Ceramics students find creative way to fight hunger

How can an empty bowl help fight hunger?

If the bowl was made and donated by students in Leslie Ferst?s Advanced Ceramics class, it was one of nearly 1,700 contributed by area potters to the annual Empty Bowls soup fest, held Oct. 7 at Troy?s Italian American Community Club (IACC).

The event, now in its third year, raised nearly $21,000 for 11 food banks and pantries in the city of Troy. Each will receive a check for $1,908 on Monday, Oct. 29.

Empty Bowls is a national initiative in which people are encouraged to purchase a bowl of soup to support food pantries in their area. The bowls are donated by artists and become the property of the purchasers, who are urged to remember the hungry whenever they use the bowl.

Locally, Barbara Reeley, owner of River Street Pottery in Troy, launched Empty Bowls three years ago. Said Reeley, ?Every community has hunger, and it gets more obvious in the fall of the year.? Reeley?s husband, Dennis Smith, supplies clay to a number of artists and schools in the region. Word of the project spread quickly and many agreed to donate one or more bowls to the events, which are held in October, World Hunger Month.

Ferst introduced the idea to her students last year. Encouraged by their response, she assigned ?making bowls? to her advanced students at their first class this fall. ?It breaks the ice and helps to jump start the semester,? she said. Bowls and cylinders are the two basic shapes in ceramics, Ferst explained. The assignment gives students a chance to consider both form and function as they execute their ideas on the potter?s wheel.

Said Ferst, ?I told them to create bowls and suggested that they each do 20. I asked them not to concentrate on the details. I wanted the rhythm of throwing the shapes on the wheel to control the process, allowing the details to emerge. But the students wanted their bowls to be as good as possible every time, so I softened the assignment and let them focus more on details.?

The 10 students in this year?s class responded enthusiastically to the challenge, contributing approximately 200 bowls of every size and color. Some were inspired by the cause, such as Amy Flaherty ?09, an art major from Latham, N.Y., not far from Troy. She is a former food pantry volunteer who enjoyed the assignment and the creative opportunity it promised: ?I like the idea of the ordinary being beautiful,? she said.

Others welcomed the chance to refine their technique while supporting a worthy endeavor. Adrian Negenborn ?08 of Cleveland, Ohio, explained, ?I get better technically with each bowl I make.? He added, ?I bring a special state of mind to the bowls I make and to the event itself. By doing this I can contribute beyond just raising money.?

That?s a key point behind the assignment, according to Ferst. ?This project does get us working quickly, and it also raises awareness of greater issues that exist in our region. Students are able to become involved and to give back in a special way.?

In addition to their creative output, the students were assigned a shift working at the IACC during the Empty Bowls luncheon.

Reeley reported that there were 113 volunteers on site and a total of 1,677 bowls donated. Fifteen restaurants contributed at least 10 gallons each of soups, stews, or chowders. Other businesses contributed desserts and breads, while area orchards provided cider. A host of organizations and individuals donated to the event, including the Emma Willard School, area legislators, the Times Union, and the following restaurants: the Ale House, DeFazio?s Imports & Pizzeria, Flavour?s Caf & Lounge, LoPorto?s, Miele?s Caf , Patricelli?s Deli, Francesca?s, Carmen?s Caf , Illium Caf , Jose Malone?s, Muza?s Diner, Potters Tavern at Sterup Square, Tosca?s Grille, the IACC, and Chef Jackie Baldwin.

The Oct. 7 event was scheduled to start at noon. Said Reeley, ?At 11:15 a.m. I looked out the front door and saw a line forming. A few minutes later I went outside and saw cars streaming into the parking lot and a line snaking around the side of the building. By 2:30 p.m. we ran out of all but one soup. The only reason we still had Italian wedding soup is because the IACC continued to make batches during the event.? For $10 each, patrons received a bowl and soup of their choice. Bowls went home with all who bought soup.

Reeley commended Ferst and her students for the bowls they donated and their on-site efforts. ?I am so thankful to Leslie and her class,? she said. ?The time, energy, and devotion of Skidmore?s faculty and students exceed the limit.?

Planning for next year?s event will begin in earnest in March, and a date has been selected. Mark your calendars for the fourth annual Empty Bowls soup fest in Troy on Oct. 5, 2008.