Come experience the powerful benefits of meditation by attending this guided week-end long meditation retreat. Each session includes a brief chanted prayer, a short talk on the meditation topic, and guided meditation practice using the New Meditation Handbook, by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

These meditations are the building blocks of a method taught by Buddha for eliminating unhappiness in our mind and increasing our capacity for love and compassion. As we become familiar with these meditations, our mind becomes stronger and experiences longer and longer periods of peace and happiness. The special format of these meditations provides a wonderful opportunity to learn to develop a daily meditation practice that will have a positive impact in your daily life. It is suitable for every level of practitioner, including those new to meditation.

You may attend any or all of the sessions. See calendar for session times.
In between sessions, feel free to enjoy the peace of our meditation room, read, or share a snack or beverage with a friend in our community room.

Everyone is welcome.

Session Times:
Friday: 9-10am, 11am – 12pm, 4:30-5:30pm, 6:30-7:30pm
Saturday: 9-10am, 11am-12pm, 2-3pm, 4-5pm WFJw/tsog 6-7 pm
Sunday: 8:30-9:30am, 10:30-11:30am, 1:30-2:30pm, 3:30-4:30pm

A panel discussion with Carey Beam, Elizabeth Watts Malouchos, April Sievert, and Melody Pope

Wylie House Museum is the 1835 house of Indiana University’s (IU) first president Andrew Wylie and was home to members of the Wylie family for nearly 80 years. Theophilus Wylie, Andrew’s cousin and IU professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry, resided there with his wife Rebecca and eight children after 1859. During this time, two subterranean cold-frame greenhouses were built into the front lawn of Wylie House to overwinter flowers and plants. In celebration of Indiana University’s (IU) bicentennial, the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology partnered with the Wylie House Museum to search for Wylie’s buried gardens at IU’s oldest property. Please join us for a discussion of the history of Wylie House, recent excavations investigating the 19th century subterranean greenhouses, and the unique opportunities to engage with university and local communities through campus archaeology.

Friday, September 28th, 4pm
Wylie House Museum’s Education Center
317 E. Second St.
Free and Open to the Public

Start your festival off with some dining, dancing and libations.

Founded in 1993, Salaam has been performing music from around the Middle East, from the classics to folk music to original innovations.

Free all-ages fun and open to the public, Arts Village is located in the heart of the Festival. Enjoy two full evenings of interactive installations, visual arts, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and more!

Featured activities include “Maracatu: Celebrations form Brazil to Bloomington” Carnival-inspired make-n-take ganzas (Brazilian rattles), community banner installation, and demo/performance; Lotus mandala experience; hulu hoopin’; chalk art masterpieces

Big Tent, a 360° video and audio projection installation/venue (free, located at 4th & Washington), leverages immersive technology to create a unique, communal viewing experience for Festival attendees. In this age of individual hand-held screens, Big Tent echoes the Festival ethos in creating opportunities for people to interact and share a transformative multimedia experience. Students and faculty from across the IU and IUPUI systems have been artistically challenged to create meaningful, original work for this large-scale, A/V-surround environment, and the results include works with video and sound, experimental film/cinema, game design, real-time video capture, and archival celebrations of the 25-year Lotus journey.

Festival participants will not require a ticket to enjoy this exciting installation — the experience is free and open to the public.

YOUR WRISTBAND is your passport to music and dance from around the globe! Venues range from classic theaters and clubs, to standing-room street tents, to churches where traditional music shines. Single-night or Fri/Sat weekend passes available.

On Friday, September 28th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Venue will feature a reception for The Paintings of Ekphrasis, our feature show for the month of September, and a concert by Robby Lake, all free.
The Venue invited a number of gifted poets to each select one painting by one of our talented artists, to inspire them to write a poem. The Paintings they selected are on display, and this will be our final reception for the collection. Included are outstanding works by artists of the caliber of Mark Blaney, Dawn Adams, and Wyatt LeGrand, and many others.
These demonstratively evocative paintings are all for sale, at reasonable prices. Our regular collection will also be available for viewing and purchase.
Also on Friday eve we are pleased to introduce a new face to our music community, Robby Lake.
Robby is an accomplished folksinger, songwriter, and entertainer. His self- accompanied guitar enhances his versions of songs by folk icons such as Phil Oakes, Pete Sieger, Bob Dillon and more. He will also mix in his original works, which are thoughtful, creative, and stylish. And if that is not enough, he will be glad to give you a ride in his taxi. After all, this is Bloomington.

The Mad Hatters are a classic rock and blues band based in Bloomington, IN featuring Ray Martindale on drums, Mike McGinnis on bass, Bob Gonyea on keyboards, and Jack Urrutia on guitar. Their wide-ranging song catalog showcases tight 4-part vocal harmonies, a driving rhythm section, and masterful keyboard and guitar playing.

When it gets dark, be sure to turn your attention to the Monroe County Courthouse dome for for a dazzling 360° “projection-mapping” display celebrating 25 years of the Lotus World Music & Arts Festival in Bloomington. The creative team at local Blockhouse Studios, in partnership with Lotus, will light up the Courthouse dome and clock tower with imagery and special effects inspired by the “Lotus vibe” of 25 years as well as the intricate details of this historic building’s architectural features. A visual focal point for the anniversary Festival, the projections will be on display from sundown to midnight on both Friday and Saturday showcase evenings and will be visible from most downtown locations. Viewing is free and open to the public. Also presented in honor of the City and County Bicentennial celebrations.