Although thousands of people in Huntington suffer from hunger, a fundraiser is relieving some of that hunger by filling empty bowls and empty stomachs. The Empty Bowls fundraiser will be April 12 at Huntington’s First Presbyterian Church, and Marshall University’s Clay Club will participate by selling their handmade bowls for $15, which will come with a free soup lunch in a separate bowl. All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to the Facing Hunger Food Bank. 

The Clay Club is also getting ready for their next sale, which features original work from the members of the club. These art sales give the artists a chance to show off their work while also earning a little bit of money, said Kevin Trautwein, vice president of the club. They will be set up in the Memorial Student Center from April 23-25, followed by a sale day downtown at the Visual Arts Center. Sixty percent of the profits from this sale will go directly to the artist who created each piece, while the remaining 40 percent will go toward general club expenses, Trautwein said. 

 “(The club) is a collaborative group of students who meet weekly to learn about clay,” Trautwein said. 

Most of their meetings are open-studio work times, with the exception of three mandatory meetings for all club members to discuss important items on the agenda. 

Any students interested in joining the club do not need to have prior clay or sculpting experience, just a willingness to learn about clay and the process of creation, Trautwein said. The dues for being a part of the club are $15, which pays for a club shirt and any cost of materials used to create. 

Sydney Wyer can be contacted at [email protected].