Painting the Empty Bowls

In 1990 a high school teacher came up with the idea of a fund-raiser that involved painting ceramic bowls and then serving people a simple meal of soup and bread and letting them keep the bowls as a reminder of hunger in the world. Thus began the Empty Bowl Project. Each year here in Gloucester we have an Empty Bowl Fund-raising event to benefit the local food pantry. For a few years now I have been invited to participate in the painting of the bowls that are used in that event. Yesterday was bowl painting day.

Gloucester has a lot of people who rely on the food pantry to keep from being hungry. Gloucester also has a lot of artists who are well recognized for their talents and many of those artists are endlessly generous when it comes to raising funds for all sorts of things --- community preservation projects, arts groups, and, of course, feeding the hungry. Yesterday, the painting party was held at the home and studio of Veronica Morgan. One of Gloucester's many talented artists. Her sister, Marty, is a potter and has been extremely generous in supporting the project by firing the bowls, too.

When I arrived at Veronica's there were a number of artists already at work. My dear, long-time friend Trudy Allen was painting away with NSAA artist Carole Loicano. We were joined soon by Judy Robinson-Cox, a photographer and painter I know well from endless seARTS meetings. Throughout the day other artists arrived. Betty Lou Schlemm, my watercolor teacher of a good many years, arrived. While she painted she was telling us about going to see “Harold and Maude” at Theatre in the Pines the night before. I wanted to get there --- I designed the posters for it. Judy was talking about Ocean Alliance's spectacular art show and opening at the Paint Factory which she helped organize and is participating in. Susan Erony came a bit late. She was tired from her lecture the night before on the WPA Murals at City Hall. I designed the posters for that, too. Everyone was excited about the unveiling of the renovated tower on City Hall. The scaffolding is coming down and it is beautiful!

Artist Anna Coniaris Comolli joined our table. She had an idea for the next seARTS Partner With an Artist event. Veronica was there at the forum the night it opened. Other artists arrived talking about other events and projects and all the endless things we are always trying to raise money for. All of us are worried about our own ability to survive as the economy deteriorates. It was good to be among people who are so filled with energy and talent and a passion for the arts and for our community. It made me feel proud to be among them.

This is the thing --- there is a lot to do in this world. We have to feed the hungry. We want to restore our beautiful City Hall and save historic old icons like the Paint Factory. We want art to blossom and grow in Gloucester. We want the world to know we are here and what we are creating and how much this place means to us. There is a film festival going on at Gloucester Stage Company this month. Rocky Neck Art Colony is committed to supporting the Paint Factory. A lot of businesses around town have recognized that the arts bring people here --- people who patronize them. Mark Teiwes's photo exhibit is still up at Captain Joe's. He has another one online of the Paint Factory. Capt. Joe has one too on his amazing blog. There is so much to do but there are a lot of us who really want to do it.

Nobody needs me to spout doom and gloom about our economic challenges but, if anything, it makes a lot of us realize how important it is that we stay focused on what is important. I've been fed up with our entire culture of consumption and mindless entertainment for years. I hope, as people have to conserve those dollars wasted on mindless drivel, they will find new ways to occupy their time in helping others within their community. Raise money, feed the hungry, clean up parks and beaches, restore old buildings, paint bowls. The time of selfish self-gratification is past and good riddance. But life goes on and there is plenty of life going on in a town like ours. Let's all pitch in together and help out.

I painted six bowls yesterday. I painted mermaids and fish and turtles. It was just wonderful to do that while listening to all these amazing people chatter about the other projects they are working on. We can all be amazing if we want to be. I hope they will ask me back to paint more bowls --- it's a gift.

Thanks for reading.