In Los Angeles, we have been having community Shambhala Art Field trips for the past few years. These originated out of one of our first Shambhala Arts Festivals; I believe in 2006. They were conceived as a way to bring the community together for fun outings in celebration of local arts and arts practices. These events have been a huge success! They are led by Shambhala Art Teachers as guides, and often incorporate some aspect of the contemplative viewing practice into the process.

In Los Angeles, we are blessed with an incredibly rich variety of local arts practices ranging from film events, music, spoken word, to dance, beaches, and architecture. One of our most popular field trips has been a walking tour of downtown architecture, from a fresh viewpoint, led by Anne Saitzyk. On a more intimate scale, I have enjoyed offering contemplative drawing outings in nearby gardens. Seeing as every place has architecture, gardens, and opportunities for walking and drawing, I can imagine that every city could enjoy these types of events!

In addition to contemplative viewing, we often read excerpts from “True Perception” and discuss the material in relationship to the activity we are participating in or whatever seems relevant at the time.

I am curious what other sorts of events and field trips related to Shambhala Art or Shambhala Arts have been led in other cities. What have you presented and how? What would you like to see presented?