"Empty Bowls / Lilac Gardens"
created by Oakley233 in Grade 7 at
Hollis Brookline Middle School
from school project "Empty Bowls Pottery T2"
art id #63340683
Artist Statement (what Oakley233 said about their artwork)
We made clay bowls to help out the homeless and those who cannot afford much, for it shows that we care, and are trying to help. I hadn't much inspiration for my bowl, but I knew I wanted it to be nature based, hence the leaf in the front (the rest is just lilac- no design). While creating this artwork, I learned that painting a leaf on a clay bowl takes a concerning amount of focus, and that it's okay if some white is still showing because I couldn't get every nook and cranny covered with the paint. If I created this again, I'd be more careful, and add vines around the bowl, too, for I say it needs a little more decoration to it. My favorite part of this artwork is hands down the leaf, especially the shade of green it is.
About this School Project (Empty Bowls Pottery T2)
To begin this unit students at HBMS learn about hunger and poverty in America and discuss these issues which occur right here in our own communities of Hollis and Brookline.
Each student creates a unique, handcrafted ceramic bowl to be donated and later purchased at our annual Arts Night / Empty Bowls event. Arts Night is a celebration of student achievements at HBMS in the visual arts and music.
Empty Bowls, now an international effort, began in 1990 by an art teacher in Michigan who wanted to involve his students with helping in the fight against hunger. An Empty Bowls event involves displaying a collection of handcrafted ceramic bowls for guests to choose from in exchange for a donation. Each guest is then served a simple meal of soup in the new bowl. Proceeds are donated to a hunger fighting organization.
Hollis Brookline Middle School student-created bowls are reserved for the artists to"buy back". Don't worry, we have plenty of free-choice bowls for our other guests! At our event held in May, our bowls are not filled with soup, rather they are filled with delicious ice cream! Students, parents, families, staff and community members enjoy a festive and fun evening of musical entertainment, 7th and 8th grade student art exhibits, ice cream and good times! The best part is that our donations go directly to the food banks in our own two towns of Hollis and Brookline.
