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4A – Daily News – Thursday, February 17, 2011 Pastimes Tibetan monk returns to create sand mandala Venerable Lama Losang Samten created two sand mandalas in Chico, one at Butte College and another at California State University, Chico, in spring 2008. He will return to create another mandala in the atrium of the Bell Memorial Union on the CSU, Chico campus. Samten, a Tibetan monk, began work on the Mandala of Compassion on Monday and will finish on March 5. Samten was born in Tibet and escaped with his mother, father and sister to India after Chinese occu- pation. For several years he served as a personal assistant to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His home is now in Philadelphia, where he is the founder and spir- itual director of the Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia. The Tibetan art form of sand painting is an ancient and sacred practice intended to benefit and uplift every person who sees it. It employs colored sand applied with traditional metal funnels called “chak- pur” to make intricate and traditional Tibetan designs. The monk holds a “chak-pur” in one hand, while he runs a metal rod on its serrated surface; the vibration causes the sands to flow like liquid. “The best way to view this unusual form of art and prayer,” said Linda Fleischman, one of the organizers of Samten’s visit, “is to visit the BMU where Losang is working on the mandala as many times as possible during the three weeks he is here.” Fleischmann said that the public is invited to par- ticipate in an opening and a closing ritual. Specific times for these rituals have yet to be determined. Samten is the author of “Ancient Teachings in Modern Times: Buddhism in the 21st Century.” The book, wrote Samten, offers the essence of what he has learned from growing up in a Buddhist family, studying for 20 years in a monastery, and living and teaching for over 20 years in the West. The Math Club at CSU, Chico, is sponsoring this event. For more information, call Linda Fleis- chmann at 345-6991. Red Bluff Art Associa- tion members are eagerly assembling their works for display at the 6th annual Wine, Beer, Food & Art Festival, scheduled 4-10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25 and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 at Rolling Hills Casino in Corning. Use of recently pur- chased display panels will allow for even more art to be shown than in past years. A wide variety of media and styles will be featured including oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, mixed media and collage. Prints and cards will be available for purchase. Advance tickets are $10, available at the Big Picture, 857 Washington St., Red Bluff, from RBAA mem- bers or by calling Presi- dent, Connie Maxey at 527-4810. Each one-day, $10 ticket includes an event wine glass, a taste ticket and $5 of slot play. Of each $10 ticket sold in advance by The Big Picture and association members, $5 will be donated to the RBAA to help with future Lassen exhibit The Red Bluff Art Gallery, 601 Walnut St., is showing the Betty LaDuke exhibit “Surviving War, Dreaming Home” through Feb. 25. Also featured is an exhibit “Art of Lassen.” Courtesy photo Red Bluff Art Association members Karen Burke, left, and Debby Sipes in front of portrait, “Gypsy Girl,” painted by Caroline Elfving at the 2010 Wine, Beer, Food & Art Festival. events. This Rotary-sponsored festival will include an even bigger roster of events and vendors than prior years. Represented will be Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Black history Shasta County Arts Council will feature Mark Oliver's film "From The Quarters to Lincoln Heights" at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, at Old City Hall, 1313 Market St., Redding. The documentary is designed to tell the story of how this large established African-American popula- tion in the small towns of Weed, McCloud, Mt Shasta and Dunsmuir came to root themselves in such an unlikely place. Red Bluff Exchange Club presents the Search For Talent Featuring Students Ages 5-18 5th ANNUAL FEBRUARY 19, 2011 7:00 PM AT THE RED BLUFF VETERANS HALL 735 Oak St. TICKETS Adults: $5 Ages 10-18: $3 Under 10: FREE For further information contact Ben Hughes at 527-6654 or Caren Svejda at Sierra Central Credit Union 529-0467 x101 Published through an event co-sponsorship agreement with D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY Migrating from the southern US in the 1920s to work in some of the world’s largest lumber mills, the film will explore how these unique communities of African Americans thrived in these multi-racial rural towns. This film will tell this little known history revealing the early inter- racial relationships that existed in Northern Califor- nia. Tickets are $7 or $6 for SCAC members, and group rates are available upon request. Call 241-7320 or vendors of beer, wine, olive oil and other foods. There will be a Clam-Chowder Cook-off with several teams competing. The art exhibit features TEHAMA ON TAP send an email to joe@shas- taartscouncil.org. DVDs will be available at the screening for $20. Rap Olympics Calling all rappers for AS Live’s first annual MC Battle. Anyone who has something to say, some- thing to show, come freestyle for 30 seconds at a time. At the flip of a coin it will be one rapper against another. In years there has not been an 8 mile-inspired rap-off to come to Chico, and that is exactly what will be happening at 8 p.m. on Feb. 23 in the Common Grounds Coffee Shop. The event is free for any- one to watch or participate in the spur-of-the-moment rap showdown. For more information contact Sandra, AS Live Event Coordinator at 898- 6006 or aslive9@csuchico.edu. Symphony • Sat., Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. / Cascade Theatre, Redding, Pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. • Sun., Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. / Laxson Auditorium, Chico, Pre-concert talk at 1 p.m. in Rowland-Taylor Recital Hall North State Symphony Beauty Rising. Haydn’s C Major Cello Concerto is paired with 20th-century works written in an 18th- century style. For Chico tickets: University Box Office, 898-6333. Redding tickets: Cascade Theatre Box Office, 243-8877. Information: 898-5984; northstatesymphony.org. Spring exhibit Gateway Science Muse- um launched its new spring exhibit, Microbes: Invisible Invaders … Amazing Allies, Feb. 12. The new exhibit takes visitors on an interactive journey to investigate the mysterious universe of microscopic organisms. The museum is open through May 30, Wednes- day – Friday, noon to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is at 625 Esplanade. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for chil- dren and free for museum members. For more infor- mation, visit www.gate- wayscience.org. works not only by RBAA, but Corning High School and the Tehama County Photo Club. Participants must be 21 to attend. Arts & entertainment Art association to exhibit at festival