Rabani Bajaj, a 16-year-old high school student at Saint Mary’s Hall, has volunteered at the San Antonio Food Bank along with her parents since first grade.
Last year the ambitious teen formed a nonprofit organization called Seva-Art to encourage fellow students to donate art for an annual exhibition and sale to benefit the food bank.
After a successful first run, Seva-Art returns on Friday evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a sale of more than 200 student artworks in the Pearl’s Full Goods building.
Serving her community
The idea for an art sale formed during the pandemic, when the Bajaj family and other area families made more than 30,000 sandwiches for the food bank. She found her passion and commitment stronger than ever and, with her parents, decided to combine her love of art and commitment to community service in Seva-Art.
“It really bridged my sense of community and art together,” Bajaj said. A main tenet of her Sikh religion is serving one’s community, reflected in the name she chose for her nonprofit.
“Seva means selfless service in Punjabi,” Bajaj said.
Seva-Art sends invitations to middle and high schools throughout the San Antonio area, with the dual goal of encouraging creativity and generosity. Each student may donate up to three two-dimensional artworks and set their prices between $100 and $400, with half of each sale going to the food bank.
For last year’s event, 42 students exhibited 73 artworks, helping to raise more than $7,500 in donations, which equates to more than 52,000 meals.
San Antonio Food Bank CEO Eric Cooper spoke at last year’s event at the Contemporary at Blue Star, and said he looks forward to participating again. “When we see young people stepping up, leading, serving, it’s incredibly inspiring,” he said.
Seva-Art “not only gives Bajaj a vehicle to lead and to serve, but it gives these young artists a way to use their talents and impact a serious social issue,” Cooper said. “It really is a testament that there’s room at the table for everyone to fight hunger.”
From art to meals
Bajaj said her project is growing dramatically in its second year, with 142 students from 46 schools exhibiting 220 artworks including photography, oil paintings and drawings.
The student artists may choose what artworks to include, keeping in mind this year’s theme of connections, Bajaj said, “however they want to interpret that.”
She first met Cooper in third grade when he spoke at her Sunday school, then later when she volunteered at the food bank. “I saw it kind of bond my community to help another community,” she said, and she envisions the Seva-Art mission as “community builds community.”
Cooper said he appreciates not only the Sikh philosophy of moving from selfishness to selflessness but also the notion that the creative impulse can serve the wider community.
“The students have created art that ultimately will create meals. And it’s all nourishment, whether of spirit and mind from the art exhibit or the actual meals that will be produced from the fundraising,” he said.
“When selflessness is modeled at such a young age, I’m inspired for the future, and know that our future will be okay with young people like Rabani.”
