Cham Shan Temple Visit

This week I spend some time at the Cham Shan Temple with my World Religions class. We've been enjoying studying Buddhism and had a great time walking around this beautiful temple. I've passed it so many times on the bus and always wondered what it looked like inside. 

The most interesting part of the tour are the sculptures. They have wonderful monuments to the various representations of Buddha throughout the buildings. 

This one is the Buddha of 1000 arms, a Bodhisattva of compassion (Avalokitesvara).

A.G.O. Field Trip

I always enjoy a field trip to the AGO. This time was especially amazing! It was a beautiful spring day, I got a warm welcome from some colleagues that I hadn't seen in a while and the students had a great time.

I brought my World Religions class to look at how Aboriginal spirituality has influenced art. One student chose the Raven Rattle above. This wonderful carved and painted wood piece is Tlingit from southern Alaska, from around 1860.

The Louis Riel quote above is always inspirational and reminds the viewer of the power of art and its central role in culture.

The Canadian Galleries.

And of course one of the favourites: Chuck Close's Kent - a massive photo-realistic painting that always captures the students' attention.