Special Labyrinth Walk, Fulton Hall Gallery, April 19-21

SALISBURY, MD---An enormous canvas painted with a circular design covers the floor of the entire room. People are moving in circles, following the path to the center as music is playing softly in the background. Others are reading, writing, meditating, or drawing. What is this design? Where did it come from and what does it have to offer today?

The design is an 11 circuit labyrinth, a copy of one inlaid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France prior to 1220. The 36-foot replica will open for walking at the Salisbury State University Gallery in Fulton Hall Wednesday-Friday, April 19-21, starting at 10 a.m.

An opening day ceremony at 5 p.m. begins with Dr. Polly Stewart of the English Department. She discusses the history of the labyrinth which has been a part of many cultures, and how it relates thematically and spiritually to Holy Week, Passover and Earth Day, all of which are occurring that week. Amy Isaacs, who lent the labyrinth to SSU, follows with a brief talk about the history of this particular labyrinth including who made it and how it came to Salisbury. As part of the ceremony, a lyrical dance by the senior members of the Eastern Shore Ballet Theatre, Inc. follows.

The labyrinth will be available for walking: Wednesday, April 19: 10-a.m.-7 p.m. and Thursday-Friday, April 20-21: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free.

The Christian tradition of labyrinth walking goes back to the Middle Ages when visits to cathedral labyrinths became surrogates for the dangerous pilgrimage to Jerusalem. But archeologists have found labyrinth designs carved or painted on artifacts and surfaces from a variety of ancient cultures, some 4,000 years old.

The Rev. Canon Lauren Artress of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, California created the first canvas floor labyrinth using the Chartes Cathedral design in 1991, and founded "Veriditas," an organization based at Grace Cathedral, to oversee the development of the Worldwide Labyrinth Project.

An ancient spiritual tool and symbol, labyrinth walking is being revived for contemporary Western society, according to Artress, to help quiet the mind, deepen self-knowledge and connect with the mystery of something greater than ourselves.

The SSU labyrinth walk is sponsored by the Ad Hoc Committee on Spiritual Life and the Cultural Affairs Council.

Returnto Press Releases Home Page