BRATTLEBORO — On Saturday, April 27, for the 16th year in a row, Brattleboro area residents wishing to help down-on-their-luck neighbors will participate in Brattleboro Clayworks' annual Bowlerama, making bowls to donate to the Brattleboro Empty Bowls dinner.
Participants don't need any experience or special skills since artist/teachers Bonnie Stearns, Annie Lauterbach, and Alan Steinberg will provide basic instruction and gentle support to help shepherd their creations from start to finish.
The Empty Bowls dinner is held each Columbus Day weekend at Landmark College. Potters contribute bowls, local eateries donate home-cooked soups, and musicians share their talents.
For a $25 donation, participants will enjoy live music and a delicious meal in a handcrafted bowl they take home afterward.
While many of the bowls are donated by professional potters, the bowls made by so-called amateurs - from the French word, amor, for the love of it - are often the first to be chosen.
Clayworks hosts a “Bowlerama” every year for Empty Bowls. Bowl-makers often then go to the dinner to experience feeding each other through their art.
All proceeds support the Groundworks Collaborative Food Shelf, which serves roughly 1,000 individuals (220 households) each month.
Groundworks Collaborative was created by the merger of the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center and Morningside Shelter. The merged organization operates the region's largest and busiest food shelf, a 30-bed shelter for families and individuals, the Seasonal Overflow Shelter and Day Shelter, housing case management, and a Representative Payee service.
Space at Bowlerama is limited to 15 participants per session. Sign up in advance for the morning or afternoon sessions: 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Call Brattleboro Clayworks at 802-254-9174 to reserve a place for your party.
Children age 10 and older are welcome, accompanied by an adult. The Clayworks donates instruction, clay, glaze, and firing costs.
There is no charge to participate, but financial donations are welcome.