A selection of bowls donated to Empty Bowls in 2008 by Blue Clay Studios, a group of friends who work in porcelain and stoneware. The group includes Paul Voelckers, Mary Pat Wyatt, James Voelckers, Matt Voelckers, Janeann Twelker, Eric Twelker and Dean Guaneli. 'We are fortunate to have the ability to make a contribution that will improve the lives of others,' Wyatt said.
Wooden bowls by Neil Slotnick, who has been donating to the Empty Bowls fundraiser as long as he has been turning bowls.
Story last updated at 4/21/2010 - 12:47 pm
JUNEAU - Potters and turners are throwing, firing, turning and glazing one-of-a-kind bowls in an effort to feed the hungry in Juneau. The Glory Hole's annual Empty Bowls fundraiser utilizes the talents of local artists to raise funds for the shelter and soup kitchen.
For the price of admission, Empty Bowls attendees will receive a handmade bowl filled with soup and bread donated from local restaurants. The event will also feature live musical entertainment and silent auction items.
The Glory Hole provides services to people of all ages. According to executive director Mariya Lovishchuk, the shelter has recently seen an increase in families with children in need of services.
The Empty Bowls fundraiser typically generates twenty percent of The Glory Hole's annual operating costs. According to Lovishchuk, this year the facility has provided between 800-900 beds each month and has served over 4,000 meals each month, not including second helpings. Between 125-150 food boxes have been given away each month to those in need, most of whom were not Glory hole Patrons, Lovishchuk said.
"The Glory Hole plays a very difficult and important role in our community and is in desperate need of funding," said woodturner Neil Slotnick. "The Empty Bowls event is its biggest fundraiser and it's also a fun event."
Slotnick has been donating bowls to the fundraiser as long as he has been turning them - about six years. His material of choice is wood taken from felled trees found in Juneau.
Giving bowls to The Glory Hole has become "a fixation" for Slotnick. In his first year of donating, he provided six bowls. This year, he will contribute 19 of his creations to the cause.
"People have told me that they go to the Empty Bowls event hoping to get one of my bowls, and while I suspect that it's not true it always makes my day when they say it," Slotnick said.
Slotnick's bowls begin as wet, green wood that must dry for five to six months before he can finish turn, sand and apply the final touches. On occasion, he will skip the drying process, turning bowls out of green wood and letting them "warp into interesting shapes."
Auke Bay ceramicist Jeremy Kane has been donating bowls to the cause since 2004, when he began teaching art at the University of Alaska Southeast. The integration of the fundraiser into his classes has led him and his students to contribute a large portion of the event's bowls. This year, they will contribute 75 to 100 wheel-thrown bowls.
"This is a necessary event in our community and it is important to work together with the students for a good cause," Kane said.
Kim Ney's pottery has appeared at Juneau's Empty Bowls fundraisers since they first began. She has practiced the craft for over 30 years, the last 10 of which have been spent working in her Gustavus studio.
"When I throw a bowl, I start with the end product in mind - a vessel someone will not only eat out of, but also a shape and decoration they will enjoy holding and looking at," Ney said.
Ney uses earthenware clays for her work, decorating pieces with colored slips in various floral and fish designs.
"What I am attempting to convey is both physical and aesthetic nourishment, and by giving to Empty Bowls, it is my hope that those who enjoy my pieces will come away uplifted in more ways than one," Ney said.
The Empty Bowls fundraiser will be held on Sunday, April 25 at Centennial Hall. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are available for $30 at Hearthside Books. For more information about The Glory Hole, visit www.feedjuneau.org.
