In this case, you can have your cake and eat it, too. 

The second annual Artstravaganza at the Richmond Art Center on Wednesday, May 20, featured artwork across all disciplines, including several collaborative projects where cake was a recurring theme.  

Sculpture I students exhibited the wearable sculptures they created, inspired by contemporary artist Nick Cave and his famous Soundsuits, which are intended to transform the identities of those who wear them, obstructing bias on the basis of race, gender, and class. 

Graphic design students showed the cake toppers and original cakes they had designed to complement the Sculpture I Soundsuits, and ceramics students exhibit their cake plates, on top of whiuch sat the cakes. 

On display, too, were student self-portraits, accordion books created by Drawing I students, and works from Painting, College-Level Art, and Printmaking classes. An extravaganza for the eyes for sure.     

Junior Joy Smith was the emcee of the event, featuring a parade of the Soundsuits and cakes. 

“Welcome, everybody, to Artstravaganza 2026,” Joy said, “where somehow the Graphic Design students were trusted with cake, frosting, and artistic freedom all at the same time. ... you’ll see what happens when Sculpture I students create Soundsuits and Graphic design students say, ‘Yeah ... we can turn that into a dessert.” 

People wearing the Soundsuits walked down the hallway — a runway if you will — as Joy introduced the cake designers, who spoke about their projects. As freshman Eva Gonzalez stepped up to the microphone, Joy said Eva managed somehow to turn the entire planet Earth into a cake. “So basically if National Geographic opened a bakery,” she quipped. When sophomore Tonnam Jongcharoensiri stepped up, Joy said her collaboration “focused on coral, fish, and the sea, bringing underwater life into cake form, which is impressive because most of us struggle just keeping goldfish alive.”  

After each cake was described and each person wearing the corresponding Soundsuit completed their gallery walk, the cakes were brought to a table and cut. That indeed was the icing on the cake for this day.