GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Emerge Art Gallery has debuted a new art installation centering around food.

Food from the HeART is a project that was made by Brandon Qualls of Ford & Shep, Deborah Sheppard of HeARToscope, and Holly Garriott and Paula Rountree of Emerge Gallery & Art Center. The art piece is a refrigerator with perishable foods inside that is accessible to the community.

“Nicole and I are humbled by the support for the Food from the HeART Project. We are grateful for the generosity and partnership with ECU Health. We are hopeful that this project will continue to grow into other local schools to help combat the rising rates of food insecurity in Pitt County.” said Brandon Qualls.

Brandon and Nicole Qualls were donors to the project along with the ECU Health Foundation.

“Food from the HeART is a great example of how businesses and individuals pooling their resources together, can truly make a difference. By making fresh food more accessible to those in need, Food from the HeART will help to improve the overall health of our neighbors,” said Kahla Hall with the ECU Health Foundation.

The installation is at South Greenville Elementary School and is available for students and their families to use whenever they need to. The artwork was designed by the Chair of the Black Creatives in Pitt County, Paula Jordan-Mayo.

The Principal of South Greenville Elementary School, Allison Covington, said, “It is amazing what the power of community can do. We are grateful for our community members coming together to support the students and families of South Greenville. The Food from the HeART project will make a positive impact on our community as we continue to tackle food insecurity. We are incredibly grateful!”