TEQUESTA, Fla. — Ceramics and sculpture artists have been hard at work to throw and glaze hundreds of beautiful bowls to help the Treasure Coast Food Bank and Mary's Kitchen.
The 15th Annual Lundin Kudo Empty Bowls Project will allow donors to purchase a handmade bowl of their choosing, and get it filled with locally made soup and baked bread for $20.
Food insecurity has surged during the pandemic, and the food bank relies on the support of the community.
About a dozen artists gathered on weekends at Lighthouse ArtCenter to turn lumps of clay into works of art, throwing bowls on the wheel, then glazing and firing them.
Chad Steve is the director of ceramics and sculpture at the Lighthouse ArtCenter and one of the participating artists. He said a bowl can have personality that reflects the hands of the maker.
"You're going to have that presence and you kind of hold it to your body like this," he said, pulling one of his bowls into his chest. "So a lot of love and effort goes into all of these. We have a great community of ceramic artists around here."
Thomas Adkisson is the 3D studio administrator and assistant at the Lighthouse ArtCenter. He found his passion for throwing pottery on the wheel in the last year.
"You can use a bowl for just about anything," Adkisson said. "If you don't like the bowl for eating, you can use it for a flower pot. That's what draws me into these."
Adkisson said when he learned about the empty bowls effort, he was particularly moved.
"That’s very special to me," Adkisson said. "It's very heartwarming, because I've had situations with my mother that I've needed a food bank, and so to come full circle and give back to the community really means a lot to me."
The challenge is something Adkisson remembered while making bowls.
"It was very challenging at first, you know, feeling that you're below others is a really hard challenge to face," Adkisson said. "But, you know, we always picked each other up in our family."
The donors who attend the event will get to select a beautiful bowl to take home.
"Hopefully, they just find something that speaks to them," Steve said.
The Lundin Kudo Empty Bowls event Lundin Kudo Empty Bowls - Treasure Coast Food Bank is Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Women's Club of Stuart, 729 SE Ocean Blvd.