The American School of Guadalajara, no stranger to educational events designed to foster social responsibility, put on a sale March 17 of artistic bowls made by students. Its goal was to raise funds for a Mexican organization that focuses on hunger.
The event, creatively dubbed Empty Bowls, was in its fourth edition this year and school spokespersons expressed satisfaction with the outcome, saying that both the sale of students’ bowls and the associated auction of hunger-themed art contributed by well-known artists were successful.
“The school was able to raise 23 percent more funds than last year for ONI (Organismo Nacional de Nutrición) at the silent art auction,” explained Claudia Grossi, adding that another related effort, the enlistment of local restaurants to serve soup to the community, was likewise a success. “Chai, Vanilla y Chocolate, Outback, Reddy Sandwiches, Osaka, Toyo, Masa Madre, Deli Chef, PF Chang’s, Cahiser, El Italiano and Juvie Jus all participated.
“Close to 1,000 people participated in Empty Bowls, allowing for a greater donation to ONI versus last year, thanks to the high quality work,” Grossi said.
“The participating artists were Paulina Carretero, Solange del Nero, Gabriel Canales, Adriana Dorantes, Diego Martínez Negrete, Alberto Navarro, Carmela Muguerza, Javier Preciado, Alvaro Cuevas as well as Art Professors Jodi Page and Chris Peterson.”
American School children were reportedly thrilled by the bowl sale, hurrying with their parents to purchase their bowls, which sold for a minimum of 100 pesos, as soon as the sale began. Students had made the bowls in the fall of 2015, Grossi explained. Some of them were of such high quality that they were offered for sale at the auction, alongside the work of adult artists.
By Elaine Halleck