Opening Ceremony: The Mystical Arts of Tibet Mandala Sand Painting

The Cultural Events Series at Frostburg State University and the Allegany Arts Council will present a five-day residency with Tibetan Monks of The Mystical Arts of Tibet from Drepung Loseling Monastery, Tuesday, April 29 through Saturday, May 3. All events will take place at the Cumberland Masonic Temple, 15 Greene St., and are free and open to the public. 

Over the course of the residency, the monks will create an intricate mandala sand painting, painstakingly laying down millions of grains of colored sand to create the traditional iconography of ancient spiritual symbols. After drawing an outline of the mandala on a wooden platform, sands will be delicately poured from traditional metal funnels called chak-purs. Upon completion, the sands will be swept up and placed in an urn. To fulfill the function of healing, half of the sand will be distributed to spectators while the remainder will be dispersed in Wills Creek at Canal Place to carry the healing blessing to the ocean; from there it will spread throughout the world for planetary healing. 

Community members are invited to visit daily, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., to observe the monks as they create the mandala. 

An opening ceremony will take place at noon on Tuesday, April 29. 

A closing ceremony, which includes the dispersal of the sand into Wills Creek, will be held at noon on Saturday, May 3. 

For more information, visit ces.frostburg.edu or call 301-687-3137. CES is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) and receives financial support from the Allegany Arts Council and the City of Frostburg.