The Wichita State Ceramics Guild, in partnership with the Ulrich Museum of Art, hosted the third annual Build-A-Bowl workshop Friday, which is the first step in the Empty Bowls project, in which participants can build or throw a bowl for free to later be used to raise funds for the Kansas Food Bank.

“I want to bring the community and the students together,” said Brenda Lichman, lecturer in ceramics and Ceramics Guild advisor. “Empty Bowls is brilliant because everyone has different talents and we are able to bring those talents together for one big purpose.”

Lichman said the Empty Bowls project is a way for students and the Wichita community to come and learn how to make a bowl and use their hands to fight local hunger.

The Ceramics Guild helped participants learn how to create bowls by throwing and using coils to create designs and unique shaped bowls.

“We are here to just help people with whatever they need,” senior Emily Loy said. “The coils can be laid on the bowl mold to create whatever design that their heart desires.”

Many of the participants have never created a bowl or done ceramics before, so they were given the option to build or throw, since throwing can be more complex for some.

“There is very little time to get people comfortable on the wheels, so we basically have to get our demos down to very short and concise elements to teach the people,” graduate student Jared Gabriel said. “It’s pretty easy once they get the basics down. Our goal is for everyone to just walk away having created a bowl today.”

After the bowls are molded, dried and glazed, they will then be sold at the Chili Cook-off event, the second part of the Empty Bowls project.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 24 at Henrion Hall, members of the community are invited to come back and buy a bowl for $20 — or $10 for students — and sample chili and soups from all around the area. Proceeds will be donated to the Kansas Food Bank.

“We want to bring awareness to the issue of hunger, especially in the WSU community,” said Michelle Dreiling, lecturer and adviser of the Hunger Awareness Initiative. “This event is perfect for that because people get to come and be involved, hands-on and then can come to the chili cook-off, eat, get a hand-made bowl and the whole time it’s benefiting the Kansas Food Bank and raising awareness.”