Downtown Businesses, Residents Combine to Launch ‘Empty Bowl Supper’ House of Hope Fundraiser Coming April 24

Royal Examiner was alerted to an April 4th preparation for the annual “Empty Bowl Supper” fundraiser for the House of Hope, homeless men’s shelter. That fundraising supper is scheduled for April 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church at 14 West First Street in Front Royal.

But our April 4th prepping event was slated for 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at “Explore Art & Clay Gallery & Studio” at 501 East Main Street, directly across from the Main Street Mill in Downtown Front Royal’s Historic Business District. That prepping would see the colorizing of some of those empty bowl designs by some involved downtown business people and residents, who were beginning to gather. The bowls, ready for painting within the outlined figures provided by event artist Raven Milenkevich, were outline-primed and ready for part two of their artistic development.

The downtown host site. Below left, Mallory Deinert of Penny Lane Hair Company, displays a completed bowl, while Explore Art & Clay Gallery & Studio host Arline Link has one ready for an artistic touch. And further below, Arline oversees Sue Laurence’s use of a color chart as Empty Bowl painting gets rolling, as Arline’s daughter Holly, upper right, keeps an eye on the front of house. Snacks were available to keep those artistic engines running. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

“Raven does the drawings, she’s been doing the drawings for me this year,” Explore Arts & Clay Gallery & Studio proprietor Arline Link said of Milenkevich, adding, “We do it year round, so if mom brings kids in and she’s not doing anything, we get her to paint one of the bowls.

“So, they’re available to paint year round. Right now we have over 150 and 30 more coming,” Arline said of the community-wide effort on behalf of the House of Hope men’s shelter, noting other friendly potters who also donate some bowls for the cause.

Arline prepped us on the pending empty bowl painting as 5:30 p.m. approached and volunteering artists including Mallory Deinert of Penny Lane Hair Company, Sue and Chris Laurence of Key Move Properties and White Picket Fence, along with some familiar faces like Greg Williams and Walt Mabe, among others, were arriving.

Who put, I mean “painted” that fish in that bowl Arline is displaying? – Nice work whoever it was. Below, local musician Greg Williams of Excel, right, is ready for the Friday afternoon switch to painting, as is a partially obscured Walt Mabe, lower left.

After situating us in proximity to some of those empty bowls being prepared for painting and introducing herself, Arline told us that, “Every year we make bowls for the House of Hope Empty Bowl Supper. We donate about 200 to 250 bowls each year. This year it will probably be a little over 200. We make the bowls, we draw designs on the inside. And then we invite the community to come in and paint them.

“And then once they’re fired,” she said of the artistic process of sealing your bowl, you are not being “fired” for being a lousy painter within your bowl’s design, adding, “If you decide you want to keep your bowl, it’s $25 dollars, if you want to come to the dinner it’s $35 dollars. You get to pick a bowl, soup from our local restaurants, bread, and I believe cookies and something to drink the day of the event, which is April 24th at the First Baptist Church,” she reaffirmed of the info on the event poster she had given this reporter for background on the community run up to the Empty Bowl Supper.

“We get kids of all ages who help paint the bowls each year,” Arline added of a youth participation aspect to the homeless shelter fundraiser. ”

Outlined bowls are ready to join completed ones already painted as the April 4 community volunteers “paint-in” at Explore Art & Clay Gallery & Studio picks up steam.

“The one thing that makes our Empty Bowl Supper different from other Empty Bowls is the other ones have professional potters who donate 20 to 30 bowls. Here we make all the bowls in shop. And then we invite the community to be a part of it. And that’s why we have so many different kinds of bowls. And people enjoy it.

“We’ve been doing this for over 10 years now and I have regulars who come back year round to paint them. The one thing that makes us different, is the whole community is involved,” Arline enthused over the process developed around this worthy community-wide event.

Involved community members, with ‘more to come’, get a nod as the April 24th House of Hope Men’s Shelter Empty Bowl Supper fundraiser is only 3 weeks away.