SP2021S2 COMMUNITY BLESSINGS RANGOLI

Taught by:

Offered:

Monday June 7th
Tuesday June 8th

Experience level: All Levels

Image above from a Rangoli Competition
photo credit:  Murali Narayanan

An opportunity to nurture peace and deepen connection in our communities is always welcome, but given the challenges we all lived through this past year, it feels even more needed than ever. What a gift then, to have Indira share her knowledge and expertise in the art of Rangoli so that we can learn this beautiful tradition and carry its benefits back to our home and our communities.

Rangoli is a South East Asian folk art tradition where a woman welcomes the day by painting a pattern on the threshold of her home.

Handed down through time from mother to daughter, the ritual of Rangoli is centered on the protection and well being of one’s family, simultaneously fulfilling the need of the individual to be part of a larger universal realm.

The making and participation in ritual art is a way of sharing sadhana or grace.

For our workshop, Indira will be offering Rangoli as a framework for using nature in art. Together, we will be creating a large offering for the Squam community. Each class will design a unique offering drawn from the group’s choices and intentions. Through the collaborative process of creating the design, the class will learn symbols and traditions that integrate broader concepts of life and our place within it. There will also be a focus on the importance of ritual in art.

Traditional materials will be used include rice flour, turmeric powder, earth, and flower petals. *Students are encouraged to bring a leaf from their own garden or neighborhood.

Over the course of the day, this workshop will help us to understand the commonality of our human experience and the spiritual potential inherent in all of us through dialogue, art and ritual.

And, everyone will have been part of a creative process that initiates dialogue and encourages meaningful interactions between diverse peoples as well as providing a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere where real friendships can grow and flourish.

The act of performing rituals is a way for us to come together to share our joy and sorrow.
– Indira Freitas Johnson

top image of colored sand pots
photo credit: Sharon Joshi

Kit fee: 15 USD

Materials:

ALL materials will be supplied.