The Sedona Arts Center’s Ceramics Department is celebrating 10 years of the Loving Bowls charity fundraiser. This year, the event takes place Saturday, Dec. 15, from noon to 3 p.m. and will benefit the Sedona Community Food Bank, Sedona Community Center, Humane Society of Sedona and the arts and educational programs at Sedona Arts Center.
Every Thursday since the beginning of March, volunteer ceramicists, with the help of studio assistant John Foster, have been donating their skills and time to create hundreds of bowls. Cliff and Katie Hamilton have single-handedly glazed all of the Loving Bowls with an artful eye to beautiful glaze combinations.
“The Arts Center took on the Loving Bowls project 10 years ago as a community fundraiser,” said Dennis Ott, head of the SAC ceramics department. “This is a special anniversary year for the event, and also the year that we surpass over 10,000 bowls produced by volunteers for this project.”
Today, Loving Bowls is a gathering of creative people. More than 500 local arts supporters line up around the Art Barn for this annual event. On Dec. 15, 45 volunteers will help with sales, serving chili and dessert, wrapping bowls, and making the fundraiser a success. Last year, the 1,200 bowls sold in just about two hours.
Loving Bowls offers a beautiful selection of bowls, plus loads of food and fun. More than 1,000 bowls have already been made and are being glazed in a variety of finishes by professional volunteer potters. Bowls will be for sale as always for $10 each and come with chili, bread and dessert. The event’s expenses are fully funded by the Kling Family Foundation.
New this year is an expanded silent auction that will feature fine art paintings, ceramics, gift vouchers for local spas, hotels and more. There will be two preview nights for the Loving Bowls silent auction, with the first being 1st Friday Gallery Tour on Dec. 7. Then on Wednesday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m., there will be special demonstrations by artists with a chance to bid on a few works as they are being created. Patrons will also have a chance to bid early or take their favorite piece home at the buy-it-now price at both of previews.
“The entire community looks forward to Loving Bowls each year, benefiting the nonprofits that provide needed services to the community with a beautiful event that also provides a chance to get together and enjoy delicious chili, shopping for bowls and camaraderie with friends,” SAC Executive Director Vince Fazio said. “It is a celebration of art, collaboration and community service. We are very grateful to all the volunteers that made bowls all year long.”
Visit Sedona Arts Center at noon on Saturday, Dec. 15, for chili, dessert, community fellowship and a veritable medley of ceramic goodness with more than a thousand beautiful objects waiting to find a new home. The event lasts for three hours, so arrive early, bring cash or credit card, select an armful — or box full — of gifts and items and support the 2018 Loving Bowls.
SAC is one of Northern Arizona’s most well-established cultural organizations and serves as the creative heart of Sedona. Founded in 1958, the nonprofit is based at the Art Barn in Uptown and offers year-round classes, exhibitions, festivals and cultural events that enhance the creative life of the Verde Valley.
The center’s Fine Art Gallery, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., promotes the original works of more than 100 local artists and regularly offers special assistance for collectors and art buyers, offers private studio visits, and fosters hundreds of arts education opportunities each year. Visit the Arts Center online at SedonaArtsCenter.org or call 282-3809 for more information.
Arts & Culture, written this week by Kelli Klymenko, artist, photographer and marketing director for the Sedona Arts Center, appears in The Scene.
