Art Guild donates part of proceeds to alum
The Ceramic Guild hosted their annual Chili Bowl fundraiser Wednesday at the TSC, raising money to assist with medical expenses for the wife of a former Art Guild President Todd Hayes.
Leanna Hayes, wife of Todd Hayes, had multiple brain aneurysms and had to have brain surgery, which has left the couple in hard financial times, said Ceramic Guild President Bobby Free. Half the proceeds from the fund raiser will be donated to help cover the medical expenses, he said.
“We will be sending a pretty hefty check to Todd and Leanna Hayes,” Free said. “Unfortunately, the money we’re giving is like a drop of water falling into an ocean, but it’s money that they won’t have to account for. It feels pretty good to know that we’re giving back to two very close friends and alumni of USU.”
Free said the guild usually uses all of the proceeds to spend on the National Conference of Education of Ceramic Art and being able to bring in guest artists to do workshops at USU. In past years, some of the proceeds have gone to fund the wood truck. The potters need large amounts of wood to fire up the kilns. The truck allows guild members to get a great deal of wood from assorted sources, including the dump, Free said.
There are about 40 members of the Ceramic Guild and each of them made between 10 and 20 bowls to sell.
The bowls were displayed with marked prices ranging from $8 to $20, chili included of course.
“They had a great selection this year,” said Patti Kohler, a patron of the sale. “A variety of shapes, colors and patterns were available.”
That selection proved to be a boon for the guild.
“Our bowl sale was a complete success. We sold over 400 bowls,” Free said.
“We put so much time into just one bowl,” one of the potters said. From start to finish the bowls take about three days to make. It isn’t a lucrative business scheme, but it certainly is an opportunity for the potters to express themselves and help others become more artistically aware.
The Ceramics Guild hosts several events throughout the year, including the Christmas Sale, which will be held in the ceramics studio Nov. 20 – 22, as well as the “Mugyou Valentine” mug sale.
“By having the sale here (in the ceramics studio in the Fine Arts Center), where the pots are being made, we’re opening up our working space for the public to see,” Free said. “It can spark questions, get people really involved in what they’re purchasing and they’ll be able to take more than just a bowl or jar back home.”
–r.perkins@aggiemail.usu.edu