Norman Cultural Connection to present Sacred Arts of Tibet tour
NORMAN — Norman Cultural Connection will be hosting the Sacred Arts of Tibet tour group for a variety of public events Sept. 7-19. A lecture series and the artistic creation of a mandala sand painting will be among the events led by the Tibetan monks from Gaden Shartse Monastic College. The tour presentations will begin with “The Art and Culture of Tibet” from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Tuesday at Mainsite Contemporary Art. The event is free and open to the public.
Pet Blessings will be offered from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Sept. 11 at A1 Pet Emporium with a suggested donation of $10. Pets should be on a leash or in a crate. Also on Sept. 11, the “Tibetan Calligraphy” and “Butter Sculpture Class” will be hosted by the Norman Public Library Central from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required at pioneer.libnet.info/event/5215985.
Then on Sept. 12, “Indigenous Welcome Gathering” and “Indian Hand Games” will be from noon to 4 p.m. at First American United Methodist Church.
The creation of the “Boundless Love” sand mandala will begin with an opening ceremony at 7 p.m. Sept. 13 at St. John’s Episcopal Church. The monks also may be observed throughout the week as they continue the ancient ritual of creating the sand painting. The sand mandala may be viewed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Sept. 14-17.
Additionally, a series of public lec
tures will take place at 7 p.m. Sept. 14-16 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, beginning with “The Power of Loving Kindness” on Sept. 14, “Climate Change” on Sept. 15 and “The Vajravidarin Healing Ritual” on Sept. 16. The suggested donation for each lecture is $10.
No events will be held on Sept. 18, and the closing ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 19.
The monks will be available for personal, business and home blessings. To schedule an appointment or for more information, contact Marial Martyn, executive director of Norman Cultural Connection, at 405-201-9991 or email mmartyn@normancc.org.
Norman Cultural Connection has been hosting the Sacred Arts of Tibet tour groups since 2008. Masks are recommended when attending this year’s events. For more information, follow Norman Cultural Connection on Facebook or go to www.normanculturalconnection.org.