BRATTLEBORO — Almost every Spring for 19 years, Brattleboro Clayworks has invited the community to help make bowls to feed the hungry. This year's Bowlerama will be held on Saturday, May 13.
Volunteers will make hand-built bowls to donate to the annual Brattleboro Empty Bowls dinner. There will be no throwing on the wheels at this event. Participants won't need any experience or special skills, since artist-teachers Judith Thomas, Andi Matthews, and Karen Horton will provide basic instruction and gentle support to help shepherd attendees' creations from start to finish. And, they say, it's a lot of fun.
The Empty Bowls Dinner, held in early October at Landmark College in Putney, raises funds for Groundworks Collaborative. 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 then take home.
While many bowls are donated by professional potters, bowls made by so-called amateurs - from the French “amor,” for the love of it - are often the first to be chosen.
Groundworks Collaborative works with people and systems creating solutions to end hunger and homelessness for all people in our region, envisioning a community in which everyone has their basic needs met, including a safe and dignified place to call home.
Space for this workshop is limited to 15 participants per session. Sign up in advance for the 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m. sessions by calling Brattleboro Clayworks at 802-254-9174. Children ages 10 and older are welcome, accompanied by an adult.
Clayworks donates instruction, clay, glaze, and firing costs. There is no charge to participate; however, financial donations to Groundworks are welcome.