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Outreach Highlight: Empty Bowls

We partner with local organizations to support community enrichment and growth. Our premier event in 2023 was a partnership with the local food bank called Empty Bowls. Our artists handmade and then donated over 1200 bowls and pieces of art for this event. The 2023 event was a HUGE success and 2024 promises to be even bigger. The 2024 event will be held on April 3, 2024. Tickets are being sold at three "bowl" levels: 

  • Small bowl $20

  • Medium bowl $50

  • Large bowl: $100

Purchase tickets for this wonderful event at the food bank!

Artists can join us for free Empty Bowl making weekends to throw bowls for this event. Check the calendar for the next date. We appreciate any support for this and other outreach events. Please consider donating to Hungry Hill's outreach activities. 

Community Outreach

Business Outreach

Hungry Hill works to combine efforts with local businesses in mutually advantageous endeavors including fundraising events, corporate workshops, retreats, and teambuilding.  Hungry Hill hosts corporate Christmas parties, works with businesses such as Plantasaurus Rex on a combined Pottery and Plant experiences, and hosts Santa Claus with free photos for local children during Butte’s annual ice carving contest. 

Art Share

Art that is created by Hungry Hill artists is used/given to support others in needs in the community through Art Share. This work includes art donations and support for events with other 501c3 organizations and for community medical benefits. One of the largest examples of this is the annual Empty Bowls event, put on by the Butte Emergency Food Bank.   Hungry Hill donates pottery for medical benefits and creates ceramic ornaments for the United Way Festival of Trees. 

Empty Bowls

Hungry Hill works in conjunction with the Butte Emergency Foodbank to present Empty Bowls, a premier community event that provides funding for the Foodbank’s Student Backpack Program. The Student Backpack Program provides weekend meals for food insecure children and teens in the community. 


Hungry Hill Art Center’s primary mission is to supply the Butte Emergency Food Bank’s Empty Bowls fundraiser with the pottery that is the center of the event. Each ticket sold includes entrance to the event, ticket holder’s choice of a bowl, soup, bread, dessert, and live music. Children are always free. 


In addition, Hungry Hill’s community of artists and artisans donate artwork for the silent auction and create small artworks for direct sales. Hungry Hill members work alongside other community volunteers, politicians, and groups such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Montana Tech Basketball Teams, and the Copper City Roller Derby Queens to provide the large number of support personnel to make the event run smoothly. 


Hungry Hill has been a registered non-profit since 2022, but many of the original potters who have been providing pottery to Empty Bowls since the beginning in 2014 are founding members of Hungry Hill.

Outreach

Hungry Hill provides meaningful support and enrichment to the greater Southwest Montana community using art as a catalyst to create connection.


Currently, Hungry Hill focuses its outreach in two areas: Community Outreach and Programming Outreach. 

Program Outreach

Art Cooperative

Hungry Hill’s newest outreach program provides adaptive pottery to people with physical disabilities that will help them in their everyday lives. Our goal with this program is to provide beautiful, well made, functional pottery that has been made specifically for each person's individual physical needs. To achieve these goals, once a client has been identified we will have them work with an artist (or artists) to design pottery to meet their specific physical needs and preferences.  

If you are interested in either being a client or a partner artist, please contact one of the following members of the Adaptive Pottery Committee:

Adaptive Programs

Hungry Hill is committed to providing accessible and relevant educational opportunities to all members of our community. Adaptive programs address specific needs of a subset in the community. 


One example of our adaptive programming is our Thursday Night Veterans Group is a closed studio group that invites all current and former members of the military to join us in the pottery studio.  The group is run by veterans for veterans and there is never any cost.  This program is ongoing throughout the year.  


Our Seniors Mixed Pottery Course that we offer twice a year in the fall and winter is designed for people over the age of sixty, although any adult is welcome.  Adaptations for this class includes a shortened afternoon class time, variations in types of clay techniques being taught, adaptations with tools for those struggling with grip strength or other medical issues.  


Other adaptive programs are in the planning stages.  If you or someone you know is interested in building a differential program, please contact us at hungryhillartcenter@gmail.com. We are always looking for new ways to meet the needs of the community. 

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