What do Jack Nicklaus, Loretta Lynn and Billy Graham have in common?
They are all involved in helping to feed the hungry through the Empty Bowls project. Join them - bid now!
Auction Ends: Oct 15, 2010 12:01 PM EDT
Live Event
Sun Oct 17, 2010
5:30 PM - 5:30 PM EDT
Auction Stats
$2,949
Top Items
Top Bidders
- lesliejo$1,325
- beamlaw1$1,280
- kadar$595
- bid2012$560
- lluvfrogs$420
Online auction closed. Live Auction Event Coming October 17th!
Welcome to the Empty Bowls online auction for MANNA FoodBank, a member organization of Feeding America, located in Asheville, NC. Our auction items include both exquisite pieces of art by highly-regarded artists, as well as hand-painted, celebrity-autographed collector bowls. The proceeds will support MANNA’s work to secure and distribute food and grocery items to neighbors in need through 255 partner hunger-relief agencies. MANNA serves 16 counties in Western North Carolina, where 1 in 6 residents seeks emergency food assistance in a year.
The online auction will take place October 1-15, with a live event on October 17 at Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville. Select items have a “buy it now” price, and absentee bids will be accepted for the live event, so everyone is assured an opportunity to own these amazing pieces. We are excited about offering such high-quality work in our auction, but you will want to identify your favorites and make your bid (or buy) early! These bowls make great one-of-a-kind gifts (for yourself or someone else!) that will be appreciated often – by your recipient and by the persons facing hunger who will benefit from your generosity. Thank you for your support of MANNA's mission: to involve, educate and unite people in the work of ending hunger in Western North Carolina.
Empty Bowls Turns 20
It is very rare in this day and age to find an enduring, sustaining and effective idea spanning a generation while generating millions of philanthropic dollars. Starting in a Detroit high school in 1990, Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom decided to teach their art students a lesson in compassion. They made empty clay bowls and sold them at a luncheon, with proceeds benefiting a local food bank. The bowl reminded people of all the wonderful things that they had in their lives and, more importantly, reminded them of their neighbors who regularly go without.
Since that day, the Empty Bowls Project has expanded into an institution. Ninety-one Feeding America food banks in 31 states host annual Empty Bowls events. The concept has even spread to 20 countries across the globe. In Asheville, for the last nine years, Empty Bowls events have generated more than $130,000 for MANNA FoodBank. Artists from this pottery mecca — Lori Theriault, John Hartom, Bob Weisburger, Nick Joerling, David Voorhees and many more — come together every year to create and donate their art for this very important cause.
Rarely does the marriage of art and philanthropy sustain itself so vibrantly and effectively. Thanks to Lisa Blackburn, John Hartom and the many thousands of artists creating empty bowls ready to be filled, millions more people will have a meal. Go to http://www.mannafoodbank.org to find out about the two upcoming events on Thursday, Oct. 14, and and Sunday, Oct. 17, that will commemorate this most momentous of anniversaries.
Many thanks to the celebrities who autographed the bowls and the artists who donated their work to our auction, to our committee members for their time, and to RR Donnelley for their help with our on-line auction.
We would also like to thank our sponsors...
