Fill a bowl and feed the hungry. The Empty Bowls event attracted a lot of people today to purchase a ceramic bowl to help local food pantry program.
“Child Hunger exists in every county in the United States.” The child food insecurity rate for Onondaga County is 19.4%, or 20,720 children.” Feedingamerica.org
For some artists who made bowls for Empty Bowls, it’s not the first time they participate. Syracuse University ceramics graduate student Peter Smith says he is excited to see it happen again.
I think I just feel like I actually have an opportunity as an artist to give back in a special way. People get to experience by our work through charitable donation. I think that’s the essence of pottery. And it’s one of the best feelings you can have as an artist.
He feels he is making a difference in the community. Millie St. John is also a returning artist. She has been a part of the Empty Bowls events for many years. She says Clayscapes and SU Ceramics made about 1700 bowls this year.
You know it’s so much fun. I like the rhythm of doing multiples. So if you are doing bowls, it’s fairly meditated for me to make multiples. So it’s good for us as well as good for what we end up getting.
St. John also says they raised $22,000 last year.
Empty Bowls organizer Peter Beasecker says all of the proceeds will go directly to the Interreligious Food Consortium, which is a grassroots organization that provides food to 78 pantries in Onondaga County.
They provide a lot of can foods, particular emergency, dinners and some things of that nature. Last year we were able to raise enough money for them where it went to about 16,000 emergency pantry meals.
Beasecker says it’s getting bigger and bigger.
There are 14 restaurants donating soup for the event. Local artists, Clayscapes Pottery Inc. and Syracuse University staff and students from the school of art also donated their time and talent. This is the fifth year in a row Empty Bowls has been held at the Warehouse in Syracuse.
