Students at The John Cooper School in The Woodlands make handmade bowls to raise funds for food pantry

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The John Cooper School National Art Honor Society (NAHS) and Cooper Art Society (CAS) students will continue its tradition of raising funds to help fight hunger in our community by sponsoring the 12th Annual Empty Bowls Project on Saturday, February 25.

The 2017 Empty Bowls event will be held in Cooper's Student Center from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and online reservations are encouraged, but not required. The public is invited to this annual event that has helped to raise over $75,000 for hunger relief in our community over the past 11 years. Reservations are $10 and can be secured here.

Handmade bowls, created by Cooper students in grades PK through 12, as well as faculty, staff, parents and local artists, will be available. A simple meal of soup and water will be served for the admission price. "The handmade bowls come in all shapes, sizes and forms and are for people to take home as a reminder of the fight against hunger," said senior Gina Valderrama, who is the NAHS Service Chair.

Faculty advisors Jamila Musa and Emily Taylor are continuing to add new dimensions to the bowls they are making for the event. "We are taking bowl making in new directions: from 3-D printed bowls, ceramic cups, and more traditional bowls to watercolor paintings and photographs of bowls at various states of emptiness," Taylor said. "With such diversity, visitors will be sure to leave with a unique work of art, whether from entry donation and/or the silent auction."

Proceeds from Empty Bowls have again been designated for the Interfaith Food Pantry. Interfaith of The Woodland’s President and CEO Missy Herndon, says the Interfaith Food Pantry, a beneficiary for the past eight years, is grateful for the support and says the outreach truly makes a difference in the lives of many.

“John Cooper students enrich their lives and the lives of others in need through a deep voluntary commitment to a number of outreach activities,” said Visual Arts Department Chair Bob Mosier. “ Empty Bowls is an annual project that is entirely student-led and involves the participation of the entire Cooper community. We are very proud of the commitment of our students to make this an annual event.”

More information and a link to the online reservation is posted on the Cooper website at www.johncooper.org. Local artists are also encouraged to donate to the silent auction. For more information email visualarts@johncooper.org.