by Victoria Phillips, Gallery Intern
We had an incredible time celebrating fine art and tasty wine on September 15. With partnerships around our community, we were able to bring local artists together to exhibit on the streets of downtown while participants had the opportunity to join in on wine classes. In addition, we had our traveling art cart available with paint and canvases for anyone with a creative inkling to create their own masterpiece.
While the Art and Wine Festival was the main event, we also had the opportunity to help others in need. Through our partnerships, we were able to host a fundraiser for the non-profit organization Loaves and Fishes. This fundraiser was something that took weeks of planning as we held a class to create the pottery that was sold during the event. Our pottery students created bowls solely for this purpose. The Empty Bowl fundraiser is a national sensation as many creative groups have used this concept to raise money for food banks and charitable organizations. The idea is that the patron purchases a handmade bowl and then receives a bowl of soup, the catch phrase empty bowls and full hearts may come to mind.
In addition to the fundraiser, we also held a Wine Glass Painting Class. This was perfect for those participating in the Empty Bowls fundraiser because they could paint their glass and as it was cooling from the fire they could enjoy a delicious bowl of soup!
We want to say thank you to all who supported this event! We could not have done it without you! Thank you for helping us connect to our community through the arts.