Empty bowls back at Kennebec Hall on February 18

Feb 03, 2017

The Empty Bowls started off in 1990 as a small project by a group of potters working with some chefs in a town in Michigan to give away bowls of soup and allow people to keep the bowls. All that was requested was a donation to a local food based charity. Twenty seven years later not a lot has changed about how with Empty Bowls work, except it is now a series of small projects in communities throughout North America. It was introduced in Eastern Ontario by Perth area Potter Jackie Seaton who developed it with the help of a number of potters in the Perth, Brooke Valley and Maberly area into an event that raises over $10,000 each year for The Table, YAK and other projects in Perth. Although Seaton has since died, the project remains strong.

Three years ago, Joanne Pickett of Arden Pottery started an Empty Bowls event in Arden, holding it in conjunction with the Frontenac Heritage Festival weekend. In Arden it has taken on a Frontenac County flavour and has grown every year. Last year over 100 bowls of soup were served and carted away and $1,400 was raised. Instead of restaurants making the soup, in Arden it was local volunteers.

“There were some real gourmet soups last year, including venison soup and sun dried tomato blue cheese soup, and in our project the potters serve the soup,” said Pickett, when contacted about this year’s event earlier this week.
The potters who are participating this year include Pickett, who has been potting at her studio on Big Clear Lake for nearly 40 years, Tracy Bamford and Sharon Matthews (Long Lake Potters) and Jonas Bonnetta. Local cooks are going to be supplying desserts and coffee this year and the suggested donation will be $20, in the hope of raising $2,000 for the North Frontenac Food Bank.

“It has been a good fit to hold the Empty Bowls during the Heritage Festival weekend because there are many other events in Arden during the weekend and they all help each other. And with all the help from the local community it is more than just potters who are involved. Everyone in Arden helps out,” she said.

Empty Bowls runs from 10-4 on Saturday, February 18th along with displays by the Frontenac Trappers Council and the Kennebec Historical Society, chainsaw carving by Robin Deruchie, and games put on by the Arden Volunteer Firefighter Association. There will be a pioneer demonstration outside, and weather permitting, horse drawn wagon rides.

For information about Empty Bowls, contact Joanne Pickett at 613-335-2763

2017-02-08: Corrected the date in the headline from "February 21" to "February 18". The article also missed one of the potters who has participated, Aileen Merriam. Aileen has been participating for three years. She will have some of her pots available and will be on hand on the 18th.