Judge students donate to Clay Arts Utah's ?Empty Bowls'

Intermountain Catholic

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Students in the Judge Memorial Catholic School display bowls they created for the Empty Bowls fundraiser.

Courtesy of Judge Memorial Catholic High School

SALT LAKE CITY — Judge Memorial Catholic High School ceramics instructor Tom Bettin, along with students in his ceramics classes, are participating in Clay Arts Utah’s annual Empty Bowls fundraiser.

As attendees to the fundraiser arrive, they join in for a simple meal of soup and bread. They also may purchase a bowl for $15 and then go home with a handmade bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls they helped fill for the hungry in the Salt Lake community. All proceeds go to feed the hungry through Catholic Community Services’ St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall.

Featured artists contribute as many bowls as they wish to the event, with Judge Memorial submitting more than 30 bowls to this year’s event. Last year, Clay Arts Utah was able to donate nearly $10,000 in proceeds to CCS.

Bettin has been Judge Memorial’s art teacher for more than 25 years, sending hundreds of Judge students to the best art schools in the country, including Rhode Island School of Design, Savannah College of Art & Design, Art Center Pasadena, Pratt School, Cleveland Institute of Art and Carnegie Mellon University, to name a few. He is a 1967 graduate of Judge Memorial.

"We do have graduates functioning in clay right now," said Bettin. "They are managing to make a living at it and doing quite well."

Students in Judge's advanced ceramics class are exposed to advanced throwing and glazing techniques, all in a high-fire setting. As part of their coursework, students are required to complete groupings of work that demonstrate mastery of ceramic aesthetics and produce a finished portfolio of work.

"All of our bowls are high quality, as will be all of the bowls at the fundraiser," said Bettin. "This is an easy way for people to purchase usable art and contribute to a great cause. I’m glad we could contribute."

This year’s Empty Bowls fundraiser will be held on May 7, 2011, from noon to 4 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall (437 West 20 South) in Salt Lake City. For information, visit www.emptybowlsutah.org.