Empty Bowls celebrates 20 years of food, community, pottery

IF YOU GO Empty Bowls marks its 20th anniversary this year on Friday, May 10. The event will be held outside at the Carleton College campus Bald Spot, behind Skinner Chapel unless inclement weather forces a move inside the Great Hall. Empty Bowls begins at 11:30 a.m. and runs until 1:15 p.m. A suggested donation of $25 includes soup and a take home bowl. All proceeds are directed to Northfield’s Community Action Center Food Shelf. For more information, visit the Carleton College website. ba2daee8-e9a8-4d09-867d-55c9f2284a55

The familiar adage, “More hands make lighter work,” may also apply to the concept behind Empty Bowls.

For the last 19 years, Carleton College has hosted the Empty Bowls fundraiser on campus, in partnership with Northfield Community Action Center (CAC) Food Shelf. That partnership has raised more than $127,000.

To mark the 20th anniversary this year, Empty Bowls happens on Friday, May 10 outside at the campus Bald Spot, behind Skinner Chapel. Empty Bowls organizers hope to raise an additional $20,000 at the milestone event, which begins at 11:30 a.m. after Jill Conklin delivers the Convo address entitled “Food for Soul.” In the event of inclement weather, the fundraiser will be moved indoors to the Great Hall.

Kelly Connole, professor of art at Carleton, remembers her students made 70 bowls that were filled with soup for the first Empty Bowls event in 2004, which raised $700. The following year, the timing of the event was moved to follow a Friday Convocation, as well as to provide an outdoor picnic for participants.

Connole said her students have been making bowls for the event since last fall. Each one is touched by many hands, since the process begins with kneading the raw clay, to throwing the pot on the wheel. After allowing for time to dry, the bowl is then trimmed and the base is stamped, before putting it into the kiln to be fired. The final steps after firing require creativity and artistry; adding a unique design and glazing the finished product.

Each bowl takes about two weeks to make.

“Students get to see their labor is appreciated,” said Connole. “They get to use their skills to do something great in the world.”

This year, she said 30 pots of different soups will be available to attendees. The suggested donation is $25 for soup and a handmade bowl to take home. soups are donated by student groups, staff and with campus caterers Bon Appetit.

Grace Malooly, a junior from Salt Lake City, Utah who is majoring in psychology and art studio, said she loves being part of such a community effort. “We all had a part in each bowl,” she said as she kneaded a ball of clay to remove the air bubbles.

“The lessons that come out of Empty Bowls stick with you for a while,” said Connole. “It’s the idea that as a community you are all stronger and better when you gather together. That letting go of the goal of perfectionism allows you to grow in ways you wouldn’t have otherwise. That’s what ceramics does so beautifully too.”

Emily Seru, associate director for academic civic engagement and scholarship at Carleton College, explained that she has been working with Connole to tell the story of the whole class learning and process as well as an Academic Civic Engagement course.

Rather than simply focus on the one-day big event, Seru said she wants the public to know about the “very intentional work and learning and deliberate and mutually beneficial community partnership.”

Michael Pursell, Food Access Program Director, Community Action Center said the Empty Bowls event is really special because it’s a unique collaboration that both raises funds and raises the profile of the huge need that exists in our community.

“The whole county, state and country are experiencing a historic surge in hunger right now, so as Empty Bowls enters its third decade its impact has never been more important,” said Pursell. “CAC’s food shelves in Northfield and Faribault are now serving more than a thousand families every week, which is more than double this time in 2022.”

Anika Rychner, senior director, Community Action Center, said the annual event brings art and community together while simultaneously giving people a chance to stand in solidarity with their neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity.

“Having community partners pour so much energy into each beautifully hand-crafted bowl and create an event we all look forward to means the world to CAC and to those we serve,” said Rychner.