"The West Texas A&M University chapter of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow has partnered with the Department of Art, Theatre and Dance to participate in the “Empty Bowls” project to help combat local hunger. The event will include an 11:30 a.m. lunch gathering and a 5:30 p.m. dinner on Thursday, Nov. 9 at St. Georges’ Episcopal Church in Canyon.
Those attending will receive a handmade bowl and meal of soup for a $15 donation.
“We might not be the worst county in Texas with a hunger problem,” said Dr. Jamie Adams, visiting assistant professor of art, “but many of our friends and neighbors don’t have enough to eat. For children, it is even worse. I believe that, as artists, we have a mandate to promote social change, and I believe that instilling those values in our students at WTAMU will result in our students feeling compelled to be artists that enact positive change on society.”
Students from the WTAMU Department of Art, Theatre and Dance are making bowls for the event out of local clay. Some of the clay was donated by Mariposa Eco-Village and local residents. Members of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow will assist in producing the bowls and handle marketing efforts.
“‘Empty Bowls’ is one of the best opportunities for students to engage in community I have seen since I’ve been at WTAMU,” said Dr. J. Tanner Robertson, associate professor of agricultural media and communication. “It allows students from multiple departments to serve with both their hands and their hearts while exercising their talents to fill a need in the community.”
Empty Bowls, an international grassroots movement, aims to raise money for and awareness surrounding the global issue of hunger. Organizations and colleges around the world participate in this project to alleviate hunger and share a meal with residents in their communities. Each participant at an Empty Bowls event buys a handcrafted bowl, which is then filled with soup and eaten in the company of fellow community members.
“I think that many in our community will respond positively that many of the bowls are made from wild clay dug from Randall and Potter counties,” Adams said. “Mariposa Eco-Village have been instrumental in providing us with a terrific local kaolin clay, and Dr. Tanner Robertson provided our aspiring potters with hundreds of pounds of the local Pullman Clay, which is a rich, dark brown earthenware that makes for a gorgeous clay.”
All proceeds from the Canyon event will benefit “Canyon Cares,” a local outreach program that provides food and clothing for local families and college students. According to Robertson, the issue of hunger in the Canyon community is often not realized but should be addressed through service.
“I think it’s paramount for college students to get involved with community issues,” Robertson said. “Engaging in community action helps to solve those issues.”
For more information, contact Adams at 806-651-2834 or by email at jadams@wtamu.edu."
-West Texas A&M University
