Join us for our 19th Annual Soup Bowl Benefit Night!

For 20 years, Richard Rowland has spearheaded a movement of potters and volunteers who create the bowls for this event. His vision, creation and continued stewardship of Astoria’s Anagama Kilns have built an extraordinary gift  of community for which we at the Harbor are very grateful. Each bowl is a unique work of art as well as a collaborative effort.

Ceramics are one of the oldest human art forms. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of fi red ceramics from 26,000 years ago. From ancient vessels to modern sculpture, from the simplest cups to the most complex shapes, pott ery touches every aspect of our lives. The shape of a simple bowl is perhaps the most revered shape in every human culture: the bowl that holds food and water to nourish humanity. 

The Anagama kiln is an ancient type of pottery kiln brought to Japan from China via Korea in the 5th century.  It’s fueled with firewood, in contrast to the electric or gas-fueled kilns commonly used by most contemporary potters.  A continuous supply of fuel is needed for fi ring, as wood thrown into the hot kiln is consumed very rapidly. Stoking occurs round the clock for multiple days and nights. Many of the bowls donated for the Soup Bowl are fired in Richard Rowland’s Anagama kiln ,'Ahi Kaa Roa' ('Fire from Long Ago'). Other bowls are fired at Clatsop County Community College using a modern kiln. Together, the beautifully crafted bowls showcase an amazing variety of the ceramicists art.