Room for Dessert?—a solo exhibition of paintings by CIA student Ashley Olszewski inspired by her personal journey and desire to improve how disordered eating is understood—seeks to create room for an open conversation about complex food relationships.

Room for Dessert? will open from 6 to 8pm Friday, June 19 at Cain Park's Feinberg Gallery (14591 Superior Road, Cleveland Heights). The exhibition will be on display through Sunday, August 2. Room for Dessert? is part of Bringing Light, a collaborative event that aims to bring awareness to underrepresented issues and includes Let the Hood Cry, a solo exhibition organized by fellow CIA student Tion "Toast" Best.

Struggling with concepts around food for most of her life, Olszewski found a healthy way of coping in high school. At 16, she was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and severe anxiety disorder. She had to start from the ground up and rebuild her relationship with food. Art became a coping mechanism for her to understand, explain and relate to others about her struggles.

Olszewski's self-discovery has continued at CIA, where through painting, she encapsulates the importance of knowing all kinds of relationships with food and how that can be a path to bringing awareness to those who are struggling.

Room for Dessert? was created through the Creativity works program, which is made possible by the generous support of the Fenn Educational Fund and the G.R. Lincoln Family Foundation. Creativity Works is a self-initiated internship program with the goal of supporting a student's professional development. Participating students create proposals that align with their long-term professional goals.

Image: Fruit Pastries, 2026

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