Lego creations a centerpiece at Empty Bowls

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

Those piles of Legos scattered across the kids’ bedroom floor — could those really turn into masterful artwork?

Jacqueline Davidson, director at the Charles City Arts Center, wasn’t so sure until her son sent a photo of a Mustang replica made entirely of Legos.

Now, Davidson watches community members come in and build with the boxes of Legos the Charles City Public Library has loaned the Arts Center for its latest exhibit, which features children’s creations from Charles City and New Hampton, as well as Arts Council member Christopher Anthony’s soaring displays of city blocks.

“He’s 4-years old and he’s going to be an architect,” Davidson recalls thinking as she watched one young patron build.

The creations will all be on display on Feb. 17 during the center’s annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, with more than 100 pottery bowls for sale. Starting at 6 p.m., visitors can buy hand-crafted pottery from six artists for $10 and fill bowls with chili, chicken soup or cream of broccoli soup. Proceeds from the night’s event will go toward Messiahs Food Pantry and the pottery room’s supply stock, Davidson said.

Empty Bowls has been an annual event for 10 years at the Arts Center. This year’s contributing artists includes a former Charles City High School student, Nathaniel Trenton, now at Iowa State University. Trenton sent bowls up from Iowa State University, which contributed some of the clay for the event.

The dinner will be held in the downstairs classroom, but the Arts Center will also have a silent auction and an accumulation sale in the upstairs south gallery, Davidson said. The sale will feature items the Arts Center is no longer storing, such as book volumes.

The silent auction will include former pieces from the permanent collection, including Day of the Dead sculptures and a loom the Arts Center has stored. Thirty items are in the auction, with another 30 to 40 items for sale.