Empty Bowls 2022: Feed the People

Empty Bowls is a grassroots movement by artists and craftspeople in cities and towns around the world. The events raise money for food-related charities to care for and feed the hungry in their communities. Paducah has held an Empty Bowls event since 2010.

This year’s Empty Bowls is being held on Saturday, August 27 from 11:30am to 2pm at the Paducah Convention and Expo Center, 415 Park St, Paducah. Doors downstairs open for ticket sales at 11am and the doors upstairs open at 11:30am. Purchase your ticket at the door and head upstairs to select your favorite handmade ceramic bowl from the bowl gallery. Fill your bowl with various yummy foods from your favorite local restaurants.

The ticket price is $18 or more if you care to round it up and make a bigger donation. Cash, checks, or credit cards (processing fee applies) are all accepted. Be sure to bring $1’s and $5’s to participate in the People’s Choice Award and vote for your favorite restaurant. The winner gets to keep the cup at their business for the year!

New Time of The Year in 2022

I spoke to Michael Terra, local artist and owner of Terra Cottage Ceramics Studio about the event and why the organizers decided to move it from the wintertime. Terra was the driving force behind bringing Empty Bowls to Paducah.

As one of the first events of its kind in western Kentucky, Empty Bowls has been able to shine a light on the problem of food insecurity that exists in the area. The Paducah Empty Bowls Project supports the work of the Community Kitchen which is currently serving 500 meals a day.

“When we initially proposed the Community Kitchen as our charity for Empty Bowls, they were a younger organization and funding was tough for them, “ explained Terra. “We timed the Empty Bowls Project to provide the much-needed support when the funds raised during the Christmas season ran out.”

“Over the years we have struggled with that time of the year- it seems that there was always a weather issue - floods, ice storms, and tornadoes! Now 12 years later, the community kitchen is a much more robust organization. We talked and decided to move it to the end of August. People are back from the lake and vacation. School has just started but families are not fully involved in extracurricular stuff yet. Now we can give the Community Kitchen a check at any time of the year and it will do a lot of good. And, no ice storms in August! This is our first year in August and if this works well, we’ll probably stay at this time of the year.”

20 + Local Restaurants, Music, & More!

The restaurants are excited to participate again – between 20-22 local eateries will be serving soups, gumbo, salads, and a whole range of delicious, yummy food.

“2021 was a drive-through event and obviously not as engaging as everyone meeting and sitting down together to eat a meal as a community,” said Terra. “At the end of the 2021 event, we took all the leftover bowls and donated them to other Empty Bowls projects in the area. So, this year we started with zero bowls! It’s going to be fun to have all new shapes and sizes and styles of bowls for 2022.”

“We have such a fantastic production team,” Terra continued. “There will be several groups of acoustic musicians that will play for those waiting in line. There will once again be a silent auction.”

Thousands of Bowls

“It takes many generous people to make this event happen,” Terra told me. “On the day of the event over 60 volunteers come out and the organizing committee consists of about 12 people. It takes all year to organize Empty Bowls. As usual, we held a few throw-a-thons and glaze-a-thons at the Paducah School of Art and Design. I wasn’t traveling around the country to art shows as much this year, so we have had less contribution from those artists but more from local artists and volunteers. 53 ceramic artists have contributed to the event this year."

Terra Cottage Ceramic Studio underwrites between $3-4K in production costs every year. Clay, electricity for the firing of the kiln, and glazes which are very expensive. The cost of clay has risen 63% in one year. The cost of the venue has literally more than doubled. Corporate sponsorship is going to be a lifeline this year and Empty Bowls is grateful for any local businesses who can help underwrite the event.

“One of the many things that really moves me each year is how inclusive our community of supporters are who come out for the Empty Bowls Project,” said Terra. “When you look around the room, you see young, old, and disabled and everyone is together at the tables. The significant restaurant contribution that we get is incredible. I am honestly in awe at how generous this community is.”

Find out more about Empty Bowls (in general) by visiting emptybowls.com. The local event has information at facebook.com/ emptybowlspaducah. 