Mead Art Museum to Offer Quiet
Evenings of Art and Meditation 



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2012
[email protected]
, 413-542-2295

AMHERST, Mass. -- On Wednesday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m., t
he Mead Art Museum at Amherst College will begin its fall 2012 Meditation at the Mead series of three evening sessions, free and open to the public. Additional sessions will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 17, and Wednesday, Nov. 28, also at 7:30 p.m. This popular series, now in its fourth year, offers an opportunity to relax, slow down, and engage with a single work of art in the Mead's collection. Participants are encouraged to look attentively and to discover personal connections with the selected work. The practice is simple, rewarding, and fosters mindfulness.

 

The first session, on Wednesday, Sept. 19, will be led by Dr. Mark Hart, Amherst College Buddhist Adjunct Advisor, who will focus on Paolo and Francesca, painted in 1856 by Ary Scheffer. The second session, on Wednesday, Oct. 17, will focus on the Mead's stone reliefs from a 9th-century-B.C.E. Assyrian palace. The October session will be led by Dr. Pamela Russell, the Mead's Head of Education, and is part of the Archaeological Institute of America's month-long celebration of archaeology. The third session will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

 

Participants are welcome to attend one, two, or all of the sessions. Anyone taking part should wear comfortable clothing and expect to sit on the floor or on a cushioned stool provided by the museum. Chairs are also available.

Image credit: Thibetan, 18th-19th century, Seated Buddha (with stand), gilt bronze, Gift of William W. Collins (Amherst College Class of 1953)

The Mead Art Museum houses the art collection of Amherst College, spanning 5,000 years and encompassing the creative achievements of many world cultures. An accredited member of the American Association of Museums, the Mead participates in Museums10, a regional cultural collaboration. The museum and its gift shop-caf� are open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round, and until midnight on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday during the academic term.

 

For more information, including a complete schedule of all museum events, please visit amherst.edu/mead or call 413/542-2335.