Over 250 bowls made for January’s Empty Bowls in one day

In a bid to help make bowls for Malvern’s Empty Bowls event in January, the ceramics studio in Duffy opened for a bowl-off as Malvern faced off against Villa Maria and Notre Dame on Dec. 12.

Around 20 students from Malvern, Villa Maria Academy, and The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur participated throughout the day, making 259 bowls for Empty Bowls. Villa Maria and Notre Dame students made 145 bowls while Malvern made 114 bowls.

“Since this is the first year we’re doing Empty Bowls with Villa and Notre Dame, we thought this was a great way to get bowls made,” senior Tait McGlinn said.

This is not the first time Malvern has hosted a bowl-off. Alumni beat current students in a bowl-off on Saturday, Nov. 28. Malvern lost to Conestoga High School last January, but beat The Haverford School in 2014.

Malvern’s eighth annual Empty Bowls will take place on January 9. The event fundraises for Bethesda Project, an organization that helps Philadelphia’s homeless. For the first time, Malvern is collaborating with student artists from Villa and Notre Dame.

The bowl-off was part of a series of Open Studios that the Empty Bowls Committee hosts in the months leading up to the Empty Bowls dinner. Open Studios began this year in November, and continue until the week before the event.

Villa Maria art teacher Mrs. Sarah Bacastow was contacted by Malvern’s ceramics teacher Ms. Plows about working together, according to Bacastow. “We thought it was a great idea, and we’re just thrilled to be here,” Bacastow said.

Villa has a ceramics program, but Bacastow wants to see it expand. “Currently we have Ceramics 1 and 2, and we’re hoping to add Ceramics 3 and 4 next year. We have four wheels and one kiln,” she said.

McGlinn made a trophy for the winner of the event. “It took me about two weeks to make it,” he said. “But I wasn’t working on it constantly. I had to throw it and let it dry.”

Starting at 11 AM, the ceramics studio was open to anyone who wanted to come make or paint a bowl. Judges Mr. Tim Anderson and Ryan Wheeler ’12 evaluated the bowls based on quantity and quality at 3 PM.

Tickets for Empty Bowls on Saturday, January 9 are available at www.mpemptybowls.org.