Empty Bowls event at East Elementary School in Waukon teaches valuable lessons to local youth, raises money for area food pantries
Empty Bowls project benefits Allamakee County Food Shelf ... Third through fifth grade art students under the guidance of instructor Emily Timm at East Elementary School in Waukon hosted an Empty Bowls event April 30 as a service project to help raise money for area food pantries while utilizing art created by the students on new pottery equipment funded by a McElroy Grant. The event helped raise a total of $713, with $513 of that amount being donated to the Allamakee County Food Shelf in Waukon. Pictured above at that donation presentation are: Left to right - Front row: Art instructor Emily Timm, student Emery Winter, Monica Roderick of the Allamakee County Food Shelf, and students Karsyn Miner and Dylan Miner; Back row: Students Cameron Buhl, Sutton Streeper and Cooper Hawes. Submitted photo.
Pottery with a greater purpose ... Bowls created by third through fifth grade students in the art classes taught by instructor Emily Timm at East Elementary School in Waukon were on display as part of the Empty Bowls event the students hosted April 30 as a service project to help raise money for area food pantries. The bowls were created by the students on new pottery equipment funded by a McElroy Grant, with that Empty Bowls event raising a total of $713 that benefited both the Allamakee County Food Shelf in Waukon and the Decorah Food Pantry that also helps feed Allamakee County residents. Submitted photo.
The Empty Bowls event was held at East Elementary School in Waukon Thursday, April 30 from 5-7 p.m. It was hosted by the third through fifth grade art students as a service project to raise money for local food banks, using new pottery equipment generously funded by the McElroy Grant.
Elementary art teacher Emily Shannon Timm applied for the grant last fall and was chosen as a recipient this spring. Through the Empty Bowls project, students raised $513 for the Allamakee County Food Shelf and $200 for the Decorah Food Pantry (30% of the Decorah Food Pantry clientele is from Allamakee County.) Students raised $713 in all.
Empty Bowls events, held nationwide, are soup suppers with handmade bowls, filling the empty bowls of those without enough to eat in the local community. Each guest buys a ticket, chooses a handmade bowl and enjoys a variety of soups.
In order to create the bowls for this service project, the McElroy Grant purchased one new electric pottery wheel and hand building/banding wheels for each student at East Elementary School in Waukon. All bowls for the event were made by the school community.
Each event chooses one bowl to be photographed and sent to the national Empty Bowls organization to be included in a book called 1,000 Bowls. Nate Evans, a local ceramic artist, judged this event and chose the bowl to be photographed. A beautiful ceramic bowl created by fourth grader Joslyn Bernau was chosen.
Timm taught students beginning wheel throwing techniques and how to hand build a symmetrical soup bowl on the banding wheel. Students also learned to use the banding wheels to paint stripes and designs on their bowls with food-safe glazes. The project challenged students by asking them to learn higher level pottery skills, retain information independently, problem solve during a multi-step process and use creativity. There were a multitude of colorful, creative, beautiful bowls at the event. Many people exclaimed over how wonderful it was to see all the students’ hard work and beautiful bowls laid out on the tables together.
In addition to ceramic skills, students learned about planning an event, working under a deadline as a professional artist, and the positive impact of giving back to one’s community. All students helped make this event possible in various ways, through the making of their bowls. But they also helped to an even greater degree with unloading the kiln, recycling clay, making tissue paper flower arrangements, making signs and labels, hanging flyers, and attending/helping with the event itself.
Teachers and parents volunteered as well. A group volunteered to set up, serve soup and clean up the event. Many parents and teachers made soups that were enjoyed by all. The donated soups were so delicious one person tried all 14 and a few people commented on how nice it was to have warm soup after coming from the chilly track meet also scheduled for that same evening.
At the Empty Bowls event there was lively conversation and laughter as people enjoyed eating together, tasting soups and celebrating the students’ efforts. The students are to be commended for conducting such an excellent community event and appreciation is expressed to all the parents and school staff who volunteered their time and talents.
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