Shaping Hope: Empty Bowls 2025
Empty Bowls 2025 in the AF Ceramics Studio
Empty Bowls Event Brings Clay, Community, and Compassion to UAF
On February 9, 2025, the UAF Student Ceramics Art Guild (SCAG) hosted its annual Empty Bowls event in the ķƵ Ceramics Studio. Coinciding with Super Bowl Sunday, the event brought together students, faculty, and community members to create handmade ceramic bowls, all for a great cause. Each bowl crafted during the event will be donated to the Fairbanks Community Food Bank and sold during its major fundraiser on April 5, helping to combat food insecurity in the region.
The Empty Bowls initiative is part of a nationally recognized movement supporting food charities, and UAF’s participation has been a long-standing tradition. Olena Ellis, adjunct instructor in ceramics and a SCAG member, emphasized the significance of the event: “These handmade bowls are sold to our community, raising funds and enabling the Food Bank to feed our neighbors. We are coming together as a community to show we care. It may not be at a table together; however, we are putting our energies into creating something that brings comfort and a vessel for nourishment, a bowl at a time for our neighbors.” She further noted, "Empty Bowls is important to SCAG, as it is an opportunity to directly support and interact with our community. For me, handmade bowls are being sold to support raising funds to feed our community. It is a reminder of inviting a friend over for a warm bowl of food to sit sharing a moment and friendship."
This year’s event was a lively and engaging gathering, filled with artistic energy, camaraderie, and the excitement of the big game. “The studio had one work table full of food and the TV was televising the Super Bowl,” Ellis shared. “We had a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan who would enthusiastically respond to the game, keeping us all in the loop of the game happenings. The studio was buzzing with making activity, laughter, and many conversations.” The result? An impressive 168 handmade bowls, each one a symbol of generosity and community spirit.
Empty Bowls 2025 in the ķƵ Ceramics Studio
Beyond seasoned ceramic artists, the event welcomed newcomers to the craft. Ellis recalled one particularly memorable participant: “We had a student who had never touched clay and showed up on her own to make bowls. I gave her a quick explanation of how to make a hand-built (not wheel-thrown) bowl, and she was proud that she made bowls and thanked me because she said she was now ‘addicted to clay.’” Such moments exemplify the accessibility and inclusivity that SCAG strives to foster.
SCAG is an organization dedicated to supporting ceramics students and promoting the art of pottery within the UAF community. Open to both students and the public, the guild regularly hosts events such as the Thanksgiving Community Dinner, visiting artist workshops, and the Student Pottery Sale. Assistant Professor of Ceramics Teresa Shannon noted, “SCAG and the Ceramics program have a lot planned for the rest of the semester,” highlighting upcoming events such as the NCECA conference in March, the anagama wood kiln firing in mid-April, and the Student Pottery Sale on April 25, which funds the club’s activities year-round.
The UAF Department of Art plays a crucial role in fostering creative expression and community engagement. With programs in ceramics, painting, sculpture, and more, the department provides students with opportunities to explore their artistic passions while contributing to the wider Fairbanks community. Events like Empty Bowls highlight the department’s commitment to both artistic excellence and social responsibility.
The Bowl Goals tracker fills up during the event.