WINTER 2006-7 CONTEMPLATIVE ARTS SCHEDULE

I have established the schedule for this winter for Contemplative Arts, and I wanted to give you all the first chance to sign up. All of my classes are growing rapidly, and I am very grateful for all of your interest, curiousity and commitment! In this email, I will cover contemplative writing and photography (Miksang).

1. Contemplative Writing
I have added a new daytime class, and the three regular classes (early and late evenings) still have a couple of openings each. Register early!
The classes available for January are:
Wednesday 9-11am (all 5 Wednesdays in January)
Thursday 4:30-6:30 (beginning mid-January, TBA) and
Thursday 7:30-9:30 (all 4 Thursdays in January, plus first Thursday in February).

Cost, as usual, is 45$ for five weeks. This can be paid in increments. I also allow for a certain number of students on financial restriction in each class to pay less; please contact me ahead of time if this is the case. Pre-registration is REQUIRED for these classes.

2. Miksang: Contemplative Photography (REVIEWS)
There will be two reviews for current students (people who have already taken level one or two with me) in December and January: 12/20, Wednesday, from 6-8pm and 1/17 6-8pm. All reviews will be at the Aha! Center, 214A S. Baldwin (one block north of the Shambhala Center), in the Capital Printing building. You are invited to shoot Light, Color, Surface or Space/Dot-in-Space, and bring a flash card with 12 of your images for a review.

Miksang: Contemlative Photography (CLASS)
In the spring, beginning in March (TBA) I will be teaching Miksang as a 5-week Wednesday night course. Students and I both agreed this year that the "weekend crash courses" were a bit too much and too little at the same time. The 5-week course is how they do it at "home-base" in Toronto, so we will be adopting that here. I will keep you posted about the schedule a little closer to March.

Please let me know, as always, if you are interested in any courses. Also, make sure and let me know if you are interested but cannot make the posted times. I am always open to considering new times, and would hate for you not to come if we can make a time for a new class. Thank you for your support in this first year of my full-time teaching. It's been a serious pleasure!

Warmly,
Miriam Hall

Two fantastic art shows in early October

What follows is information on two shows that are
coming up that not only have my photography in them,
but many other Madison area artists. The first is the
Madison Area Open Art Studios, which is by far
Madison's biggest art event of the year. You get a map
and for free you can tour over 100 artists' studios
(usually their homes)! The second is a group women
show at the Hue. The main openings for both are the
same weekend ("Gallery Night") - it should be an
amazing weekend.

Please come out and support the arts if you can, even
if just with your warm, breathing body and a friend,
and not your pocketbook.

Many thanks!
Miriam

1. Madison Area Open Art Studios has made the big
time. The Overture Center is now hosting this annual
event. MAOAS begins with an opening reception at
the Overture Center in downtown Madison on Oct.7th,
between 5-9pm. The opening coincides with Madison's
Gallery Night, presented by the Madison Museum of
Contemporary Art.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Fri, Oct 6 th, 5-9pm:
Opening reception at the Overture Center.

Sat and Sun, Oct 7&8th, 11am-5pm:
Artists open their studios to the public.
The community galleries at the Overture will be open,
making it possible for the public to take a look at
the art and pickup the map and Artist Directory, at
their convenience.


WHAT IS MADISON AREA OPEN ART STUDIOS ?
MAOAS is an annual free event, in it's 4th year,
where Dane County artists open their studios to the
public. In most cases an artist's studio is a portion
of his or her home. Other times it's an actual
studio, sometimes shared with other artists.

The public can visit the artists' studios and
experience how these creative individuals use their
personal space to make art. It is an opportunity to
talk with artists, asking about various techniques,
art supplies they use, and how they got into art in
the first place. Also, this is a great way to get
ideas on how to get more involved with art.

Much of the art in the studios will be for sale. Since
the artists do not pay a commission, the art will be
affordable.. There is nothing like original art in
your environment....



STEP BY STEP ON HOW TO ENJOY THE WEEKEND
Start at the Overture Center Friday, Saturday, or
Sunday.

At the Overture Center, the 126 participating artists
will have a work of art displayed in one of the three
Overture Center community galleries, giving the public
an opportunity to view the art and making it easier to
decide which art studios to visit on the week end.

Free maps, with the participating art studios clearly
marked, will be available at the Overture Center and
other venues. These give directions to the studios,
making it easy for the public to find their locations.
There will also be Madison-area Artist Annual
Manuals available and free to the public during the
week end. In the Artist Annual Manual, each
participating artist will have a photo of his or her
artwork, a brief bio, email and web site information,
and a list of art medium(s) used. The manual is open
to all artists in Dane County. Even if an artist isn't
participating in MAOAS, he or she can be in the
manual. This year there are 161 artists are showcased
in MAAM.

The public is welcome to attend the OPENING RECEPTION.
This is a wonderful way to to party with the artists
and meet other art enthusiasts.

The Overture Center will also be open Saturday and
Sunday, Oct. 7th and 8th. This way the public can view
the art more privately, make selections, plan a
route, with help of the map, and begin the tour.


