Spring Nyida Day Celebration— Creative Bouquet

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Dear Sangha

Well, it is certainly Spring outside!  I wish everyone a cheerful new season as we dodge raindrops and leap through sun puddles.  I am writing to thank all of the artists and volunteers and participants who helped make our 2015 Spring Arts Festival a truly delightful sense display and art happening!  It really was a creative bouquet.  The seed planted back in cold, dark winter began with the question, what would it be like to create a flower arrangement in response to a poem?  Then it just really took off from there, as members of our community came forth with all sorts of creative expressions springing from their practices of wakefulness and Great Eastern Sun vision.  Our reception invited additional on-the-spot performance responses to the installations, and we had lively readings, clown turns, and musical offerings.

Deborah Kuprunas creating her installation.

Deborah Kuprunas creating her installation.

Based on the wonderful responses that have been filling my inbox this past week, I think we can say that our experiment in multi-mixed-media creative manifestations was a success.  This yearly event is taking hold in our community as such a rich tradition, and I am inspired beyond belief at the different creative talents and enthusiasm our Sangha holds.  I would like to especially thank Lisa Stanley for helping create the container with rich talks drawn from the Dharma Art True Perception teachings, and also our Dharma Arts Council, and the Ikebana practitioners for contributing to and curating the offerings.

Abbey Pleviak improvising on the flute to one of the 5 Buddha Families.  Poems by Rebecca Jaimeson, Arrangement by Lisa Stanley

Abbey Pleviak improvising on the flute 5 Buddha Families. Poems by Rebecca Jaimeson, Arrangement by Lisa Stanley

For those who missed it, be sure to mark your calendars next year; this is a wonderful Nyida celebration, and artists do know how to put on a party.  There is sure to be something wonderful created next.  Rather than try to describe some of the highlights, which ranged from touching to brave to delightful, I’ll go with the saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and invite everyone to view shots taken of this rich two-day event over at our Portland Shambhala Center’s Flickr account here.  If anyone who attended the event has more pictures to share, that would be wonderful.  Maybe next year we’ll have video!

Bright Blessings!  Ki Ki So So!

Caitlin Bargenquast
Portland Shambhala Dharma Arts Council

"Arrangement" by Caitlin Bargenquast Arrangement by Lisa Stanley

“Arrangement” by Caitlin Bargenquast
Arrangement by Lisa Stanley

 

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