Young Patrons Of The Apollo Celebrated The Arts In Sag Harbor 

At the cusp of August, a new generation of Apollo Theater supporters gathered in Sag Harbor for a summer soirée. The evening celebrated the storied cultural institution, with proceeds benefiting the Apollo’s ongoing work to uplift Black artists and creatives. The event was hosted by a dynamic group of young patrons—Ashley Oden, Veronica Graves, Kenneth Chenault II, Sophia Dennis, Maley Pavlin, Charles Phillips III, D’Aundre Getachew and Olivia Heard—who all came together to champion the Apollo’s enduring legacy and its commitment to the next generation of Black talent.

The afternoon began at the Graves residence, a home built more than 50 years ago by co-chair Veronica Graves’ grandfather. Guests then continued to the Oden residence, where co-chair Ashley Oden spent summers after her family purchased their Sag Harbor home nearly two decades ago.

The gathering brought together a dynamic group of young art patrons and professionals, with attendees working across industries from Google and Meta to JPMorgan and beyond. United by a shared commitment to preserving and advancing Black culture, the group came together to support the Apollo Theater and its enduring legacy.

“The Apollo was originally built as a sanctuary to protect, elevate, and amplify Black creatives,” Oden, a co-chair and product manager at Google, tells ESSENCE. “In an era where Black spaces, histories, and voices face renewed opposition, institutions like the Apollo are not just historic landmarks—they are vital cultural anchors. For our generation, supporting these institutions isn’t just about preserving memory; it’s an active investment in our future.”

The connection between the Apollo and Sag Harbor runs deep. Graves shared that her family first hosted the Apollo in the Hamptons cocktail hour more than 50 years ago. Both have long served as important spaces of Black history, community and refuge.

“Sag Harbor is one of the few Black beaches and Black safe havens in the country,” Graves says. For her, the evening was an opportunity to celebrate the parallel histories of Sag Harbor and the Apollo while building excitement for their continued futures within the Black community.

Attendees danced the afternoon away, trading conversations about the future of the Apollo Theater over cocktails as fitting for the summer weather. For many of the young patrons in attendance, the gathering marked an early step into philanthropy, offering a chance to connect their professional lives with the cultural causes they care about most. As they begin to define their own paths beyond the workplace, supporting institutions like the Apollo is becoming an increasingly meaningful part of that journey.

“Culture is the most valuable commodity, whether it is commodified or not,” says Sophia Dennis, a co-chair of the event and Beautycon lead. “Having a space to create, showcase, and preserve culture is paramount, and my generation has the resources and knowledge to both participate in and enhance that.”