A thousand "Empty Bowls" for charity

University of Southern Indiana ceramics students have worked with volunteers from across the University and throughout the community to create one thousand ceramic bowls for the third annual Empty Bowls Evansville, a charity event to be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, November 8, at Kirby's Private Dining, 1119 Parrett St. in the Haynie's Corner Arts District. 

Purchase a handmade ceramic bowl for $10, and the bowl will be filled with soup and bread provided by Twilight Bistro, Woodbine, Perfectly Fresh and Kirby's. Several types of soup will be available. The bowl is yours to take home after the event. Beverages will be provided by Tropicana Evansville.

USI ceramics students began making bowls for the event at the beginning of the fall 2014 semester, and have taught the art to USI employees; Girl Scout troops; high school students from Bosse, North, Central, the Academy for Innovative Studies and North Posey; and employees from Deaconess Hospital and the City of Evansville, among others.

"Ceramics classes are classified as Service Learning courses in the fall, which opens up the courses to focus on service as well as ceramics," said Alisa "Al" Holen, associate professor of ceramics and organizer of the event. "USI Students have been teaching and learning as groups come into the Dowhie Ceramics Studio at USI to make bowls. After the bowls are made, USI ceramics students trim and sign each bowl with the maker's name. They then bisque-fire the bowls, glaze the bowls and glaze-fire the bowls in the electric, gas, and salt kilns." 

All of the proceeds benefit United Caring Services of Evansville and Aurora, Inc.

Empty Bowls is a national nonprofit organization that lends its name to any organization willing to raise funds to combat hunger by making and selling ceramic bowls. Empty Bowls Evansville is sponsored by the USI Art Department.

This year's event also will include a silent auction of pottery by David Rodenberg, Tom Wintczak, Lenny Dowhie, Matt Wargel and Holen. Proceeds will benefit a nutrition program at a school in Ghana, West Africa.