PRESENTED BY:
What is Empty Bowls?
Empty Bowls began in 1990 as an art class project in a Michigan high school to raise money for a food drive. Students made ceramic bowls, served a simple meal of soup and bread and asked guests to keep the bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls at mealtime around the world. Soon this simple idea morphed into an international project to raise money and awareness for the fight against hunger. While everyone puts their own spin on different Empty Bowls events across the globe, a few things must be consistent -
-
a simple meal of soup and bread must be served
-
a handcrafted bowl must be offered to all guests to serve as a reminder of all the empty bowls at mealtime
-
guests make a donation in exchange for the meal and handcrafted bowl
-
all funds raised under the Empty Bowls name, must be used to fight hunger
Here in Polk County
Outreach hosts our Empty Bowls Fundraiser typically in the fall of the year. We partner with Tryon Arts and Crafts School, their Executive Director, Will Barclift and many local, talented professional potters. These artists coordinate with other area potters to organize the efforts to create, glaze and fire hundreds of handcrafted bowls that will be given to each Empty Bowls guest.
2026 Empty Bowls Sponsors
~ Presenting Sponsor ~
Thank you to all who were involved in making the handcrafted bowls for Empty Bowls 2026:
The Professional Potters:
-
Ann Gleason
-
Chloe Compton
-
Cindy McKinstrie
-
Dee Lassiter
-
Jim Cullen
-
Meghan Bernard
-
Roe Sprouls
-
Sam Oliver
-
Susan McDade
-
Vienna Paulsen
The TACS Glazers:
-
Barbara Sholl
-
Debbie Thompson
-
Red DuMonde
-
Tari Gerst
Held at Parker-Binns Vineyard since 2016, guests sample soups from 7 local restaurants, enjoy artisan breads from Martha's Amish Bakery and live music on the porch from The Clover Pickers. Parker-Binns will offer their wines and beer for sale. Our Empty Bowls event is a wonderful, collaborative, community effort that would not be possible without Tryon Arts and Crafts School and local professional artists, volunteers, restaurant and business sponsors.