Following this, the brightly colored sand will be taken to the Providence River in a procession that will begin at Slavin Center. Participants will walk to the area of the Providence River near Memorial Park in front of the Superior Courthouse on South Main Street. A number of other events are planned to complement the creation of the mandala. Dr. Ann W. Norton, associate professor of art history and director of the college s Asian Studies Program, who is coordinating the photo exhibition and mandala creation, will present a series of six talks and slide presentations. Richard N. Elkington, associate professor of photography, will provide daily pictorial updates on the progress of the mandala on a special Providence College Web site beginning October 12.
All events are free and open to the public.
They are sponsored by more than a dozen Providence College academic departments and programs. In addition, the wooden platform on which the mandala will sit has been donated by the Technology Department of Rhode Island College, and the Plexiglas hood for the mandala has been donated by the Division of Foundation Studies at the Rhode Island School of Design. The College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Rhode Island is also a sponsor.