Members of the public can buy unique ceramic bowls hand made by school children, staff, parents, and friends of Bradley Beach Elementary School and receive a bowl of ice cream donated by Beach Plum Ice Cream Parlor at an event to raise money to fight hunger.
The “Empty Bowls Ice Cream Social” will be held on Sat., May 2 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Bradley Food Pantry, 605 4th Ave., Bradley Beach.
The event, part of an international grassroots movement to end hunger, was organized by art teacher Jennifer DiZefalo, of Neptune, to raise money for the Bradley Food Pantry, which serves more than 600 families a month in central coastal Monmouth County.
Students, staff and parents made and glazed about 200 ceramic bowls for the event, which will sell for between $5 and $10, DiZefalo said.
“The students are really proud of their hard work,” she said. “Many students created beautiful textures and patterns on their bowls. They are all well made, unique pieces.”
The school’s Advanced Band will perform live music with music teacher Anthony LeProtto, and there will be an auction of professional pottery donated by LaPlaca Pottery, Point Pleasant, and Norse Ceramics, Wall Township, she said. Bowls will be available for sale after the event at Intentional B, 610 Main St., Bradley Beach, which is also helping to set up the event.
The school’s Parent Teacher Organization donated the ice cream toppings.
“The best part of this project is that so many people have contributed to it,” DiZefalo said. “Students, staff, and families have been active participants in preparing for the event.”
DiZefalo and professional ceramic artist Gail Scuderi taught participants how to make the bowls using traditional hand-building techniques of coil, pinch and slab. The bowls were fired in the school’s new kiln, purchased with help from the PTO.
DiZefalo brought ceramic art to the school for the first time this year under a grant she received from the Artists-in-Education Program (A.I.E.), co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Arts Horizons, and Young Audiences New Jersey. The grant pays for Ms. Scuderi to visit the school for 20, three-hour sessions this year.
The resident artist has been teaching students to create Meso-American-style ceramics. As part of the project, middle school students have been learning about the Maya Civilization in social studies and language arts classes. Eighth graders took a class trip to the Art of the Ancient Americas galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Dec. 15.
The school’s Principal and Superintendent Joseph G. Majka praised the project.
”We are giving students cross-curricular experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives. And we are using our resources to help others in the community,” he said. “I think it’s a great project, and I hope it is the beginning of a tradition.”
The rain date for the event is May 3. No reservations are needed. For more information, visit the school website www.bbesnj.org.
