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Volume 38 Issue 3
October 3, 2000

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Art students reach out to the hungry

BY KARA WIREMAN
MESA LEGEND
Submitted October 3, 2000

The Empty Bowl, an annual nationwide event held by potters to help feed the needy and the homeless, is again returning to MCC.

The Empty Bowl has taken place in Mesa for the last 15 years, first at the Mesa Art Center, then at Mesa Community College. For the last four years, the event has been a combined effort between the two facilities.

There are over 2,000 ceramic bowls made for the event.  The potters include intermediate and advanced ceramics students, faculty and staff from both locations.

“It’s a great way to see art at the community level,” said Beth Shook, MCC ceramics instructor. The bowls that are on display are also available for purchase.

“Many people buy several and use them as Christmas presents,” said Linda Speranza, Empty Bowl coordinator and MCC ceramics instructor.

The bowls sell for $8, which includes a meal ticket for bread and soup. 

Bob Estrin/MESA LEGEND

MCC art student Ron Graham creates one of the 'empty bowls' to be sold at this year's Empty Bowl event.

“The meal is simple and low calorie,” Speranza said. “To help remind people of the hungry and the minimum calorie meals that they eat.”

The last time the event was held at MCC, $12,000 was collected. All of the money goes to Paz de Cristo, a non-profit East Valley organization of 28 churches.

Paz de Cristo feeds over 200 people a day, as well as providing other resources that make the lives of the needy a little easier.

The event also commemorates World Hunger Day on Oct. 13. Along with the selling of the bowls, there will also be a silent auction of art pieces made by local professional artists.

“It’s a great thing,” said advanced ceramics student Ron Graham, who has been involved with the Empty Bowl for two years and will be contributing over 500 bowls to this year’s Empty Bowl. “It improves the college’s standing with the community and helps the hungry,” Graham said.

Advanced ceramics student Sarah Brodie is in her fourth year with the Empty Bowl and continues to enjoy it. “It’s a really good way to contribute to charity by using and practicing your skills, because the process is almost as important as the product,” Brodie said.

The Empty Bowl will take place Thursday, Oct. 5, from 11 a.m to 2:30 p.m. in the Navajo Room.

There will also be a silent auction of various art pieces at the event. For more information, call (480) 461-7534.

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