Next month a group of local artists and craftspeople will host an Empty Bowls event to raise money for the Ballard Food Bank.

Empty Bowls is an international project to fight hunger, personalized by artists and art organizations on a community level. Community events are self developed and independent and benefit an organization of the local chapter's interest. For the third year in a row, the Seattle Chapter has chosen to raise funds for the Ballard Food Bank.

"Our message is that artists are powerful and we can use our art to help others," said Isabelle Franklin from the Seattle Chapter of Empty Bowls. "It's people in Ballard helping people in Ballard."

The community is invited help fight hunger by buying a handcrafted bowl for a minimum donation of $15 and have it filled with soup from The Ballard Market and bread from Tall Grass Bakery while listening to music and enjoying the company of neighbors.

Last year the event was a great success and raised around $10,000, double the amount of the year before, said Franklin. This year however they're expecting a little less.

"We had to scale down a little because the Ballard Community Center hours have been cut down so much that we haven't had much access to the pottery studios," Franklin said. "It's been a challenge to do what we need to do."

But despite the struggles, they've managed to collect 600 bowls from glass artists, potters, metal smiths, and even woodturners.

"I've gathered about 70 bowls from our members," said Vern Tator from the Seattle Chapter of the American Association of Woodturners, who decided to donate bowls again this year.

"It seemed like a great thing to do. The community gives a lot to us and donating bowls is the least we can do. I really like the idea that 100 percent if the profit goes to charity," Tator said.

Pet bowls will be available as well and the profit of those will be set aside specifically for pet food at the Ballard Food Bank.

There's a $15 suggested donation and fine art bowls made of glass and metal will be auctioned off separately.

The event will take place on Saturday, April 16th from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Nordic Heritage Museum.