[Bcma-l] Mandala Sand Painting at the AGSO

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2007*

*CONTACT:

Paul Crawford, Director/Curator
Art Gallery of the South Okanagan
199 Marina Way, Penticton, B.C. V2A 1H3
Phone number: (250) 493-2928 ~ Fax: (250) 493-3992 ~ E-mail: 
agso_curator@shawbiz.ca <mailto:agso_curator@shawbiz.ca> ~ Web: 
**www.galleries.bc.ca/agso* <http://www.galleries.bc.ca/agso>

*(Penticton, British Columbia) – Tibetan Buddhist Monks from the Drepung 
Loseling Monastery will Construct a Mandala Sand Painting and Perform 
Special Ceremonies at The Art Gallery of the South Okanagan, 199 Marina 
Way Penticton, B.C. over five days starting on Saturday July 21 through 
Wedesday July 25, 2007*

*The monks of Tibet’s Drepung Loseling Monastery will construct a 
Mandala Sand Painting starting with the opening ceremonies at Noon on 
Saturday July 21 at the Art Gallery of the South Okanagan, 199 Marina 
way, Penticton, B.C. The construction of the Mandala will continue 
through Wednesday July 25 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. The closing 
ceremonies will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday July 25 in the gallery and 
will include a procession out to the bridge over Penticton creek where 
the remaining sands will be dispersed into the waters.*

*From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting 
with colored sand ranks as one of the most unique and exquisite. 
Millions of grains of sand are painstakingly laid into place on a flat 
platform over a period of days or weeks to form the image of a mandala. 
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.*

*Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning sacred cosmogram. These cosmograms 
can be created in various media, such as watercolor on canvas, wood 
carvings, and so forth. However, the most spectacular and enduringly 
popular are those made from colored sand.*

*In general all mandalas have outer, inner and secret meanings. On the 
outer level they represent the world in its divine form; on the inner 
level they represent a map by which the ordinary human mind is 
transformed into enlightened mind; and on the secret level they depict 
the primordially perfect balance of the subtle energies of the body and 
the clear light dimension of the mind. The creation of a sand painting 
is said to effect purifi cation and healing on these three levels.*

*The mandala sand painting begins with an opening ceremony, during which 
the lamas consecrate the site and call forth the forces of goodness. 
This is done by means of chanting, music and mantra recitation, and will 
be held on Saturday July 21 at Noon. **The lamas begin the exhibit by 
drawing an outline of the mandala on the wooden platform. On the 
following days they lay the colored sands. Each monk holds a traditional 
metal funnel called a /chakpur /while running a metal rod on its grated 
surface. The vibration causes the sands to flow like liquid onto the 
platform.*

*Traditionally most sand mandalas are destroyed shortly after their 
completion. This is done as a metaphor for the impermanence of life. The 
sands are swept up and placed in an urn; to fulfill the function of 
healing, half is distributed to the audience at the closing ceremony, 
while the remainder is carried to a nearby body of water, where it is 
deposited. The waters then carry the healing blessing to the ocean, and 
from there it spreads throughout the world for planetary healing. The 
closing ceremony will be held on Wednesday July 25 starting at 6 p.m. 
All the events around the Mandala are at the Art Gallery of the South 
Okanagan and are open to the public and admission is by donation.*

*For more information on this event or to purchase tickets please 
contact the Art Gallery of the South Okanagan at (250) 493-2928 or by 
e-mail at: agso_curator@shawbiz.ca <mailto:agso_curator@shawbiz.ca> For 
more information on the Mystical Arts of Tibet please go to: 
www.mysticalartsoftibet.org <http://www.mysticalartsoftibet.org> To 
arange a media interview with the monks from the Drepung Loseling 
Monastery please contact: Irene Lee, Assistant Director, The Mystical 
Arts of Tibet Phone: (770) 938-7575 E-mail: irene@drepung.org 
<mailto:irene@drepung.org>*

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