DC’s longest-running alternative contemporary arts organization, providing artists with opportunities to expand their practices, collaborate, and experiment without absorbing additional financial burdens.

“There’s nothing quite like seeing our space come alive with art,” said Senior Principal Yolanda Cole. “Art Night truly embodies everything we value at Hickok Cole: collaboration, creativity, and connection. We’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with WPA and the community that makes this event such a vibrant success.”

“Art Night has grown beyond what we ever imagined,” said Emeritus Principal Mike Hickok, a driving force in creating Art Night. “Over the past 25 years, Art Night has remained one of our proudest traditions. This year, we broke our all-time fundraising record for WPA, which goes to show how important the arts are to this community.”

Art Night is made possible through the support of sponsors—Art Devils, Art Angels, and Art Cherubs—pre-committing to purchase artwork for a collective contribution of $115,000.

This year’s 25th anniversary campaign looked back to the turn of the century, from Y2K to 2K25. The collection embraced bold materials, unapologetic aesthetics, and expressive themes. Hickok Cole Creative designed and developed all promotional materials and event signage, evoking nostalgia with digital biophilia and pixelated motifs. A month-long social media campaign with exclusive art previews helped promote the online gallery and facilitate direct connection and engagement with participating artists and their works.

For Art Night’s silver anniversary, two immersive, themed rooms for the night of the event were imagined and implemented by Hickok Cole Creative and the interior design team. ‘The Lounge’ provided a space to sit down and learn more about WPA’s history, while under moody, colorful lighting. Hints of Y2K were sprinkled in, such as CDs for coasters, iridescent acrylic furniture, and a bubblegum pink lip-shaped corded phone. The main seating area was kindly furnished by MOI. ‘The Reflection Room’ was blanketed from top to bottom in holographic, reflective material. A monitor and keyboard prompted guests with different questions, asking to share what art means to them, what art makes them feel, and more, providing the chance to interact and see what others had said.

Interested in joining our heavenly host of sponsors for Art Night 2026? Connect with us to learn more.

About Hickok Cole 
Hickok Cole is a forward-focused design practice connecting bold ideas, diverse expertise, and partners with vision to do work that matters. Informed by research and fueled by creative rigor, Hickok Cole looks beyond today’s trends to help its clients embrace tomorrow’s opportunities.

About Washington Project for the Arts 
Washington Project for the Arts (WPA) is a not-for-profit visual arts organization that supports artist-driven projects, advocacy, and dialogue so that artists can live, work, and flourish.