The Department of Planning and Natural Resources Fort Fredrik Museum in Frederiksted will present two exhibits: Artful Prayer Flags by Jamila Hammad and a Mindful Meditation Garden by JoAnn Jones. An opening reception will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30, at the museum. The exhibit will continue until Dec. 1. All items are available for sale. For additional information, call 772-2021 or 277-2451.
About the Artful Prayer Flags: This work is an exploration of prayer as physical form. A flag has an intent and carries a message. Tibetan Buddhist monks stamp sacred symbols and prayers to rectangular pieces of cloth to promote peace, compassion, strength and wisdom, and they hang these flags outside in high places. The wind moves through the flag and carries the intent of good will across the universe.
Inspired by the Tibetan prayer flags, Jamila Hammad has set out to create her own series of flags using art, language and materials unique to my experience as an artist. Each flag is imbued with an intent (prayer) through the use of symbols, and through a meditative practice by the act of hand embroidering embellishments to the fabric. Finally, that intent is married to the elements with ribbons and yarns that flutter in the wind, and beads and sequins that glitter in the sun.
About the Meditation Gardens: A Mindful Meditation Garden is a garden in which maintenance becomes a meditation by providing oxygen for deep breathing and encouraging the gardener to pay close attention to the needs of each individual plant for that feeling of Zen.
