heART series

Hoping to energize the brain through creative thinking and meditation? Introducing a new workshop series, heART, the Banana Factory hopes to recharge the minds and spirits of its guests through a combination of art and meditation, regardless of art experience. The new series, set for April 26-28, 2013, is a collection of workshops emphasizing the renewal of the mind, body and energy taught by a group of world renowned artists.
During these workshops, guests will watch and participate in presentations by dancers, musicians, and visual artists from around the world. These workshops hope to teach and generate knowledge about different meditative art forms.
“I am a cancer survivor and when I came back to work as the Director of Visual Arts Education, I realized that there is a rich community of arts and healing. It became clear after working in a hospital environment that we could be really creative if we held these types of workshops at the Banana Factory. Whether or not you are a patient, survivor, family member, or even just the general public everyone would find this is of great benefit,” said Janice Lipzin, Director of Visual Arts Education at ArtsQuest.
The Banana Factory is pleased to welcome both resident artists, as well as some new faces.  Over the weekend, six workshops will take place. On Friday, April 26, John Fitzgerald Toya will be performing an Eagle Dance and Jim Donovan will teach a drum and chant workshop. On Saturday, April 27, you can create corn maiden pottery with John Fitzgerald Toya or learn the art of Vedic painting with Ingunn Moseng. Lastly on Sunday, April 28, Stephanie Smith is teaching a mandala drawing workshop followed by an art and rhythm workshop with Ibiyinka Alao.
Resident artist Stephanie Smith will be hosting the mandala meditation workshop. Smith’s workshop helps to focus on a person’s inner creativity. In the class, you will learn different techniques of rhythmic drawing to create a mandala—a circular art form used as a tool for meditation and self-expression. Participants will take home a beautifully crafted mandala they will be proud to display and use during meditation.
Jim Donovan, a former drummer and one of the founding members of the band Rusted Root, will provide a drum and chant workshop. Music lovers will “enjoy learning how to use power of sound to effectively unblock, transform and increase your energy” This workshop is open to all levels and will be an evening of ecstatic drumming and profound relaxation.
John Fitzgerald Toya, a Pueblo Native American and frequent Banana Factory artist, will be teaching two workshops. In his first workshop, he will perform an Eagle Dance, followed by a discussion on the significance of art as an integral part in healing and spiritualism in Native American culture.
 “The Eagle dance is extremely moving and I remember that there was not a dry eye in the house after it was done,” said Lipzin, a previous participant.
The next morning, Toya will lead a hands-on pottery workshop where participants will create their own traditional Native American corn maiden pot from clay.
Other heART workshops offered are Vedic Painting with Ingunn Moseng and an art and rhythm workshop with Ibiyinka Alao.
Moseng, a Norwegian painter, art educator and owner of Gallery Moseng in Norway, will lead participants in the way of Vedic art, described as “both feet firmly on the ground and the paint brush in heaven.” Vedic art is an individual process through which you can express yourself, but does not demand talent or mastering of any painting techniques.  
Alao, a Nigerian visual artist and first-place winner of the prestigious United Nations International Art Competition, will teach about African culture and spirituality, as well as art and rhythm.
 Both courses will offer a stress reducing and liberating creative experience for anyone enrolled.
“These workshops are a way to put art and wellness together. It is the correlation between these two that makes these workshops so wonderful,” said Lipzin
All the workshops will take place at the Banana Factory and will range from $35 to $45. The workshops are sponsored by Linny Fowler and Healing Through the Arts.  For more information and the complete workshop schedule, visit www.artsquest.org.