Buddhas Over Worcester 2020

One of my projects in March and April was to create a piece for Boundless Way Temple’s annual Buddhas Over Worcester sculpture show. Every year we invite local artists and non-artists to create a sculpture for the Temple garden that expresses their understanding of what it means to be awake—to be a Buddha. Each artist is also invited to title their sculpture and to write a short haiku-like poem to express some intention or understanding behind their creation.

And for the past eight years, every year around the first Sunday in May, we have our grand opening. Scores of people wander through the garden examining the twenty-some sculptures, reading the titles and poems, wondering about awakening, eating sweet treats and enjoying the company. It’s one of the highlights of the year for our community.

Not this year.

Though the garden remains open with the six-foot social distancing rule in place, in mid-March we decided that the safest course of action was to cancel the show for this year. But several artists, including myself have gone ahead and created pieces anyway. Over the next few weeks some sculptures will be installed in the garden.

The official theme for the exhibit that is not going to happen this year, Waking up to wonder in the midst of the joys and sorrows of being human, still seems like a worthwhile enterprise.

The first two sculptures are in place and a third was being constructed yesterday afternoon. Below are the first two artist’s descriptions.

Title- The Three Refuges, 2020
Artist- Christine Croteau
Medium- Wood, rocks, marble
Dimensions- 12”x12”x12”
Haiku Artist Statement-
Through Awakening
Embraced By Arms of Sangha
We Find Our Path Home
(located on a square of marble to the left of the brick path just you can see the pond after you pass through the torii gates)

Title- Waking Up to Life-and-Death
Artist- David Dae An Rynick
Medium- Tibetan Prayer Flags, fallen branches, composted leaves, dirt, plants from around the garden
Dimensions- 9’ x 9’ x 4’
Haiku Artist Statement-
Falling completely apart
We give ourselves back
To nourish what comes next.
(located by the red shed in the very back of the garden)

Come visit! Spring does not care about quarantine, delights in the cold rainy weather we’ve been having and is fully blossoming in the Temple garden. Come visit! Boundless Way Temple Gardens, 1030 Pleasant Street, Worcester, MA 01602

All are welcome. We ask that you bring a mask for the protection of all beings and that you maintain our continuing social distance from other humans while you get close to the flowers.