ESPrit de Corps

My Mandala
Rush Gallery with 371k

Educators: Ms. Barghouti with Ms. Lugo and Ms. Salas (paraprofessionals)
Teaching Artist: David Camacho

Grade 8, Special Needs
2009

My Mandala (a group of 8 small oval paintings)
Student Artists: Jason Ceres, Anthony Estrada, Alma Henry, Jason Adolpus, Anonymous, Bryan Ackwood, Damik Suber, Monae Levy
Oval canvas, sharpie pens, shape stencils, watercolor pencils, water filled brushes

Mandalas are tools for introspection, growth and healing.  They can combine conscious and subconscious elements of a personality.  In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts; as a spiritual teaching tool; for establishing a sacred space; and as an aid to meditation.  We used it as a vehicle to explore our creative selves.

Carl Jung said that a mandala symbolizes ‘ a safe refuge of inner reconciliation and wholeness, a synthesis of distinctive elements in a unified scheme representing the basic nature of existence”.  Jung used the creation of mandala for his own personal growth.

It was with this personal awareness within his own creative journey, that Rush Education Coordinator David Camacho led the students in the creation of there own personal mandala, based on their own information regarding their personal beliefs, relationship to nature, family and so on.

Guiding the students with a pen and shaped stencils the students began to explore their inner-self, create a unique personal mandala.  This repetitive process provided students with methodical concentration that allowed them to enter into a deeply focused art making session. Once they finish their image, they colored in with watercolor pencils, and use water filled brushes to finish their self-exploration mandala.
Listen to Rush Gallery Director of Education talk about the making of this project, including a synopsis of where this work fit in with a larger year-long theme.
Rush-371k.mp3 (5309 KB)