Michelle Heinesen Turns Clay Into Community Impact

Michelle Heinesen (she/they), a pansexual Singaporean-Faroese ceramic artist, uses her craft skills to support Empty Bowls Houston. Now entering its 20th year, Empty Bowls is dedicated to integrating the work of local ceramicists and other artists to further a worthy cause.

With an event in Houston on May 16, Empty Bowls is an international effort to fight hunger. In Houston, it benefits the Houston Food Bank. So far, the organization has raised over $1.2 million, which equates to more than 3.6 million meals. Attendees at the Houston event can browse among roughly 1,500 bowls, handmade by Houston artists, that are all available to purchase for $25 each.

“I thought it was a really good way to give back to the community and also give myself a challenge every year. It’s an opportunity for experimentation. It feels good to think that the thing I’m kind of good at is actually able to make this much impact,” Heinesen says.

The cause that Empty Bowls supports is one that hits home for Heinesen, as she knows how it feels to be food-insecure. With her father out of the picture at a young age, Heinesen and her mother had to stick together in whatever way they could. She recalls many instances in which she had to spend time at home alone as her mother became the sole provider. Heinesen also had to learn how to stretch a dollar when shopping for groceries. “Sometimes I would save my lunch money, and after school I would go to the store to see if I could get something to jazz up our evening meal. Very often, I was doing the cooking because my mother would be working quite late.”

Heinesen’s creativity started to flourish in her teenage years, during an apprenticeship at a local pottery shop while she was still in Singapore. She then studied fine arts at LaSalle College of the Arts. Even though support for the arts in Singapore was not strong, Heinesen did not let the environment deter her from pursuing her passion. If anything, she claims, “the more I was told No, the more I wanted to do it.”

Heinesen moved to the United States in 2013 and further developed her artistry by working at a ceramic store and eventually helping to establish PotClubHTX. What started as a bit of a joke between a few artists has now become a full-fledged studio focusing on accessibility and inclusivity.

Within PotClub, there is a community-oriented approach to art that accommodates each artist’s needs by offering reasonable prices for the use of equipment, utilizing a barter system so artists can repay a service with artwork, and offering multilingual instructors.

PotClub has created a welcoming and safe space within the Houston art community, and Heinesen attests to its importance. “The majority of local studios are clay spaces, and they represent somebody who is not like me,” she explains. “I wanted to have a space where people like me could feel safe to talk about what they want in their work and their experience, and not have to think twice about it.” PotClub’s work is well represented at Empty Bowls Houston and at the Heartmade Art Market. They also host Queer Clay Friday Nights, which is open to beginners with supplies provided.

What: 20th annual Empty Bowls Houston, benefiting the Houston Food Bank
When: Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Where: Silver Street Studios at Sawyer Yards, 2000 Edwards St.
INFO: tinyurl.com/20EmptyBowls