"The Mystical Arts of Tibet"
2000-11-18 until 2001-01-01
Bayly Art Museum
Charlottesville, VA, USA

The exhibition brings together 108 traditional art objects, including 23 exquisite watercolor tangka paintings, more than a dozen ancient bronze statues, numerous ritual objects made of gilded silver and bronze, and a set of temple musical instruments. Many of these are sacred objects in the collection of H.H. the Dalai Lama or ancient artifacts from Drepung Loseling, Tibetís largest and most prestigious monastery. Supplementing the exhibition are color photographs of Tibet and objects made by Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal

Organized by Richard Gere Productions and Losel Shedrup Ling (The Loseling Institute), in conjunction with Oglethorpe University Museum, the special exhibition The Mystical Arts of Tibet captures the essence of the artistic achievements of both Old Tibet and Tibet-in-Exile as preserved under H.H. the Dalai Lama's guidance in India and Nepal.

Both Ellen Bayard Weedon Lectures in the Arts of Asia will focus on Tibetan art and culture. On Thursday, November 30, Terese Tse Bartholomew, curator of Himalayan Art and Chinese Decorative Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco will discuss 'The Qianlong Emperor: Patron of Sino-Tibetan Art,' at 5:30 p.m. in Campbell Hall 153. Jeffrey Hopkins, professor of Religious Studies at U.Va., will present 'Mandala Meditation in Tibetan Buddhism' on Thursday, December 7, also at 5:30 p.m. in Campbell Hall 153.

The Museum has also invited monks from Drepung Loseling to create a sand mandala in the Museum. Between November 28 and December 3, visitors are invited to see the mandala take shape and be destroyed - an act of devotion and attention whose ephemerality is central to Buddhist dharma. Accommodations for the monks have been generously provided by the local Tibetan community.

A Tibetan art and culture family program will be held on December 2, 1-5 p.m., featuring music, dancing, traditional papermaking, and refreshments.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of Virginia

Other Important Exhibitions in Charlottesville