The Los Medanos College Ceramics Department is donating 75 glazed bowls to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. The Empty Bowls fundraiser is for all ages and takes place in Fairfield on October 15 and in Concord on October 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on both days.

The Los Medanos College Ceramics Department is donating 75 glazed bowls to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. The Empty Bowls fundraiser is for all ages and takes place in Fairfield on October 15 and in Concord on October 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on both days.

This is an opportunity for the community to raise money for those in need. While there, attendees pick out one of the LMC bowls to use for the event’s soup and another one they choose to go back home with them as a memento from the fundraiser.

According to Ceramics instructor Lucy Snow, the students and instructors glaze the bowls in a group effort and each year, the department tries to increase how many bowls they want to provide.

“It’s an opportunity for the students to serve the broader community,” said Snow, “ I’d like to integrate this into the curriculum some more.”

Snow added that it’s a goal of hers to have students get more involved in this process and in community service as a whole.

Snow’s instructional aides Julee Richardson and Amy Ochoa explained that after the bowls are made, the first step in the glazing process is to mix the glazes by using a drill with a paddle attached at the end of it. With the glaze being separate and mix located at the bottom of the barrel, it needs a thorough stirring in order to create the colors that go on to the bowls.

“To get the interior, you pour some of the glaze into a cup and pour that into the bowl,” said Ochoa, “for the exterior you can just dip the entire bowl in the mixture.”

Ochoa explained that if two colors were added together, that would cause the color to run or flux more.

Once they’re done with the glazing, the bowls are placed into a kiln and are fired to the highest temperature it can handle. This process will eventually change the flux of the glaze.

“The glazes have flux, which is a glass and it melts and seals into the clay so that it becomes water resistant and, nothing will happen to it,” said Richardson, “It’s a finishing process.”

Families are encouraged to attend Empty Bowls. The cost to attend is $15 for individuals and $40 for a family of four. For more information about the event and registration visit the website at foodbankccs.org.