Artists craft soup bowls for shelter

Aiding in the international and local struggle against hunger, Contra Costa College will host its first Empty Bowls Project fundraiser Friday in the Fireside Room from noon to 3 p.m.

The 20-year tradition within the pottery community aims to expand awareness of the worldwide hunger epidemic, garnering funds for local charities and soup kitchens, in this case, the Bay Area Rescue Mission of Richmond.

Tickets will be $10 per person, $5 for students, and will be available at the door.

"It's really nice when you can do something somewhat artistic that contributes to someone's welfare," said ceramics student Laura Finkler. "It's a very good feeling."

Attendees will have their pick from a myriad of bowls handcrafted by fine and media arts department students, loading them with one of three simple soups, chicken noodle, New England clam chowder or Minestrone, prepared by culinary arts students.

Ceramics professor Mary Law, who spearheaded the effort, said her class exhausted themselves the first month of the semester, crafting bowl after bowl for the cause.

Because of the enthusiasm from students and staffers alike, the count quickly rose to 700.

"It was for a good cause and we felt great about doing it," ceramics student Sarbi Mahil said.

With bread and water as the only accompaniments, the lunch will be deliberately minimal to maximize donations for the hungry.

The empty bowls kept by guests after the meal are meant to illustrate the poverty and hunger felt by a surprising amount of the regional and global population, Law said.

"Just last semester I had a student who was homeless and had to drop the class," she said. "Doing this is a way we can help people who just don't have any food."

The decision to direct proceeds to the Bay Area Rescue Mission in Richmond was an obvious choice. Culinary arts department Chairperson Nader Sharkes said since he was hired to lead the program, the mission has been a priority.

"You'll find lots of people going into the mission looking for a purpose. When they want to pursue culinary, they come here. It's just another avenue of employment," he said.

He said that two of his current students came out of the safe haven situated in the heart of Richmond's Iron Triangle community, where the department offers accredited courses to residents.

There is a strong message for the students who collaborated on the event as well, Sharkes said.

"We're trying to show that making money is (not necessarily) the purpose of life," he said. "We have to be a part of this community."

Though not a typically lucrative profession, Law said the fundraiser allows potters a way to invest their art into the betterment of society.

"From the perspective of an artist, you want to be a productive member of the community. For us, it's easier to give our time than our money," she said.

Though organizers planned for the event to be held in conjunction with the United Nations sponsored World Food Day on Sunday, it was bumped ahead two days to Friday to accommodate the culinary arts department's Champagne and Chocolate event Sunday.