Kent School to Host Empty Bowls Benefit
On Friday, November 3 at 6:00 p.m. Kent School is hosting an Empty Bowls event to benefit the Kent County Food Pantry. Empty Bowls is an international project to fight hunger, personalized by artists and art organizations on a community level. The event is open to the public. While admission is free, guests may enjoy a variety of homemade soups and breads with the purchase of a student-made ceramic bowl. Each bowl is $10. The soup dinner will be held in the M.V. “Mike” Williams Gymnasium. All proceeds from the sale of the bowls will go the Kent County Food Pantry. This event is a collaboration between the Kent School’s Art Department and the Student Government Association.
Since the start of this academic year, art classes have been devoted to ceramics. As a result, every student at Kent School from Preschool through Grade Eight, has made at least one ceramic bowl. Kent School’s art teacher, Pat Parkhurst said, “This is the second year completing the Empty Bowls project with our students. It is a great example of our School’s mission in practice. The students’ work is not only artistically excellent, they are all practicing moral excellence by offering their pieces to support the Kent County Food Pantry.” Parkhurst continued, “It is gratifying on so many levels. When the students see their work evolve from a mound of gray clay to a fully glazed and fired piece featuring their own personal design elements, the sense of accomplishment is very fulfilling.”
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Susan Basener, the Board President of the Kent County Food Pantry said, “Kent School donated all proceeds of their 2016 Empty Bowls event to the community food pantry. Their large donation was enough to purchase food for over forty families for a week.” Basener continued, “This meaningful event not only supported the work of the Pantry, but it also provided an authentic learning experience for every student. Artistic expression, thoughtful reflection and an understanding of local hunger were integrated into an experience the students will likely remember.”
Kent School students have a long-term, ongoing relationship with the Kent County Food Pantry. Each year the Student Government Association (SGA) at Kent School leads charitable activities in support of the Kent County Food Pantry. The students coordinate food drives throughout the year. Parkhurst continued, “The partnership between SGA and the Art Department is a natural fit. This is a wonderful opportunity to incorporate a concentrated art unit with a student-led community service program. It has been an ambitious project for them, but a very satisfying and meaningful learning experience for all of us.”
To make a reservation for Kent School’s Empty Bowls event email rsvp@kentschool.org. For more information, visit www.kentschool.org or call 410-778-4100 ext. 110. Kent School, located in historic Chestertown, MD is an independent day school serving girls and boys from Preschool through Grade 8. The School’s mission is to guide its students in realizing their potential for academic, artistic, athletic, and moral excellence. The School’s family-oriented, supportive, student-centered environment fosters the growth of honorable, responsible citizens for our country and our diverse world.
