The Heckscher Museum will be collecting non-perishable food donations for the run of the exhibition Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at The Heckscher Museum, March 29 to May 3. The donations will go to Long Island Cares, the Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank.
The campaign was inspired by the work of Hicksville High School artist Pooja Shah, a 12th grade student exhibiting in LIBest 2026. Her work, Giving Back is Rewarding, is interactive and functions as a donation box. The Museum encourages all visitors to support this worthy community effort.
Drawing inspiration from Emma Stebbins’s Bethesda Fountain, Shah’s artist statement noted: “I was inspired to consider themes of protection, healing and community…I created a sculpture depicting a community impacted by poverty, inequity, and insecurity. In the center of the community stands a food pantry, serving as a beacon of hope and representative of a collective desire to help one another. My collection box artwork serves as a call to action, asking viewers to make a food donation.”
