Festival brings Tibetan monks to Logan as special treat for third annual arts festival
On Sept. 17 through 20, Cache Valley had a chance to display its artistic abilities to the world.
The third annual Cache Valley Arts Festival was in full swing in the Ellen Eccles Theatre, Thatcher-Young Mansion, and the Bullen Center in downtown Logan.
The festival was put on by the Cache Valley Center for the Arts (CVCA) and the Alliance for the Varied Arts and was free to the public. The wide variety of performances occurred throughout the week, but especially on Sept. 20.
“I love that so many different people from the Intermountain West come to enjoy the arts. It’s really a chance for Cache Valley to strut their stuff,” said Julie Hollist, director of marketing and communications for the CVCA. “Cache Valley artists are performing artists.”
The festival kicked off with the arrival of the Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery. The monks came to the festival to create a mandala sand painting, and to perform “Sacred Music Sacred Dance.”
Pamela Gee, education and outreach manager of the CVCA, said, “The monks have been working on the mandala since Wednesday at noon. They will have put in 30 hours in four days.”
The inclusion of the Tibetan monks was brand new this year, and many people came to see their performance and the creation of the Mandala, said Lisette Miles, executive director of the CVCA.
Amanda Banner, a senior majoring in outdoor recreation, said, “I came to see something that I had never seen before. It was curiosity. I’ve only seen sand paintings by Navajo Indians, I’ve never seen this before.”
An sign posted outside the door of the room the mandalas were in explained the meanings behind the mandalas. The mandala is very symbolic and it means the universe in perfect harmony and balance. Mandalas also have many meanings in them, and each different level of the mandala means something different. The outer level of the mandala represents the world in its divine form. The inner level is a map by which the human mind is transformed into enlightenment. There is also a secret level that depicts the primordially perfect balance of energies of the body, and the clear light dimensions of the mind.
“This year is my favorite year because of the inclusion of the Tibetan monks,” Miles said. “It unites people and brings them together.”
The festival was attended by a great number of people this year. Gee said, Friday night they had more than 2,000 people go through the Gallery Walk.
“It’s already been a wonderful success,” Hollist said. “The community has embraced it in an unbelievable fashion. We have had sell-out performances.”
The festival included more than 250 performers this year. There were performances by dancers, singers, symphonies, and many other performers.
Chelsea Deckert, a senior majoring in art, said, “I think we’re lucky because we get to have such a cultural event come to Logan. It’s good for people to see how other people in the world see art and what it means to them.”
Julie Hughes, a Cache Valley resident, said, “I attended the festival because I have a daughter who wants to learn the cello, so I thought we would come see the symphony. It’s fun to come see the different facets of the arts.”
Aside from performances, there were many different artistic activities people could participate in. Visitors to the festival could draw, paint, try pottery, try a fiber art project, or create their own sand mandala.
“I would encourage students to come downtown,” Miles said. “There’s a lot of great things happening downtown. Part of being educated is getting out and experiencing things.”
-rbarlow@cc.usu.edu
Tibetan Monks spent four days on this intricut sand art during the art festival. After a ceremony, they sweep it up and give it out as good luck. (Photos by Jaime Crane)