Cool Fusion to Celebrate 10 Years, Over 10,000 Bowls

Festival of 1,000 Bowls, Donkey Mill Art Center. Donkey Mill Art Center courtesy image

Step 1: Buy a bowl.
Step 2: Fill with noodles.
Step 3: Eat.

Donkey Mill Art Center will present its 10th Annual Cool Fusion: Festival of 1,000 Bowls, a celebration of ceramic, musical, and culinary arts in the courtyard at Keauhou Shopping Center on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A dizzying array of ceramics will be on display so guests can shop for a handmade bowl, and fill it with savory cold noodles for a refreshing lunch.

Each year, renowned ceramists from across the Big Island gather to create uniquely beautiful bowls to raise funds for DMAC.

These skilled artists volunteer their time to create 1,000 hand-crafted stoneware bowls throughout the summer months. The hand of the maker is present in each bowl, evident in their signature styles—from a notch in the foot to textural or painted patterns on the surface—and is recognized by loyal fans who collect bowls from each year’s festival.

Additional bowls and many other pieces of ceramic art, including cups, vases, and large bowls, will also be available for as little as $10 each.

“I’m deeply inspired by the volunteers who create 1,000 bowls every year,” sadi DMAC Ceramics Program Director Claire Seastone. “It’s a real labor of love. The satisfaction and joy that we experience as artists when we come together and work toward a common goal is transferred to the person who picks a bowl out of the bunch, takes it home, and enjoys it for years to come. Mostly, I love the way it brings people together… last year, over 400 in just a few hours!”

Live entertainment on the Keauhou Shopping Center courtyard stage will be coordinated by Andrea Lindborg and Luke Clebsch.

Innovations Public Charter School students will share their music and dance from school resource groups. BIMA (Big Island Music Academy), featuring Kona’s young musicians, will have their first public appearance.

The Latin Jazz Connection will round out our event by bringing a four-piece band to the stage.

This year DMAC welcomes the opportunity to partner with Gypsea Gelato. Special gelato bowls will be created by ceramic artists and available for purchase for $15, which includes a serving of homemade Gypsea Gelato or sorbet.

The Holualoa Foundation for Arts & Culture provides art education and experiences to people of all ages and abilities at its historic home at the Donkey Mill Art Center with classes for children and adults in pottery and sculpture, printmaking, painting, photography, fiber arts, and Hawaiian culture, and workshops taught by visiting artists from around the world.

Tickets are $20 pre-sale, and $25 at the event ($15 for kids).

For tickets or more information, call DMAC at (808) 322-3362 or visit donkeymillartcenter.org.

Keauhou Shopping Center is located at 78-6831 Ali‘i Drive in Kailua-Kona.