Jan. 30, 2019
The Clay Club, a Northwest Missouri State University group for students who share an interest in working with clay, recently raised $443 for two local food pantries as well as its organizational needs.
The Clay Club raised the funds during its winter Empty Cups event and art sale in December. The two-day event annually invites the Northwest community to purchase a handmade ceramic cup and fill it with coffee, tea or lemonade. The art sale, which coincides with Empty Cups, features a variety of art created by students in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts.
The proceeds from Empty Cups are divided and donated to the Bearcat Food Pantry, the Maryville Ministry Center and the Clay Club. Proceeds from the art show and sale are used to send students to art conferences, host visiting artists and fund other special projects.
“I’ve been a part of Clay Club since I walked on campus as a student in 1992 and it was always just a group of people interested in clay who wanted to collaborate on projects,” Veronica Watkins, an art lecturer in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, said. “Connection with the community is important to us and bringing visibility to the ceramic arts.”
The Clay Club will host its spring Empty Cups event and art sale Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26.
Additionally, the Clay Club is hosting open studio hours for Northwest students and employees this spring on the second and fourth Friday of each month. The hours are 10 a.m. to noon in Room 118 of the Fire Arts Building. Space is limited, and interested individuals should register by sending an email to watkins@nwmissouri.edu.