"Empty Bowls Project". Photo by Mil Wexler Kobrinski
(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- The Atlantic Highlands Arts Council (AHArts) is pleased to announce the next exhibit in their main gallery, “Empty Bowls and Community Clay Works.” It will be on display from May 10 to June 24, 2023.
AHArts will partner on the international hunger awareness project, the Empty Bowls Project, with artist and activist Mil Wexler Kobrinski, and the Atlantic Highlands Food Pantry during May and June this season. Empty Bowls is an international, grassroots movement activated by artists in cities and towns around the world to raise money for food related charities to support families and individuals with food insecurity in their communities.
The empty bowl is a symbol of the existence of hunger and those in need. Ceramicist and activist, Mil Wexler Kobrinski, has been leading this project in New Jersey with various nonprofits, service organizations, and at county Teen Arts Festivals for decades. She teaches communities and students how to create hand-built clay bowls with textures and unique patterns, then leads participatory “Glazing Parties” to engage communities further with the process of finalizing the bowls with layers of colored glaze, before they are fired in the kiln one final time.
Artwork by Mil Wexler Kobrinski
AHArts welcomes the community to join their two free public Glazing Parties this May, to help them finish the bowls and raise funds and awareness around food insecurity in the region. The first Glazing Party will be held at the AHArts Gallery at 54 First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands on Sunday, May 21st from 1:00pm-4:00pm. The second Glazing Party will be held at the United Methodist Church at 96 Third Avenue in Atlantic Highlands on Tuesday, May 23rd from 6:00pm-8:00pm. All ages and abilities are welcome! No prior experience is necessary.
Finished bowls will be on display during the exhibit and will be available for sale for $20 each. Proceeds from these sales will support the Atlantic Highlands Food Pantry and AHArts.
Concurrently in the gallery, AHArts will showcase the incredible local talents of ceramic artists, sculptors, and potters, Melissa Schutzenhofer, Vicki Zilaitis Stoeckel, Sue Kasdon, and Mil Wexler Kobrinski.
Melissa is an accomplished potter who creates functional pieces that are both practical for everyday use and aesthetically pleasing. Vicki is a full-time artist and Landscape Designer, working in her home studio in Atlantic Highlands and teaching hand building classes in Red Bank. Sue, of Catlantic Studio, is a local artist working in ceramics and printmaking, with a focus on cats. Mil is passionate about pairing art with social awareness in public settings and currently teaches ceramics at Brookdale Community College as well as in her private studio.
Artwork by Melissa Schutzenhofer
AHArts will be hosting an Opening Reception on Saturday, May 13th from 6:00pm-8:00pm with Artist Talks beginning at 6:30pm. Refreshments and light fare will be served. This event is free and open to the public.
The gallery is open from Wednesday through Sunday. For hours and directions, please click here.
The mission of the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council is to strengthen community through the arts. They are a 100% volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit organization that believes in the power of the arts to transform and enrich communities. Their primary function is to develop and execute events and arts related activities for the benefit of their communities. The Council is located at 54 First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.
Artwork by Sue Kasdon
