Empty Bowls

A couple of years ago while on maternity leave, my long-term substitute did a project with my students that I am now putting into my regular curriculum. The project is known as Milwaukee Empty Bowls. Milwaukee Empty Bowls is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that uses art to heighten hunger awareness and raise funds that help food pantries and meal programs in Milwaukee. Each year, hand-made bowls are created and donated for their main fundraising event that takes place in October. 

At the time, Ms. Samolyk, my maternity substitute, had created bowls with my 6th graders to donate to the Empty Bowls event, so I decided to bring her back as a resident artist to help me run workshops with my current sixth grade students. We started last week draping slabs over molds borrowed from Murray Hill Pottery. Students could work individually or with a partner to create their bowls, adding texture and stamped patterns to the walls for added decoration. They learned how to roll a coil and add a foot through scoring and slipping the clay. By using underglaze, we were able to glaze the bowls in the leather hard/ bone dry stage before firing to help speed up the process. A clear coat was added to achieve the glossy finish before going into the kiln. It was great to have extra helping hands and the kids loved having another art teacher to learn from! The best benefit of this project, however, is that we were sharing our talents, through art, in order to help the hungry in our own community! 

Students are encourage to attend the Milwaukee Empty Bowls Annual Fundraiser on Sunday, October 6, 2013 f rom 12:00-4pm at the MSOE Kern Center on 1245 Broadway Ave. Please click the link for more information MilwaukeeEmptyBowl.org or check out the video below. (Look for pics of our USM students working on their bowls later this week! ) This is my first time attending the event, and I absolutely can't wait! I hope to see you there!!!