Don Vinyard, left, of Ferrum Forward, Ferrum College President David Johns, center, and Susan Johns, mold bowls for the Empty Bowls event slated for March 13.
Empty Bowls, a longstanding tradition at Ferrum College, returns this year on Sunday, March 13, and will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room in Franklin Hall on campus. During Empty Bowls, attendees can purchase handmade bowls and a meal to support the Panther Packs program. The cost is $15 for a handmade bowl, soup, bread, and dessert, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Students with ID receive a $5 discount. Cash, cards, and checks are accepted as payment.
The Panther Packs program supports children at the local elementary school who are in need of food and sends qualifying students home with food each weekend. “An empty bowl is a sign of hunger. So the Empty Bowls projects always tend to support some kind of soup kitchen or food bank,” explains Nell Fredericksen, co-coordinator of the program.
Fredericksen has already led several sessions of bowl-making for this year’s Empty Bowls event. A silent auction will also be held featuring works from local artisans and donations from the event sponsor, the Blue Ridge Potters Guild.
“It’s exciting to see that Ferrum and the community see the value in the event, and there’s love for it,” said Jeff Dalton, originator of Empty Bowls on campus.
Dalton, a former art professor at Ferrum, started the event in 2010 and believes the program fulfills the Ferrum motto, Not Self, But Others. “I had a lot of people jump in and help it come to life, starting with the students, of course,” Dalton recounted.
Empty Bowls is a national program designed to help people in many forms of need. “Some use the monies for ceramic program scholarships, many are set up to support local food banks. They happen all over the country,” Dalton explained. “The response and support from the community and everyone at Ferrum was always overwhelming.”
Since Dalton’s departure, Fredericksen has handled planning and promotion for the event. Frederiksen is a professional potter and jewelry maker, as well as a member of the Blue Ridge Potters Guild. “Folks can see bowl-making progress, preview auction items, and stay up to date on the event at our Facebook event page,” she said.
Masking will be required while not sitting at a table and eating,” Fredericksen said, “The college will provide a lovely homemade soup and bread to fill the bowls selected. Folks can purchase as many bowls as they would like at the event.”
Article written and submitted by Marina J. Powell, assistant editor of The Iron Blade. Powell is a freshman majoring in music with an emphasis in performance.
