THE CREATION OF A SAND
MANDALA OF ENLIGHTENMENT
BEGINS ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2008
AT UCONN’S
WILLIAM BENTON MUSEUM OF ART
TIBETAN-THEMED EXHIBITIONS
AND EVENTS MID-OCTOBER through DECEMBER 2008
Storrs,
CT, October 14, 2008 — The William Benton Museum of Art at the University of
Connecticut has announced that the Tibetan theme that began in late August with
the exhibition Sera: The Way of the Tibetan
Monk, The Photographs of Sheila Rock is being expanded with the
October 21 opening of Bound by Tradition and
Religion: Tibetan Tangkas and the creation of a Sand Mandala of
Enlightenment beginning on Election Day, November 4, and continuing through
November 9. The public is invited to attend the monks' morning prayers and
meditation at 9 am Tuesday through Friday.
Once completed, the intricate
work of the Venerable Thupten Woser and Lobsand Tashi will remain on view
through December 7. The two monks from Namgyal Monastery will return to the
Benton that afternoon for a 2 pm dismantling ceremony, during which time they
will ceremonially sweep the colored sands into an urn and lead a procession to
Mirror Lake where they will disperse the sand into the waters as a symbol of the
impermanence of all things and as a blessing to the greater
community.
OCTOBER 21 – DECEMBER
19
Bound by Tradition and Religion:
Tibetan Tangkas
This exhibition features fabric art pieces
from the collections of Peter Polomski and Richard Allen. Historically, the
majority of Tibet's greatest art has been bound up with religion, and the most
prominent traditions include tangkas, or scroll paintings of Buddhist and Bon
divinities. Since very few Tibetans learned to read and write, tangkas have
served as a pictorial lesson that the observer could remember through painted
icons rather than printed script. Tangkas further provide an opportunity for
meditation; by seeing and concentrating on the figures painted on the tangka,
the practitioner strives for liberation or enlightenment through the act of
beholding.
To complement and create a context for the tangkas and the
sand mandala, several dramatic photographs of the Himalayan Mountains by Kenneth
Hanson will hang in the East Gallery. They are images from his acclaimed book,
Himalayan Portfolios: Journeys of the
Imagination. On Sunday, October 26 at 3 pm he will talk about his
work. (For more information, see SPECIAL EVENTS below.)
SHOWING
CONTINUOUSLY NOVEMBER 10 – DECEMBER 19
Mandala: The Sacred Circle of
Vajrabhairava
A fascinating look at the creation and
profound inner meaning of the Buddhist mandala, an intricate and vividly colored
pattern that represents an enlightened universe. 60 minutes
ON
EXHIBITION THROUGH DECEMBER 19
Sera: The
Way of the Tibetan Monk
This exhibition of the work of Sheila Rock is both a
photographic document of the daily life of the Tibetan monks of the Sera
Monastery of southern India and an extended visual essay on a state of mind. Ms.
Rock, an established photographer in the fields of fashion and rock music,
photographed the Sera monks individually and in groups -- in their rooms, at
work, at prayer, at play, and gathered at ceremonies. Her portrait studies, for
their utter simplicity, capture the individual’s inner personality; all of her
images reveal the mutual joy the monks for one another’s company and for the
life that has been chosen for them. Artistically, Ms. Rock has created a body of
works that is inspired and inspiring.
SPECIAL
EVENTS
LUNCHTIME
GALLERY TALKS / 12:15–12:45 pm / Free admission
OCTOBER 15: Sera: The Way
of the Tibetan Monk,
a talk by Benton Director Dr. Thomas Bruhn
NOVEMBER 5: The Making of a Mandala, a talk
by Salvatore Scalora, former Benton Director
NOVEMBER 19: Sera: The Way of the Tibetan
Monk, a talk by Tracy Lawlor, Education Coordinator
DECEMBER 3: Tangkas, a talk by Tracy
Lawlor, Education Coordinator
SUNDAY
AFTERNOON TALK
OCTOBER 26, 3 pm /
Free admission
"Landscape and Belief:
A View Camera in the Himalayas" with Kenneth Hanson / Free
admission
Kenneth
Hanson will talk about his two-decade-long fascination with the Himalayas and
his photographs that reflect the mountains’ beauty, joy, terror, and awe, and
capture the people of the region and their beliefs.
WEEKEND
TIBET FILM SERIES @ THE BENTON
2 pm, Free admission
OCTOBER 18 & 19: Life of
Buddha
The
story of Prince Siddhartha and his spiritual transformation into the Buddha, the
great teacher who changed the entire world. 90 minutes
OCTOBER 25 & 26: Mystic Vision, Sacred Art
This introduction to the art of creating tangkas, which are
devotional Tibetan Buddhist paintings, offers insight into their symbolic and
religious meaning in Tibetan Buddhist life. 28 minutes
NOVEMBER 1 & 2: Tibet, Cry of the Snow
Lion
This award-winning film reveals the dark secrets of Tibet's
recent past -- from rarely-seen rituals in remote monasteries to horse races
with Khamba warriors; from brothels and slums in the holy city of Lhasa to
magnificent Himalayan peaks. 104 minutes
NOVEMBER 15 & 16: Kundun
This film
chronicles the life of the 14th Dalai Lama, from the moment he is recognized as
the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1937 to his exile from Tibet in the
wake of China's invasion. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Written by Melissa
Matheson. Music by Philip Glass. 134 minutes
NOVEMBER 22 & 23: Vajra Sky Over Tibet
This
cinematic pilgrimage to central Tibet, with its breathtaking Himalayan terrain,
temples, monasteries, and festivals, bears witness to the indomitable faith of
its endangered Buddhist community and explores the universal ideals of wisdom,
compassion, and inner peace at the very heart of this ancient culture. 89
minutes
The William Benton Museum of Art, Connecticut's Official
State Art Museum, is located on the University of Connecticut campus, 245
Glenbrook Road, Unit 2140, Storrs, CT 06269-2140. Ph 860.486.4520. Website:
www.thebenton.org.
Gallery hours are Tuesday–Friday 10 am–4:30 pm,
Saturday–Sunday 1–4:30 pm. The Store at the Benton and Café Muse close at 4 pm
each day. SPECIAL NOTE: The Benton will be closed November 24 – December
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