Cultivating IMAGINATION: Guest Blog from Founding Artmonk Nathan
A decade ago, I was 26 years old and seeking new ways of experiencing the world. I suspected that there might be ways of organizing human life that were different from the nuclear-family model I grew up within; which felt lonely, like it was missing something. Missing the point, missing perspective. I was also dabbling […]
Artmonk Practice Period in Lyons, CO
The Art Monastery Project’s first-ever Artmonk Practice Period will begin this February in Lyons, CO, with a silent retreat. For three-weeks, a group of eight Artmonks will follow a monastic schedule of intensive practice together: meditation, physical practice, ritual, study, and manual work (chores and volunteering outside). After these three weeks of the silent, meditation […]
“Prime” gets written up in UAE’s The National
“In September, 10 artists from around the world retreated to an abandoned historic monastery in Abruzzo, in Central Italy, to brainstorm for a contemporary touring piece. The team of theatre directors, performers choreographers, writers and composers – led by Neva Cockrell and Raphael Sacks, co-founders of the New York- and Dubai-based collective Loom Ensemble – […]
Summer Newsletter: Artmonks Move to America
We have much to report in this newsletter. A new book, moving our headquarters to the US, taking an organizational breather, saying farewell to a dear team member who is off to pursue her dreams… so much change. The book is published! Executive Director Betsy McCall, one of the book’s editors and designers, writes: “On July 1, 2013, at one […]
Space, Art, and Music: Ideal Conditions for “Arte & Musica”
We’re so looking forward to “Arte & Musica,” our fundraiser/concert that’s happening in the Diego Rivera Gallery in SF on October 11th. In terms of the space, the music, and the art we’ll be inundated in, we couldn’t have asked for a better context for our event. The building at 800 Chestnut that houses the San Francisco […]
A poem for Vigils
This poem by W. S. DI PIERO captures some of the spirit of Vigils, our year-long examination of the midnight ritual of the western monastic office (part of the Art Monastic Cycle). It’s That Time The silence of night hours is never really silent. You hear the air, even when it doesn’t stir. It’s a memory of the day. […]
Envisioning Art Monastic Architecture
We’re using a website called Pinterest to collect images of what Art Monasteries might look like. So far we’ve collected quite a range of great images—structures that are historical, modern, big, small… We’re letting our imaginations run wild. Here are just a few of the hundreds we’ve gathered:
…become like little children…
I’m always on the look out for secular and artful pieces of contemplative wisdom. Here’s one (which I stumbled upon here), from a young adult novel called Looking For Alaska. When adults say, “Teenagers think they are invincible” with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don’t know how right they are. We need […]
“The End of Your World” and Other Resources
I’m adding a few more books to the resources section. First, a new section, on Vigils & the Monastic Cycle: Art & Death, by Chris Townsend Each of the following books represents a unique take on awakening, a broad term that factors in our vision statement: “The Art Monastery Project is dedicated to cultivating personal awakening and cultural […]
“The Rabbi’s Gift” and a Mother’s Day Dharma Talk
A Mother’s Day gift from one Art Monastery to another, as performed by participants of Art Monastery SF’s first Daylong Artmonk Retreat, May 13th 2012 (Mother’s Day), led by Joel and Michelle Levey.
