By Adam Stewart
Hutchinson Tribune Staff
HUTCHINSON—Hutchinson High School senior Martiza Pineda was volunteering on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Empty Bowls, when a guest asked whether she made any of the ceramic bowls that were for sale.
She responded that she had, and she showed her work to the guest, who picked out one of her pieces to buy and exclaimed that she was excited to meet the artist. Pineda said the guest took a photo with her before getting a bowl of chili.
Kinley Moses, a fellow Hutch High senior, said it was nice to see guests sitting, talking about the students’ art while they ate.
“Empty Bowls just brought connections,” Moses said.
Empty Bowls is a chili feed, held the third Thursday of each October to benefit the Food Bank of Reno County. For a $15 donation, a guest gets a ceramic bowl made by a Hutch High or Hutchinson Community College ceramics student, along with chili served in a disposable bowl and a cinnamon roll. The chili and cinnamon rolls were made by Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy culinary students, HutchCC ceramics instructor Kim Ivancovich said.
Hutch High ceramics teacher Julia Johnson credited former teacher Deb Ringler with starting the effort in Hutchinson around 17 years ago. HutchCC students have participated for the past five years, as well.
Ivancovich said Johnson lined up sponsors from among local financial advisers to cover the costs of the fundraiser, allowing every dollar raised to go to the food bank. They hoped to sell 100 bowls at this year’s event, which was held at the Hutchinson Art Center.
Hutchinson’s Empty Bowls event is part of an international movement to use art to advance local anti-hunger efforts, the teachers said. Ivancovich said students appreciate their art helping an important cause.
“I think there’s a lot of pride knowing their bowls are doing something,” she said.