ESM holds Empty Bowls fundraiser

EAST SYRACUSE-MINOA SCHOOL DISTRICT – East Syracuse Minoa Central High School held its Empty Bowls fundraiser in its cafeteria on March 5, presenting to the public a selection of handmade ceramic bowls for sale.
The event is normally held every other year by the district, and this year all proceeds from the bowl purchases and $5 minimum entry donations went to benefit the St. Matthew’s Food Pantry located at 600 W. Manlius St. in East Syracuse.
Once inside, the admission tickets event attendees received at the door could be exchanged for a bowl of ice cream.
Lining the cafeteria, tables were covered in bowls ranging in size, color and style, the majority of them made either in class by the high school’s introductory and advanced ceramics classes or after school on Wednesdays by the students in the district’s separate clay club, which was in full-on production mode leading up to the event to ensure the numbers of bowls needed was met or exceeded.
“Our kids have been working hard since basically the start of the school year to make sure that we have enough bowls,” said Frank Chatterton, one of the high school’s ceramics teachers. “Clay Club did a huge effort this year—I think one night we made 65 bowls in one sitting.”
Chatterton and fellow ESM ceramics teacher Sarah Panzarella contributed some of the other pottery on display, as did retired district instructor Peter Valenti, who originated Empty Bowls at ESM about 20-or-so years ago and still keeps in touch to check up on everybody.
At the start of the event, there were more than 250 bowls set out altogether, but over the two hours, they went fast.
Though people technically could’ve eaten their ice cream out of the empty bowls they bought, it was encouraged to first wash the bowls, all of which are dishwasher-friendly, microwavable, and safe to consume from thanks to a special studio glaze used for each one.
In addition to being functional as containers for pieces of hard candy, spare change or knickknacks, the bowls can also serve a purpose as decorative items in someone’s living space or office.
Empty Bowls was started by a pair of married Michigan art teachers in the early 1990s and it’s since become an international project meant to combat hunger and remind people that many have trouble securing enough food to fill their bowls and plates.
Events held under its name traditionally serve meals of soup and bread, but ESM goes with an ice cream social instead as a better bet to bring in more people.
“It’s been a longstanding tradition for ceramicists to help people in need of food,” Chatterton said. “Empty Bowls is beyond just us. You’ll see these all over the nation.”
Panzarella said it was “wonderful” getting the community together to support the local food pantry while showing off the unique bowls made by the students and faculty.
Since this is her first year working at ESM, this was Panzarella’s first Empty Bowls with the district and her first since she participated in one as a Syracuse University undergrad studying ceramics.
“I was super happy to see how many people came out to support this,” Panzarella said toward the end of the Wednesday night event. “I was thrilled with the turnout and pleasantly surprised as someone new to the community.”
Chatterton said the variety of bowls showed the unique artistic touch of those involved, while the turnout exemplified how supportive the local community is.
“We’ve got a great community here, between teachers and parents and everyone else,” Chatterton said. “There are people that come back every single time we hold it, and they’re excited to get new bowls for themselves. It’s always fantastic to see them come out.”
ESM’s ceramics classroom contains 16 pottery wheels, and every class level gets experience wheel throwing. To make their bowls, the students go through the entire process from starting with a lump of clay to glazing to drying to putting what they create through a kiln.
Other creations semester to semester include mugs, teapots and an imaginative “self portrait” sculpting project that can be metaphorical in nature. Clay Club, meanwhile, is welcoming of any student, even those who have never taken a ceramics class at ESM.