Within Creighton University’s halls, Amy Nelson, a ceramist and associate professor of Fine Art, sits with her hands deep in clay and her heart set on community. Her teaching curriculum is a fusion of artistic passion and civic engagement, represented by the hundreds of ceramic bowls of various colors, shapes, and sizes that line the studio. A respected ceramics instructor, Nelson’s journey into the realm of civic-minded artistry began long before her tenure at Creighton.
Pottery was personal to Nelson during her formative years. She recounted how a potter’s demonstration in her freshman high school art class ignited her fascination with ceramics, leading her to become somewhat obsessed with the craft as a teen.
“I took my first college pottery class during my freshman year at Creighton as an undergraduate, which has influenced a lot of my teaching now and who I am as an artist,” Nelson reflected. This initial fascination laid the groundwork for what would become her life’s work—blending artistic expression with community service.
Upon joining Creighton’s faculty full time in 2006, Nelson embarked on a transformative endeavor that carries on today—Empty Bowls, an international project to fight hunger for which participants create ceramic bowls the public can purchase. Integrated into a service-learning class led by Nelson within the university’s art program, Creighton students craft hundreds of bowls for their bi-annual sale. Proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the Siena Francis House, the primary provider of services to homeless individuals in downtown Omaha not far from Creighton’s campus.
After one of Nelson’s students initially proposed Empty Bowls as a solo project, it was Nelson’s decision to involve the entire class that propelled the initiative forward, demonstrating a collective commitment to making an impact within their community. Creighton’s involvement in this project transcends Nelson’s expectations year after year.
“We had no idea what was going to happen or if anyone would come,” Nelson recalled of their inaugural public sale. “I had six students, and they made 350 bowls in three months. It wasn’t my original plan for the class, but I was happy to throw all my plans out the window.”
While their participation was a mere fundraising effort in 2006, it wasn’t until 2010 that Nelson formulated a comprehensive curriculum for her Arts and Civic Engagement class, with the Empty Bowls project at its core. While crafting bowls and serving meals remained a primary activity, the class syllabus expanded to include collecting essential donations and participating in additional outreach efforts.
“Our work at Siena Francis is a big part of who I am; I recognize its value and integrate it into my teaching as much as possible,” Nelson said. “My own approach to art is less about creation and more about making art accessible to underserved populations.”
Throughout the semester, Nelson and her students engage in various creative workshops at the shelter. These sessions often involve collaborations with the Miracles Addiction Treatment and Recovery Program, which otherwise lacks programming centered on art therapy, Nelson said. Additionally, students partake in art activities within the emergency shelter. The shelter sits just a few blocks away from Creighton, a different world from their own.
Even outside scheduled class time, students commit to volunteering at Siena Francis House for a minimum of six to eight hours, individually or in small groups, during the semester. Their personal volunteer work ranges from serving meals to participating in ground maintenance tasks, such as trash pickup.
Reflecting on her own journey, Nelson acknowledges the importance of art in the community initiatives in which she partakes. She served on the Union For Contemporary Art’s board of directors for six years, a role that resonated with her vision of enhancing arts accessibility in Omaha. In 2023, she was honored with the Volunteer of the Year award and inducted into the Volunteer Hall of Fame for her contributions with the Empty Bowls project during the Siena Francis House’s annual volunteer appreciation luncheon.
Remarkably, the proceeds from the Empty Bowls initiative have amassed close to $80,000 for Siena Francis thus far. The tenth public event of the Creighton University Empty Bowls project is scheduled for December 2024, taking place on the Wednesday and Thursday following Thanksgiving. Sales are conducted on the Creighton campus within the Lied Art Gallery.
“Pottery is what I consider an intimate form of art,” Nelson noted. “It’s not just hanging on a wall—you physically engage with it. Students enjoy their time in the studio, but they know it’s meaningful on a much bigger scale.”
With each ceramic vessel crafted, each meal served, Nelson and her students create bonds of solidarity that resonate far beyond their ceramics studio classroom.
“At the beginning of a new semester, I make it clear to my students: ‘You’re committing to creating X number of bowls, and we’re going to serve at Siena Francis—everything you make will be donated.’ I always found it surprising that students were willing to participate. ‘All that work, and you’re willing to give it all away?’
“Without fail, they’ll say, ‘Let’s do it.’”
For more information, visit emptybowls.com.
This article originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
