The University of Maine at Presque Isle and Wintergreen Arts Center are teaming up to present another round of Empty Bowls—a fundraiser that offers up hand-crafted ceramic bowls and soup to fight hunger on a local scale—and are asking people to bring their love of art and their appetite. The event, which returned last year after a seven-year hiatus, will take place on Friday, April 10, 5-7 p.m. at Wintergreen Arts Center in the Aroostook Centre Mall. Organizers are looking for volunteers to help with day-of activities; if interested, please fill out this online volunteer form.
Empty Bowls is the only fundraiser of its kind for northern Maine, with participants helping to feed local residents in need with every bowl purchased. A unique component of the event is that participants also get to enjoy cups of donated locally made soup as a symbol of gratitude for their support. This year’s event is expected to feature 200 unique hand-made bowls and 10 handcrafted soups. As always, bowls will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Grace Interfaith Food Table (GIFT) as well as Wintergreen’s arts programming.
Planning efforts are being led by Dylan Ouellette, UMPI Ceramics Instructor and Wintergreen board member, and Gretchen Violette, Wintergreen board member. Ouellette’s beginning wheel-throwing ceramics class, as well as some of his intermediate/advanced ceramics students, are helping to make the bowls.
“Having the ability to put together an event like this in our rural community is incredible,” Ouellette said. “Sharing craft, building relationships, and giving back are at the heart of this grassroots movement. We have the privilege of making art for a cause, and seeing students and artists come together in this way is truly powerful.”
Violette is taking the lead on event logistics, including volunteer and food coordination.
“As we prepare for another Empty Bowls event, my enthusiasm exceeds that of last year!” Violette said. “Although the event is small in scale, the impact on our community is significant. Not only do proceeds support those within our community facing food insecurity but the opportunity for artists to share their creativity and expertise brings a deeper meaning to the event’s success.”
Prior to last year’s event, Empty Bowls was last held in Presque Isle in 2018, when then UMPI Art faculty member Hyrum Benson led the effort. He had participated in Empty Bowls events before moving to Maine and decided to bring the concept to the area. Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger and was originally created by The Imagine Render Group, according to the organization’s website. The basic premise is simple: Potters and other craftspeople, educators, and others work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. A portion of the proceeds is designated to benefit organizations working to end hunger and food insecurity.
For more information about Empty Bowls, contact Dylan Ouellette at dylan.m.ouellette@maine.edu or Gretchen Violette at gviolette1@hotmail.com. Details are also available on the Facebook event page.