photo by: Lawrence Arts Center

Decorative platters designed by variety of local artists are for sale in the Lawrence Arts Center's Souper Bowl 2021 event.

The Lawrence Arts Center’s annual Souper Bowl event is both online and in person this year, and instead of giving out soup, the organization is asking for donations of canned soup and other nonperishable food items for a local nonprofit.

Marlo Angell, spokesperson for the arts center, said the pandemic will stop the organization from hosting its community meal at the event, but they hope that by holding a food drive they can “give the soup where it’s most needed.”

Local nonprofit Just Food will be the recipient of the donated food items. For every item up to three that people donate, they will receive a one dollar discount on their total purchase of ceramic bowls made by area artists. Just Food is in need of tomato products, low sodium and low sugar canned fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals and pastas and diapers sizes five and six.

Angell said there are a select amount of bowls available online for purchase for people who are not comfortable going to the event. There will be additional bowls available for in-person shoppers. Those seeking to shop in person must register for a 30 minute time slot on Friday or Saturday.

The online auction, which is already live, can be accessed via the Lawrence Arts Center’s website: lawrenceartscenter.org. In addition to the more than 600 bowls for sale, there are also 28 platters for sale created by local artists. The center is running a silent auction for the platters online, and they will also be available for viewing in-person. The silent auction will close at 2 p.m. on Saturday, when the Souper Bowl event ends.

Souper Bowl 2021 is from 3 p.m. on Friday to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St. All bowl and platter purchases will support visual art programming at the Lawrence Arts Center.