This was a unique opportunity to engage with the community on several different levels. Large passive music festivals make for happy audiences.
I was able to work with the audiences on individual creations of Kolam designs, and build a larger mandala on the public street-scape. I gave brief talk on the history/origins Kolam or Mandala, with hands-on opportunities for participants to create one of the sidewalks near a music Pavilion.
The Lotus World Music & Arts Festival was established in 1994, and is one of the oldest world music festivals in the U.S. and the only festival of its kind in the state of Indiana. Entering its 25th anniversary year, 2019, it attracts more than 12,000 people to downtown Bloomington annually each fall, for 4-5 days of music and arts from around the globe. Through the Festival, Lotus creates – on a grand scale – the rare opportunity for audiences to experience places far removed from their everyday routines and to broaden their worldview through the arts.
