Empty Bowls

Timeline

2005
The first Empty Bowls was put on by Professor Kelly Connole and studio art major Dustin Yager ‘06. A small event held at Spring Concert, there was no soup and only about 70 bowls. ($741 raised)

2006
The event served donated soup, Brick Oven Bakery bread, and water, apples, and flatware donated by Bon Appetit (then Sodexo): all lasting traditions that continue to this day. Bowls were made by student workers and those enrolled in advanced ceramics. ($3000)

2007
The Empty Bowls event expanded with Interest Houses earnestly providing soup. Ceramics students traveled to the Northfield CAC Food Shelf for the first time. ($4900)

2008
Visiting Professor and now local ceramicist Juliane Shibata ‘01 directed Empty Bowls during Connole’s sabbatical ($5425)

2009
Carleton Ceramics, with the help of local potters, created 490 bowls, making this event the first to surpass 400! ($5605)

2010
Studio art major Emma Bentley ’10 designed the first ever Carleton Empty Bowls t-shirt. In its 6th year, Empty Bowls solidified its role as a Carleton tradition with alums, current students, faculty, staff, and the Northfield community having a commitment to the event. ( $6600)

2011
Professor Connole worked with students to find a more sustainable model for the Empty Bowls project at Carleton. Bowl production became a year-long process.
($5754)

2012
Kelly Scheuerman, former Assistant Director of the ACT Office (now part of CCCE) coordinated soup making and food donations: CCCE’s ongoing contribution. ($6454)

2013
Professor Connole received an anonymous thank you note stating “the true value of the bowls is something that the people who produce and use them may never see. It is the food that reaches the mouths of families in our community.” ($5913)

2014
The 10th Empty Bowls came and went quietly without acknowledgement of the milestone. The project ($6365)

2015
To properly celebrate the decennial, Bon Appetit served dessert for EB’s 10th (belated) birthday with record donations. ($8387)

2016
On a very rainy day, Juliane Shibata ‘01 returned to help orchestrate Empty Bowls in Great Hall. ($5223)

2017
Professor Connole offers ARTS 230, an intermediate throwing class with the Empty Bowls project embedded within the Academic Civic Engagement (ACE) curriculum. ($7175)

2018
A partnership with Cannon River Clay Tour artists was established to broaden the bowl making process. The Empty Bowls event became the official convo lunch following an address by Ladonna Redmond (The Campaign for Food Justice Now). In efforts to make the event more inclusive, 50 bowls were offered to students for whom the $20 suggested donation felt out of reach. The Friends of Empty Bowls initiative was established in partnership with OIL and CCCE. ($8391)

2019
The 15th Anniversary! Carleton’s Empty Bowls project was recognized at NCECA, the national clay conference held that March in Minnesota, for its unique collaborative approach to bowl making. ($11,921)

2020
The global COVID-19 pandemic shifted all spring classes to online. A virtual Empty Bowls event encouraged past participants to use their empty bowls and make contributions to their local food shelves. ($4903 raised for the Northfield Food shelf and an unknown amount to other organizations)

2021
The Empty Bowls project persevered, but without soup, as the pandemic continued to impact social gatherings. ($6195)

2022
The community meal component returned with many members of the community on campus for the first time in 3 years! Students in two sections of ARTS 230 created a whopping 600 bowls! ($11,104)

2023
In a triumphant post-pandemic revival, more Carleton students than ever were able to experience the Empty Bowls project in its entirety. With ongoing support from OIL and CCCE, Friends of Empty Bowls provided expanded access with more than 650 people sharing the community meal. ($13,564)

2024
20th event!

Carleton Empty Bowls has raised $127,620 for the Northfield Food Shelf.