Annual Artisans soup fundraiser fills your bowl, warms your soul

Hand crafted bowls for the 2014 Artisans Gallery soup event, Artisans Gallery, Cedar City, Utah, Feb. 2014 | Photo courtesy of Steve Yates, St. George News

CEDAR CITY – For the fifth year in a row Artisans Art Gallery, 94 West Center Street, Cedar City, will host its annual “Soup for Your Bowl, Art for Your Soul” fundraising event.

From 6-9 p.m., Saturday night, patrons can purchase a handmade bowl created by a Southern Utah artist specifically for this event, while supplies last, and fill it with all the soup they can eat.

This year’s bowls have been crafted and donated by artisans Harold Snider, Bonnie Swenson and Southern Utah University students with the Ceramics Guild, Gallery Director Steve Yates said.

Traditionally all of the soups are homemade by the many artists whose work can be seen on display at the gallery. There are a variety of delectable dishes on this year’s menu, Yates said, including a dish called saag paneer which he described as a creamy curried spinach dish with cheese served over rice with naan bread.

Attendees can also enjoy a variety of soups and chowders, from vegetarian chili to Italian meatball soup until the crock pots are empty and their bellies are full, he said.

“For the last five years this has always been our most popular get-together,” Yates said. “People come to our other events and say, ‘well, this is nice and all, but when are you going to do that soup thing again?’”

As of Saturday morning, Yates said, over 120 out of 140 bowls have been sold, leaving only 20 available for possible attendees to scoop up upon arrival.

All of the money raised from the sale of the bowls will go to help Artisans continue to provide a venue for community artists and fun programs for budding artists of all ages to enjoy.

The gallery opened in 2009 as an artist’s co-op, but changed formats a couple of times in an effort to better serve the community, Yates said. They became established under the tax code as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit in 2014, a model that has since proved to be incredibly beneficial to all who patronize Artisans.

“The nonprofit status has helped considerably with our continuing art outreach efforts,” he said. “We now have more access to grants and public donations which help further goals to bring opportunities like writing seminars, live music events, poetry readings.

“The gallery strives to be a location that overall encourages and provides a source of unification of artists and a gathering place for all sorts at related events.”

Since Artisans opened, the venue has become an established gallery in the Cedar City artist community and hosts a variety of media formats. From painting and sculptures to photography and metal sculpture, Yates said, the gallery is open to all formats and genres of the artist’s pallets.

On Jan 26, the Cedar City Utah Arts Council board of trustees awarded the gallery with an Excellence in the Arts award for “outstanding contributions to the Cedar City arts community.”

“Currently we provide a showplace for 52 local and regional artists,” he said. “We started with 12, I think, back in 2009.”

He, and those at the gallery, are incredibly grateful for the immense support they are finding within the Cedar City and surrounding community, Yates said.

Event details

  • What: Soup for Your Bowl, Art for Your Soul fundraiser
  • When: Sat., Feb. 21, 2015
  • Where: Artisans Art Gallery | 94 W. Center St., Cedar City, Utah
  • How much: Bowls are $20 in advance and $25 at the door | All you can eat comes with bowl purchase
  • Attendance and mingling are free

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1 Comment

  • sagemoon February 21, 2015 at 4:08 pm

    OMG, this event sounds deliciously wonderful.

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