Tibetan Monks create sand mandala painting @ Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center, Savannah; FREE Children’s Sand Painting Activities
Tibetan Monks Return to the Jepson Center September 23-29 2013 with FREE children’s sand painting activities on Sept. 26 & Sept. 28.
The Tibetan Buddhist monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery return to the Jepson Center for the first time in more than four years to create an exquisite sand mandala painting as part of a free weeklong residency, sponsored by the city of Savannah. Programs related to the monks’ residency include a variety of activities for all ages and attract thousands of interested onlookers and participants.
From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, mandala sand painting ranks as one of the most unique of artistic expressions and is said to generate energies that promote global healing. The spiritual art form includes millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over the course of the week. To date, the monks have created mandala sand paintings in more than 100 museums, art centers, and colleges and universities in the United States and Europe.
WHEN:
September 23 from 5:00 pm to 5:45 pm: The monks begin with an opening ceremony of music and chants, and will begin to outline the mandala. They will continue to work until 7:30 pm.
September 24-28, 10 am to 5 pm: Watch the monks at work in the museum atrium during normal daytime museum hours, other than lunchtime.
September 26 from 10 am – 12 pm: Children’s Sand painting activity. A hands-on activity for the community to create a sand painting together.
September 26 at 5:30 pm: The Monks will lead a free lecture about the symbolism of the sand mandala.
September 28 from 1– 3 pm: Children’s Sand painting activity. A hands-on activity for the community to create a sand painting together.
September 29 Closing Ceremony:
10 am – 1 pm: The Monks finalize the details of the sand mandala.
1 pm – 2pm: The completed mandala is displayed
2pm: The Monks begin to deconstruct the mandala. they will distribute some of the sand to the audience. At about 3:00 pm, they will invite the audience to proceed with them from the Jepson Center to the Savannah River, where they will release the remaining sand into the river to disperse the mandala’s healing energies throughout the world. The release of the sand will take place at the base of the Barnard Street ramp.
All events are free and open to the public, thanks to the funding provided by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cultural Affairs.
Jepson Center, 207 W. York Street, on Telfair Square, Savannah, 31401, http://www.telfair.org/Telfair Museums is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
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