Soup Bowl Saturday - Empty Bowls Las Vegas...

Saturday, March 20th, 2010 was the tenth consecutive year that the Nevada Clay Guild has cosponsored the Annual Empty Bowls Benefit, which helps feed the hungry of Las Vegas.  In Spring 2009, the bowls made by the members of the Guild and students of Donna Potter (artist and GVHS pottery teacher extraordinaire) helped raise over $34,000 (growing from $9,000 raised in its first year), which directly feeds the homeless and hungry who visit the Las Vegas Catholic Worker soup lines five mornings a week, all year around.

The event is held in the cafeteria of Green Valley High School, with student and teacher volunteers, Clay Guild Members, and LV Catholic Worker members pitching in to line tables with bowl after bowl, during the afternoon.  As one bowl is taken from the table, another takes it's place.  These artisans work year-round to make sure this event has enough on hand - each and every one of these bowls is beautiful and unique, making for a pretty tough decision.  There are also silent and live auctions of incredible donated pottery and art pieces.

Once you have selected your bowl (or bowls - extras are there for the buying), you head to the soup lines and pick out your soup, a roll and a glass of lemonade...undoubtedly a lot more than most homeless get daily.  Jackie (onecreativecat.blogspot.com) had the chili - obviously, this was the "before" picture.  Below are my treasures from today, to add to the collection I've amassed over the past years.  The small brown one (which is sitting atop what will probably become my daughter's new favorite popcorn bowl) has a beautiful handcarved horned lizard on it, and the white one - an incredible glazing job in chartreuse and yellow over white.

Empty Bowls is a GREAT grassroots effort and I know it is nationwide, so check it out, wherever you may live...Susan Silva, we sure missed you this year!