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Through sales of community-created ceramic bowls, Bella Danahy-Levine ’26, Bennett Sonnenburg ’26 and Caitlyn Berry ’28, in collaboration with Ms. Mestyan and MISH, raised close to $900 for Feeding Westchester, a local food bank.

Art With Heart Connects to School’s Mission

5/6/2026

The colorful bowls and artistic notecards on display drew community members in, not just for their eye-catching designs, but for the powerful message behind the event.

View a Photo Gallery of the Art Feeds You Exhibition

Last week’s Art Feeds You exhibition opening in the Wenberg Gallery in the Fonseca Center featured handmade pottery and notecards, created by students and members of the Masters community, for sale to support Feeding Westchester, a county food bank that fights food insecurity for those in need.

According to Rachel Langosch, chair of the Visual Arts Department, and Stephanie Mestyan, upper school visual arts teacher, the fundraising art exhibition had been in the works since last summer. Inspired by the work of the Empty Bowls Foundation, a global initiative that supports food-related charitable organizations, ceramics students Bella Danahy-Levine ’26, Bennett Sonnenburg ’26 and Caitlyn Berry ’28 helped organize the event.

“It started with me and my friend Bella,” Sonnenberg explained. “We both have been doing ceramics at Masters for a while. We've had many bowls piling up in our houses, and we were wondering, ‘How can we use this as a power for good?’ So we brought in Caitlyn this year and got together with Ms. Mestyan and MISH.”

In March, the students invited community members to the Ceramics Studio to help make bowls, and then in April, people were asked to help glaze the pieces. From the bowls and notecards on sale at the exhibition opening, the students raised close to $900 for Feeding Westchester.

Mestyan found great joy in the entire journey. “The idea of people living with art is really important to me,” she said. “Having it be something that's as approachable as ceramics, especially a bowl, and the symbolism of serving someone else is very meaningful.”

Sonnenberg admitted to being a bit nervous before the event because he “worked all year to create these bowls.” He asked himself, “Are they good enough? Is anyone going to want them?” but “after seeing all the people there, showing interest, it has meant the world to me, Bella and Caitlin.”

Mestyan is excited for the creative collaboration to come: “It was great to see people come to the glaze night and the bowl making night, and I'm hoping to have more of that next year, maybe even a weekend event because it's just a very powerful thing…and fun!”