Empty Bowls is an event where artists, primarily ceramists, create a mass of bowls that are then distributed to people over a meal. This event has grown to take its own individual form at a variety of institutions like universities, art organizations, churches, etc. across the country. The idea behind this project is that the participant gives a monetary donation which is then passed on to a local food-based charity in exchange for a bowl and meal. Through Empty Bowls, a wide variety of people come together and interact over a meal. At the end of the day, the participant takes the bowl home and this bowl acts as a reminder of the food-hunger issues that exist and the dialogue around these issues. Instead of simply asking people for monetary donations, this event successfully intersects the fine arts with food-hunger awareness and creates a communal atmosphere that strives to fight food hunger.

Empty Bowls at Carleton College