The art students were mashing, folding, twisting, pounding and shaping soft, pliable “mud” into bowls for the Pike County Salvation Army’s Empty Bowls fund-raiser on April 11.

Kim May, Pike County Salvation Army executive director, said Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger.

“Potters, craftspeople, educators and others work together to create handcrafted bowls,” May said. “People in the community are invited to the Empty Bowls soup meal. For $20, they enjoy soup and all the trimmings and select a handmade bowl to take home. The money that is raised at the Pike County Salvation Army’s Empty Bowl soup luncheon is used to support our food pantry that helps feed the hungry in our community.”

Clay artist Larry Percy brought several of his Troy University art students to assist the high school students with the Empty Bowls project.

Percy was Rigdon’s art instructor at Troy University. Rigdon said the Empty Bowls project has come full circle for her and Percy.

As a member of Percy’s pottery class, Rigdon got involved in the Empty Bowls project.

“I got started helping university football players make bowls and also helped when celebrities, including Gov. Robert Bentley’s wife, came to Troy University to make bowls.”

Now, Percy and his students are helping Rigdon’s students make bowls. “We want our students at Pike County High School to be involved in their communities,” Rigdon said. “Empty Bowls is way for them to be involved in the community, to learn about pottery making and to complete an art project at the same time.”

Each student had an opportunity to make two bowls, one for Empty Bowls and the other to take home.

Percy and Rigdon will assist the students with the glazing process at a later class session.

“We are also offering the art students an opportunity to bring a relative or a friend to studio 116 in Brundidge on March 1 and make another bowl for Empty Bowls,” Rigdon said.

May expressed appreciation to the PCHS art students for their participation in the Empty Bowls project and to Rigdon and Percy for their continuing support of the fundraiser.

The Pike County Chamber of Commerce Junior Ambassadors have also made bowls for the fund-raiser. There will be a Community Bowl on March 15 and members of the community will be invited to “bowl” for Empty Bowls. Space will be limited. Those who are interested in participating may call 334-808-1069, 672-4481 or 268-2553 to register.