Empty Bowls
(2025)
For nearly three decades, the Empty Bowls initiative has brought Pittsburgh neighbors together over a shared meal of soup and bread, all while raising funds to fight food insecurity. Now, for the first time, the Carnegie Mellon University School of Art is joining the movement. “It felt like the right moment to bring our students into a project that so powerfully combines creativity and community impact,” said Professor Yoko Sekino-Bové, who spearheaded CMU’s involvement.
Supported by a Frank-Ratchye Studio Micro Grant, Sekino-Bové led CMU students in bowl-making sessions across two February weekends in the School of Art ceramics studio. Local non-profit Just Harvest, which organizes the Pittsburgh Empty Bowls event, provided refreshments for the student participants. The finished bowls will be donated and available for guests to take home at the 29th Pittsburgh Empty Bowls event on Sunday, March 15, held at Rodef Shalom Congregation.
“I hope students recognize that they are not just studying in Pittsburgh, but that they are truly part of the city,” Sekino-Bové said. “Through contributing their creativity and time, they can see how artists and designers can play an active role in addressing community needs. It’s a powerful reminder that even small acts, one bowl at a time, can contribute to real change.”
Since its inception in 1990 by Michigan art teachers John Hartom and Lisa Blackburn, Empty Bowls has grown from a local initiative into a worldwide movement. By bridging the gap between art education and charitable giving, the organization has helped schools across the country raise millions of dollars to combat hunger in their own backyards.
Sekino-Bové is already looking ahead, envisioning this pilot as the first step toward building a lasting campus tradition. “My long-term hope is that this initiative grows into a sustained, student-driven tradition,” she said. “I’m excited to help plant the seeds this year.”
Text by Phillip Crook, Communications Manager Carnegie Mellon University School of Art. https://art.cmu.edu/news/school/empty-bowls-pittsburgh/
This project was made possible with support from the Frank-Ratchye Further Fund Microgrant #2026-053. Additional images available here.