Mandala

I haven't done much art this week as I've been getting my stuff ready for a show and just dropped that off today.

I also went with my daughter's class to Keene High School to see the Tibetan Monks who are visiting and creating a sand mandala. They've been working all week on it, dropping little bits of sand from the end of a gold colored rod that has ridges on the outside of it. They rub a wooden mallet on the ridges so just little bits come out at a time from the vibration. The mandala they are working on is the medicine mandala which, when they are finished after a full week of solid work, will be dumped into the nearby stream during the closing ceremony on Saturday March 31st at 4 pm. The meeting will originate at the KHS gym. According to their website, this is to symbolize the impermanence of all that exists and spread the healing power of the mandala.

Here it is on their website with more information about them and the process: http://www.gomang.org/mandala.html

I went with a bunch of second graders and as we walked from their school to the high school they were silly and energetic, so it was really fun to not only watch the amazing artwork that was going on but also the way the kids were reacting to it. Mouths were open, they were still, and their gaze couldn't be broken. :)

I know a group of kids and teachers from Keene High School worked hard to get this to come to Keene, but as their website was down when I wrote this, I don't know the specifics. I did however get a photo of a poster listing the donors that made it possible.