Kyle Houser is proud of his growing collection of handmade bowls that mean more to him than utility or art.

Each time he uses one to sip some soup, he thinks about local efforts to ensure people don't go hungry.

“They remind me of the needs of others,” said Houser, 48, ceramics coordinator at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in Shadyside.

That's because Houser acquired the unique pieces through the Empty Bowls Dinner, an annual fundraiser by the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Just Harvest.

“It's nice to be part of something bigger,” said Houser, who on Sunday oversaw a basement studio filled with potters sculpting mounds of clay into bowls for this year's 20th annual event.

About 40 potters volunteered their time during a five-hour session of making clay bowls and enjoying a small potluck. The big event March 29 is expected to draw more than 1,000 patrons, who for a $22 ticket get a handmade bowl filled with soup and a piece of bread. The fundraiser has raised more than $500,000 since its inception.

“It gives people a chance to get together with the ceramics community and help people with what we love to do,” said Audra Clayton, 33, as she “threw” her 20th bowl of the day. Clayton is a ceramics intern in addition to her jobs at Trader Joe's and as a real estate agent.

“It's a good cause, and I need practice,” said Susan Sesack, 55, a University of Pittsburgh neuroscience professor who took up ceramics about a year ago. She said she heard about the event last year but did not believe her ceramics skills were good enough to participate then.

“But you're so good at it now,” a fellow potter chimed in.

Bryce Hemington, 31, studio manager at Stray Cat Studio in Beaver Falls, said Sunday afternoon gave volunteers “the opportunity to experiment and learn along the way.” He used a wooden knife, metal rib and wire tool to add designs to the sides of his bowls.

“You have to develop muscle memory,” explained potter Dave McEvoy, 60, an electrician from Elliott. “You need to get it wet enough to work with but not so wet that it gets too weak.

“And you can't play with it too long — experience tells you when to leave it alone.”

By 4 p.m., the mix of seasoned and amateur ceramics artists filled several countertops with more than 200 bowls of varying shapes and sizes.

Houser will spend the next several days firing up a series of kilns and glazing the bowls while using a wide range of color options, ranging from copper red and matte black to magic green and blue wheat.

Standard Ceramic Supply donated the clay, and 100 percent of proceeds from the March 29 event will go toward efforts at stemming hunger throughout the Western Pennsylvania region.

Just Harvest is a South Side-based nonprofit advocacy group founded in 1986 that seeks to help end hunger and poverty.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank is a Duquesne-based nonprofit founded in 1980 to help families struggling with the closure of the steel mills. With the help of 400 partner organizations, the network provides 26.5 million pounds of food to 360,000 people annually.

Natasha Lindstrom is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-380-8514 or nlindstrom@tribweb.com.

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