Marshall University’s School of Art and Design and the Pottery Place will host an in-person bowl sale event as part of the 18th annual Empty Bowls fundraising pottery sale. Empty Bowls Live is planned for noon to 6 p.m. Friday, April 30, at the Pullman Square gazebo.
Bowls continue to be for sale online as well at https://www.thepotteryplace.biz. Proceeds go to the Facing Hunger Food Bank. The cost is $20 per bowl, with each bowl sold providing 180 meals for those in need.
Hundreds of bowls, created by Marshall art students, are still available from the online sale, which has continued throughout the month of April. They will be displayed at the gazebo April 30 for shoppers to purchase.
At the in-person sale, masks will be required, and hand sanitizer will be provided and must be used before handling the bowls. Also, Virex will be sprayed regularly to disinfect the area, and six-foot distance marks will be indicated throughout the space for social distancing.
The traditional one-day, soup lunch event that is the usual format for this longstanding Marshall tradition was canceled last year due to the pandemic, but the pottery sale itself was rescued by the Pottery Place, whose owner, Marshall graduate Jessica Stone, offered to sell the bowls on her company website. Stone said the fundraiser has held a special place in her heart since she was a ceramics student working on Empty Bowls back in the early 2000s.
The online sale was repeated this year, but considering the number of bowls that remain and the outdoor space being available, an in-person sale is planned to boost sales for this important food bank fundraiser.
“I’m incredibly proud of the hard work the students have put into this year’s nontraditional event,” said Allora McCullough, Empty Bowls coordinator and an assistant professor of ceramics at Marshall. “They were very excited about the opportunity to coordinate an outdoor bowl sale. Each of the student artists will be present throughout the day, so people will have a chance to meet and speak with them.
“We’ve all spent time volunteering with the Facing Hunger Foodbank and representatives from the foodbank will be present as well. I’m grateful for the ability to safely connect with the community again. I look forward to the grand finale of this year’s event and hope to see a great turnout.”
More event information can be found at: https://fb.me/e/1gK8wOjG0, or contact McCullough at mccullougha@marshall.edu.