Staff photo / Andy Gray
Stephanie Sferra, a member of Trumbull Art Gallery’s board, holds up one of the Angels for Arts Education that Trumbull Art Gallery will sell during its annual Trees at the Gallery event.

This is the fifth year for Angels for Arts Education, a fundraiser started by Trumbull Art Gallery, 156 N. Park Ave., Warren. TAG board member Stephanie Sferra makes ceramic angels in the gallery’s clay studio that can be used as ornaments or gift tags. The angels are available for a minimum donation of $10, and all proceeds fund art education classes offered at the gallery and other locations.

Angels for Arts Education can be purchased during the gallery’s extended hours for its annual “Trees at the Gallery” holiday marketplace, which starts Thursday and runs through Jan. 3, 2026. It will feature displays by more than 20 local artists selling handcrafted items, including art, pottery, woodworking, jewelry and seasonal/holiday decor.

The idea for the angels came after the initial Trees at the Gallery show in 2020, Sferra said. The gallery still was recovering from the COVID-19 shutdowns and looking for a way to make its art classes more accessible.

Starting in the fall of 2021, Sferra made 100 angel ornaments using a plastic cookie cutter to cut the clay and coating it with a clear glaze. They quickly sold out, and she made a second batch of 100 and sold nearly all of those. The choice of an angel was inspired by the Angel Trees that are popular locally as a way to provide Christmas gifts for those in need during the holidays.

“We knew that there were people who could benefit from TAG’s classes, whether it be clay or art, but they didn’t have the money,” Sferra said. “It started with the kids. Sue (Senvissky) reached out to local teachers and found out about kids that could benefit from art, more than what they might be getting in school, but knew they couldn’t afford it.”

Since its start, the program has expanded beyond children. Senvissky saw how many adults were participating in the art activities TAG provides at the Warren Farmer’s Market, so the Angels for Art Education program also funds classes for adults. They’ve done arts programming for veterans groups, and Sferra said they also want to work with patients dealing with brain injuries.

“It gives people exposure to art that may not necessarily be able to afford it or even know about it,” Sferra said.

That plastic cookie cutter didn’t survive past the first year — a wing snapped off — so a friend sent Sferra a metal cookie cutter she’s used since 2022. The color changes annually.

“The second year, we didn’t want to use clear and we had a new Angel, so we did white opal,” Sferra said. “Then the third year we chose blue opal and last was pink opal.”

This year they are white with gold edging, and some past year’s angels still are available.

While the color may be consistent from year to year, Sferra uses a variety of tools to add different textures to the angels. Doilies, textured placemats and tools are among the items Sferra has used to make each angel distinctive.

The angels are available for as little as $10, but Sferra said they’ve received contributions as high as $250 to support the cause.

“It’s been a very successful program,” Sferra said. “It allows us to do community outreach and we can take our art programs on the road.”

If you go …

WHAT: “Trees at the Gallery” holiday marketplace

WHEN: Thursday through Jan. 3, 2026. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: Trumbull Art Gallery, 158 N. Park Ave., Warren

HOW MUCH: Angels for Arts Education are available for a minimum donation of $10 while supplies last. For more information, go to www.trumbullartgallery.com or call 330-395-4876.