OCC Pottery Students Raise Funds One Bowl at a Time
Oakland Accelerated College Experience (ACE) student Dylan Woodward didn’t expect to get some holiday shopping done when he showed up for class on Dec. 3 at OCC's Royal Oak campus. But a display of colorful, student-made ceramic bowls for the Empty Bowls fundraiser quickly changed that. Impressed, the young teen bought two bowls, then returned a few minutes later for a third.
“My dad is an art teacher, so I have always appreciated art and pottery,” said Woodward, who was walking near the bookstore with classmate Aaron Morton at the time. “My purchase is going toward a good cause, and I also needed to get some shopping done.”
The Empty Bowls fundraising event featured more than 100 hand-crafted bowls of different colors, designs and shapes, priced from $2 to $25. Every purchase included a voucher for fresh soup prepared by OCC Culinary Arts students.
OCC’s Clay Guild hosted the event, a fundraiser that supports OCC's Give or Take Pantry. The event offered more than 100 hand-crafted bowls of different colors, designs and shapes, priced from $2 to $25. Every purchase included a voucher for fresh soup prepared by OCC Culinary Arts students.
Now in its third year on the Royal Oak campus, Empty Bowls is part of a global grassroots movement where artists create bowls to support local hunger-relief efforts and food-related charities, combining art and service. This year, OCC’s Clay Guild raised $900 and collected 70 food items for the student pantry.
“Empty Bowls is an event that is very important for our OCC community,” said Lindsey Dezman, OCC Faculty Art. “It reminds us that someone's bowl is always empty. For our students, it’s a powerful way for them to use their ceramic and creative skills to make functional items and experience them being purchased by others for their value.”
Ceramics student Riley Tyler created six bowls for the fundraiser. She enjoys adding swirls to the bottoms of her bowls and using colors like yellow with copper light and raisin accented with white in her artwork. Tyler, began taking pottery classes in 2023, a year after earning her associate degree in mental health and social work at OCC . She is currently enrolled in Wheeler 4 and says the studio feels like a “little community.”
“The pottery studio is fun and we all get to know each other,” she said. “For me, pottery is relaxing and Empty Bowls is a nice way for people to enjoy things I have made.”
First-year OCC student Jay Elfrouj is among those who bought a one-of-a-kind handcrafted ceramic bowl. He plans to use the bowl for his soup and cereal. Its aqua blue glaze makes him feel like he’s on the beach.
“The fundraiser is a good way to help the community and students with their confidence,” he said.
The first Empty Bowls event started in Michigan in 1990 by a high school art teacher. It was hosted on OCC’s Highland Lakes campus before moving to Royal Oak in 2023.
About OCC
Celebrating 60 years, Oakland Community College (OCC) has educated over one million students since 1965. OCC offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs and is committed to student success with affordable tuition, support services, flexible class options and top transfer opportunities. The College serves more than 20,000 students annually while advancing our community through education, training and career support. OCC is nationally recognized as Michigan’s top online college, and seventh in the U.S., by Newsweek’s America’s Top Online Colleges 2025. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
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