According to pottery teacher Angela Jacob, pottery pieces will be sent to the St. Louis Park Emergency Program for their Empty Bowls gathering.

“Whenever I have something that students don’t want to bring home, I collect it and donate it to (the) Empty Bowls project,” Jacob said. “A lot of times if students make a nice bowl that I think will be a good fit and they don’t want to take it home, I’ll fire it with the intention of making the donation so I’ll have a student glaze it later on, and then we make the donation.”

Sophomore Ryan Barnett said Empty Bowls provides the Park art department with an opportunity to help others.

“I was glad that the stuff we were making was being put to use. Even if we didn’t want to take it home or didn’t want to keep it, we could still have it do good,” Barnett said.

Jacob said February is when the art from pottery classes will be donated, which includes even more than just bowls.

“They’ve done it every year since before I came,” Jacob said. “This year I’ll be donating more mugs as well and anything that’s been fired.”

According to Jacob, St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP) is able to strengthen the ties between members of St. Louis Park.

“At the event, they have a table full of bowls — I think a thousand bowls or so or more,” Jacob said. “The idea is to get (the) community together, and then when you go there, you’ll donate money optionally and take a bowl and then eat soup.”

Barnett said although he did not donate this year, he plans to in the future.

“I decided to keep all mine, but the next time I take pottery, I am definitely going to donate some (pottery),” Barnett said.

Sophomore Macy Martinson, who took pottery, said she believes donating the bowls allows students to learn about the importance of providing assistance to fellow community members.

“I think one of my pieces did (get donated),” Martinson said. “In high school, we shouldn’t lose that aspect of education.”

With registration for classes approaching, Barnett said he recommends pottery for other students.

“It’s a really great outlet for creativity and being able to create something with your hands and then see how it turns out, and just to be able to build stuff is really satisfying,” Barnett said.

According to STEP, Empty Bowls will take place Feb. 28 at Westwood Lutheran Church.