Prattauga Art Guild serves up annual Art with a Heart soup cook-off fundraiser

Malia Riggs

Elmore Autauga News

Members of the community enjoyed a cup of warm soup to kick off the start of a rainy weekend. All proceeds from the event go to benefit the AICC, the Autauga Interfaith Care Center food bank. The annual Art with a Heart soup cook-off was a major success hosted by the Prattauga Art Guild Saturday morning, located in the Prattville Creative Arts Center behind Prattville City Hall.

Local businesses such as Uncle Micks, Chappy’s Deli, Jim ‘N Nick’s, The Juicy Seafood, Chicken Salad Chick, Panera, Chick-Fil-A, El Cerrito Mexican Grill and Longhorn Steakhouse donated their soup to the event.

 Local artists were also on display within the Creative Arts Center and with the $15 purchase, soup enthusiasts got a handcrafted bowl, a cup of soup and could taste test member’s homemade soup where soup-goers voted on their favorites.

“It started off wonderfully this morning. We had seven vendor soups, and we sold a lot, probably $300 in just the first two hours and ll the proceeds go to AICC, a total non-profit for us and a benefit for the food bank. I’m hoping we run out of soup or bowls, or both before we end today,” President of Prattauga Art Guild Gail Coccaro said.

Coccaro stated how grateful she is to the Mayor Bill Gillespie and the City of Prattville for the space to be able to house art and hold events like this within the Prattville Creative Arts Center.

“I’ve been helping with Art with a Heart for at least 10 years. Before I became president I was just a volunteer. It’s pretty intense, there’s a lot of behind the scenes work that goes on for this. We have to contact the vendors, who generously donate their soup and coordinate the event as well. I’ve been a member for 15 years and they’ve had Art with a Heart every year that I can remember,” Cuoccaro said.

Each room was filled with smiles as well as hand painted, sculpted, curated works of art. From warm and creamy soup to detailed paintings on the wall, the Art with a Heart definitely love in every bite, but in every glimpse of the Creative Arts Center.