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com/article/20140323/NEWS24/303230103/Tinkham-students-stage-benefit-Wayne-Westland-Resource-Center
Page 1 of 3 Apr 13, 2014 03:51:03PM MDT
Katy Schoetzow of Pewabic Pottery works with students at the
Tinkham Alternative High School in making bowls for next month's
Empty Bowls benefit for the Wayne-Westland Family Resource
Center. / Wayne-Westland Community Schools
Tinkham students stage benefit for Wayne-Westland Resource Center
Written by Sue Mason Staff Writer
Apr. 12 hometownlife.com
Empty Bowls
When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 15
William D. Ford Career Technical Center, Where:
36455 Marquette, between Wayne and Newburgh
roads, Westland In addition to lunch, there Details:
will be a gift basket raffle. A minimum donation of
$5, payable at the door, is being asked. Proceeds
will benefit
the Wayne-Westland Family Resource Center.
Located inside Adams Upper Elementary
School, the center links families with agencies,
organizations, volunteer groups and schools to
meet their social, emotional, physical and academic needs.
The Wayne-Westland Community Schools Family Resource
Center will be on the receiving end of a service learning project that has 15-20 students at the Tinkham
Alternative High School making bowls.
Students in art classes and Tinkhams Omankan the Collective, a 21st century after-school program, have
been making bowls for several weeks. Their goal is to make as many as they can in time
for an April 15 Empty Bowls benefit. The money raised will go to the Resource Center, which helps
students and their families living in the Wayne-Westland district.
Its something that has been done on a national level as a fundraiser, Diane Fournier said. A lot of
groups do it to help food banks and the homeless. I heard about it and thought it was such a beautiful
metaphor.
Students like Remy Jefferson initially worked in making bowls with a slip glaze with Katy Schoetzow of
Pewabic Pottery, which is finishing them for the April 15 event. Students also have been working with art
teacher Anne Chambers, using paper
lined bowls to shape the clay. Those bowls will be glazed and fired in the kiln at Wayne Memorial High
School.
Were aiming to make 50 or 60 bowls, Chambers said. Were trying to make as many as we can. Were
trying to make different sizes so people have a choice. Were making them so theyre functional and some
will be functional art.
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Page 2 of 3 Apr 13, 2014 03:51:03PM MDT
This the first time for Empty Bowls and we dont know what to expect, she added.
Chambers wanted to do something with Pewabic Pottery and Fournier was looking for a service learning
project for the students. Empty Bowls was a natural fit and Fournier got the ball rolling.
Making bowls
Chambers picked 10 students who had time in their schedules to work on the bowls and had good
attendance. She also included students who werent able to take a field trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Five students from the after-school program also are making bowls. Her Art II class also is working on the
bowls every day.
Im trying to keep it with the people who had the Pewabic day, because they have the background,
Chambers said.
The students who worked on the project also will go on a field trip to Pewabic Pottery in Detroit and see a
demonstration of wheel-throwing. Chambers also hopes theyll be able to visit the Heidelberg Project while
in Detroit.
The Pewabic class had a lot more instruction, the students learned about coils and slabs, she said.
They did a lot of decorating in the class.
The teachers used the GoFundMe online fundraising site to raise the money needed to pay for the
Pewabic class, buy clay and partially pay for the field trip. The money was raised in just 48 hours.
People were excited; the response was more than we expected, Chambers said.
The students have been very creative with their bowls. One is decorated stencils, others have decorative
holes. One lost its bottom; Chambers said shell use beads and polyurethane to repair it.
The kids have gotten into it; its gotten so they know what to do, she said. They come into my room and
they get started.
Jefferson jokes that the last time he played with clay was in elementary school. It might have been in sixth
grade, he said. His Pewabic bowl has a blue exterior with orange accent on the inside
I think this is going to be awesome, Jefferson said. I cant wait to see my bowl.
Student input
The students have had a lot of input in the project. They helped in the selection of the Resource Center to
receive proceeds from the luncheon, which will be held at the William D. Ford Career Technical Center.
Culinary arts instructor Chef Tony Paquette is planning on serving three different soups and doing
something special with bread, Fournier said.
We wanted them to feel connected to the agency we chose and, because its so close and in our
neighborhood, we felt they could connect, Fournier said. They made the choice. We thought it was a
good fit.
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Chambers added that the project is now kid driven. The teachers have been hands off, making
themselves available to answer questions.
Theyve really taken ownership of this, she said. Its nice to see a big collaboration come together.
Students have visited the senior citizen centers to talk about the luncheon and are working on speaking
before the city council. Many of them will be at the luncheon, manning the bowl table, helping
with the gift basket raffle table and speaking to guests.
They like the idea; I think it will be exciting for them, Fournier said. I think theyll be pretty excited to see
their artwork go home with someone.
Its exciting to give the kids the opportunity to give back to the community, Chambers said. Theyre
excited its going to the Resource Center.