An empty bowl…empty, yet filled to the brim and overflowing. Sound impossible? Not so, if you understand the empty bowl is actually “Empty Bowls,” an annual project which is filled to the brim and overflowing with purpose, service opportunities, and the ability to breed creativity in persons of any age who are ready to take on the challenge.
Empty Bowls began in 1990 as a fundraiser for a local food drive in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Art students were inspired to create ceramic bowls which would be auctioned to raise money for the drive. Since that time, Empty Bowls has become a nonprofit organization raising millions of dollars to feed the hungry and has launched fundraisers in schools and organizations across the country.
The Wynne Home Arts & Visitor Center has sponsored this project each year for the past several years with abundant results, and again this year offers the community the opportunity to get involved in this very worthy endeavor. According to Sarah Faulkner (Cultural Services Manager) and Angela Robinson (Event Coordinator), those who have participated in past years have returned again and again to enjoy the entire process from start to finish.
The first step in the project involves the creation of a ceramic bowl. This seems daunting to the unskilled, but that concern has been addressed by providing instructors who can guide the most timid of “wanna-be” artists in the making of a pottery bowl from start to finish–and the results have been astounding! First-time participants from ages 5 through 82 and older have been elated with their accomplishments, with many returning each year to craft another unique, one-of-a-kind masterpiece! And this year, thanks to Senior Center of Walker County Board member Linda McKenzie, residents of the Center had the opportunity to decorate bowls for this event. Although the bowl preparation portion of the project has already taken place for the March 2023 event, Angela invites the public to check the website this coming fall for class times to create a bowl for next year’s event. The bowls are crafted in November and December each year, with the actual event occurring around March. Cork & Canvas, a local paint and pottery studio located at 1109 12th Street in Huntsville, partners with The Wynne Home in providing bowls for painting and glazing.
What do the finished bowls look like? They are fashioned in all shapes and sizes, colors and designs, from plain to fanciful, only limited by the skill and imagination of the artist. And there are few limitations, as you will see once you lay eyes on these (more than 200) works of art! The bowls are now ready, and we move on to the next phase of the project.
It is time to explore service opportunities, and there are several ways citizens and local businesses can get involved. The Empty Bowls event will take place at The Wynne Home Arts & Visitors Center on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. For a suggested donation of $15, the public is invited to come and enjoy a light lunch of soup, accompanied by trays of sandwiches, fruits, and vegetables. HEB and other businesses have been generous in providing funds for the purchase of menu items, and the Culinary Arts Program of Huntsville High School prepares and donates soup for the event. In fact, this soup has been a crowd-pleaser every year and, according to Sarah and Angela, it goes fast–so come early! While consuming these delicious meal offerings, participants are invited to purchase one of the newly created masterpieces or to simply donate toward the fundraising goal. Those who made a bowl have the first option to buy their own piece or can donate it for purchase. A silent auction is held for ceramic pieces that have been created by local artists for this event.
According to Angela, help is needed in the following ways:
Volunteers are needed to make this event a success. Please contact Angela to see how you can serve.
Bowls have been made, lunch has been enjoyed, funds have been raised, and now the question is, who benefits from this worthwhile endeavor? All funds raised through our local Empty Bowls project benefit the Senior Center of Walker County to support the Meals on Wheels program. This program provides meals to senior citizens in the community, either served daily at the Senior Center or delivered to those who are homebound and in need of this service. According to Stacey Loll, Executive Director of the Senior Center, approximately 50,000 meals are provided annually by Meals on Wheels through the gracious gift of time and effort by more than 96 volunteers. As she shares, “It is a tremendous task that meets a crucial need in our community. We are grateful for the contribution the Empty Bowls project provides toward this end.”
So, as you see, an empty bowl can most certainly be filled to the brim and overflowing, touching lives in many ways. Local artists volunteer their time and expertise; young and old alike are inspired to learn a new skill and create a unique work of art; those who enjoy serving others are provided with opportunities to do so; and the hungry are fed. This is the proverbial win-win situation. This provides an opportunity to get involved in a worthy cause that benefits Huntsville and Walker County.
The Wynne Home Arts & Visitor Center is pleased to host the Empty Bowls event each year, as well as the many other educational workshops and courses that it offers, free to the public, throughout the year. Course descriptions and schedules are available on their website and Facebook page. The Wynne Home staff and volunteers look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the Empty Bowls event from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Let your kindness overflow with a generous donation to help our senior citizens.
The Wynne Home Arts & Visitor Center
1428 11th Street Huntsville, TX 77340
936-291-5424
www.thewynnehome.com
arobinson@huntsvilletx.gov
https://www.facebook.com/TheWynneHomeArtsCenter
Senior Center of Walker County
Stacey Loll, Executive Director
936-295-6151
Postcards Magazine
936-293-1188
PO Box 690
Huntsville, TX 77342
