Cool art, warm soup at Empty Bowls dinner

This Friday, the spirit of generosity will be made of clay, shaped into bowls and filled with steaming soup.

In an effort to fight hunger, artists have created an event that promises to bless needy families with much-needed food by feeding people's hearts with inspiring creations.

The Empty Bowls Charity Dinner offers art lovers the chance to purchase a handmade ceramic bowl filled with soup, a flavorful feast that will bolster the pantries of Crossroads Mission and the Yuma Community Food Bank.

The bowls serve as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.

The Friday event will feature at least 300 bowls, handmade by artists representing the League of Artists, local high schools and the North End Artists Co-op.

“We have some very artistic and beautifully unique bowls that will be for sale,” said Bethany Koscinski, president of the League of Artists at Arizona Western College. “There are a variety of shapes and sizes to choose from — wide, narrow, round, square, grooved, smooth, earthy — and a multitude of wonderful glaze/color combinations.”

The Empty Bowls Charity Dinner runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Yuma Art Center, 254 S. Main St.

For a donation of $12, attendees will receive a handmade ceramic bowl, a serving of homemade soup, bread and a drink. Or people may offer 10 items of canned goods and $2.

A variety of soups and breads will be served, all donated by locally owned restaurants.

“This is really a community project,” Koscinski said. “I purposely have not asked big corporations for donations because I wanted it to be about the community — from the community and for the community.”

Empty Bowls, an international grassroots effort to fight hunger, began in 1990 when art teacher John Hartom decided to create a charitable event that would allow artists and art students to make a difference in their community.

Empty Bowls has since spread around the world and is promoted by the Imagine/RENDER Group, a nonprofit organization. Events are often held in conjunction with World Food Day, which is sponsored by the United Nations.

Darin Fenger can be reached at dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.