Empty Bowls, taking place today, is one of Oxford’s most well-attended charity events. There are many people and organizations who make it possible. But one group is notably more “hands-on” than rest–the Mud Daubers.
The Mud Daubers, an advanced ceramics student organization at Ole Miss of about 15 students, handcrafted around 1,000 bowls this year. The club is a major contributor for the event.
Art professor Matt Long, who also heads the Mud Daubers, said Empty Bowls is the group’s biggest community service event of the year.
Matt Long, associate professor of art and graduate coordinator for ceramics, is the adviser for the Mud Daubers. (Photo by Marlee Crawford)
Andrew McIntyre, UM instructor and ceramic technician, said Empty Bowls is a way for the Mud Daubers to use their skills to aid a good cause.
Andrew McIntyre explains the process of throwing the bowls in the ceramics studio in Meek Hall. (Photo by Marlee Crawford)
“We provide our service of making pottery,” he said. “We try to make a variety of different bowls so it appeals to the community. It’s about providing a service in which raises money for the food pantry.”
The Mud Daubers volunteer 100 percent of their time and energy to the project. They even deliver the bowls to the event the day before.
“We don’t get anything back besides the satisfaction of helping our community,” McIntyre said.
Mud Daubers was started around 1990 by retired ceramics professor, Ron Dale, who teamed up with June Rosentreter, a student in his class at the time, to jointly start the Empty Bowls event in Oxford. Dale said he still contributes 200 bowls annually to the event.
However, the bowls aren’t the only contribution.
“There’s a huge community that comes together for the event,” McIntyre said. “I think that it’s everyone’s hope that it continues to grow more and the community gets more involved.”
More than 20 local businesses donate a variety of soups for the event.
Saint Leo, a restaurant on the Square, is donating about 100 servings of parmesan rind broth soup with kale, white beans and croutons to Empty Bowls this year. This is its first time contributing, since it opened in Oxford about 6 months ago.
Owner Emily Blount said that donating soup to Empty Bowls is a great way to help a local cause.
“It’s our job in the [restaurant] business to feed people and to help people in that way,” Blount said, “To provide a nice experience and good food.”
The $20 entry fee includes a ceramic bowl, soup donated by businesses around Oxford, water and bread.
Empty Bowls 2017 flyers are brightly hanging all over campus. (Photo by Marlee Crawford)
Both Long and McIntyre plan on indulging in soup at the event; however, they won’t be taking home any bowls to add to their extensive collections.
“We’ll go and represent the Mud Daubers and have a cup of soup,” McIntyre said.
Empty Bowls pantry fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the Oxford Conference Center at 102 Ed Perry Blvd, instead of the usual location at the Oxford-University United Methodist Church, which is currently undergoing renovation.
“People should show up,” Long said. “It’s a great reason to spend some money. It’s a beautiful handmade bowl by the students and to help the community.”
This article was contributed to The Daily Mississippian from an advanced reporting class.