2. HUE GALLERY WOMEN'S SHOW
Opening reception, 10/6, 6-8pm - watch as Erika and
Miriam appear in two different locations at once!
Poetry and live music will be featured, as well as
photography, paintings and scrap metal sculpture. Keep
checking the Hue's webpage for more info, and
directions:
www.hueartgallery.com

OCTOBER SCHEDULE FOR WRITING

I am finalizing the schedule for October, and I wanted to get ahold of
students who are already registered or I think are looking to take
classes this fall, to make sure everyone knows where they are. I wanted to try
and make a daytime class, but the registration wasn't happening, so if you
were one of the folks looking for a daytime class, please look at these
other times and let me know if one could work.

Tuesdays in October 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31
(5 week class), 6:30-8:30

Thursdays in October 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26 4-6pm, OR 7:30-9:30pm

If you are already in a class, and would like to continue at the same
time, there is no need to contact me. Consider this your confirmation.

If not, please take a moment to email me back and confirm, or, let me
know if none of these times work and there is another key time - if I can
get enough daytime students, I will still consider doing a daytime class.

So many thanks for all of your attendances and support and curiousity!

FALL 2006 CONTEMPLATIVE ART CLASSES

Dear students, friends, and supporters,

I am back after a wonderful summer sabbatical of retreat and study. Time with Natalie Goldberg was extra-ordinary and time at the Shambhala Mountain Center was awe-inspiring. I am coming back full and ready to teach. Below I have outlined what I will be teaching and when. Because I am going to be teaching closer to full-time, I am very flexible in scheduling, so this time around I'd like *you* to let *me* know what works for you, especially if the schedule so far has kept you from coming. Get back to me as soon as you can and let me know when you can come.

I will be gone from 8/22-8/26, so if you can, get back to me over the weekend. Otherwise I will get back to you as soon as I get back, to firm up classes for Tuesday.

1. Drop-in Contemplative Writing will continue on Thursday evenings (this day of week may change, please check Isthmus and your email and my blog for day of week change if necessary in a couple of weeks). Regular meditation is from 7-7:30, then we usually take a break until around 7:45, and begin then.
This will begin 8/31 (two weeks from yesterday) and for now continue through October, excepting 9/28, when I know I will be in Toronto for further Miksang training.
(Cost is 5-10$ sliding scale)

2. Commmitted Contemplative Writing: I will offer one to two 4-week classes and 5-week classes. I'd like to use Tuesday evenings again, although if I hear back from a number of students that another evening is better, that can change. Please email back if you are interested, even if Tuesdays don't work. Also, a second class can happen again on Tuesdays - either morning, afternoon, or, like last season, early evening. Please let me know your availability if you are interested in attending any of these.
Committed Writing (tentative schedule)
One daytime class, one evening class:
4 weeks in September: 8/29, 9/5, 9/12, 9/19
5 weeks in October: 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31
(Cost is 35$ for 4 weeks, 45$ for 5 weeks.)

And more Miksang!
3. I would like to schedule a review for those who have taken Level 1 already. 9/23 is a tentative date - again, if this does or doesn't work, please email me, regardless. We would get together in the late morning, review color concepts in a short talk, do a shoot, have lunch, then do a review. This would be free, and just a chance to build community together. At the end of the day, I can give a light assignment to give you all more to work with until the next review. In the end it would be good to do these monthly.
(Cost is free, bring a lunch or we will go out)

4. Miksang Levels I+II, take two: I am going to be teaching Level I again (for those who missed it the first time) and then Level II, for those who have either just taken Level I or took it with me last spring. This will likely be in late October/early November, before it gets "too cold".
(Cost tba - likely 40-50$)

No one is ever turned away from my classes because of trouble paying the full price. Please email me or call if you want to discuss financial issues - I would rather have you in the class and paying less than not in the class at all.

Thank you so much to all of you, for supporting me and the teachings in the last year. This is a very exciting time for me and my classes, and I look forward to playing with you all and learning from you all.

Sincerely,
Miriam Hall

Sabbatical

I am on meditation retreats for summer of 2006. I will be back mid-August, and ready to teach. Please check back then for schedule (I will be teaching at least three private classes) and also email me at herspiral@yahoo.com if you have any questions. I won't be able to check email until late August, but if you have a question you'd like me to respond to as soon as I end my retreat, that is the best way.

Well wishes for your summer!

I want to give you an update on happenings, as we are
rushing into Spring. A couple of weeks ago I taught the first
Miksang in Madison, and it was lovely! There will be
more of that, and as always, more contemplative
writing. Details follow.

I also want to let you know I have accepted to go away
for a large chunk of the summer (mid-June to
mid-August) with some wonderful teachers (Natalie
Goldberg and Arawana Hayashi). I will be returning and
teaching even more classes in August and beyond, but
if you were waiting to take a class with me until now,
now's the time to start!

1. Miksang:
Miksang, contemplative photography, will be taught
twice at the end of this month, beginning next month.

CANCELLED AS OF 4/24/06
April 28th 7-9pm and 29th 9-5pm, at the Madison
Shambhala Center (408 S. Baldwin, just off Willy St)
is the first class. CANCELLED AS OF 4/24/06

May 5th 7-9pm and 6th in Milwaukee at their Shambhala
Center, same hours.

You can check out the official Miksang sites:
www.miksang.org or www.miksang.net, or check out my
flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/herspiral to get a
sense of Miksang if you don't have one already. The
class includes instruction, a shoot, and a slide
review. Digital camera - borrowed or your own - is
required. Cost is 50$ for Shambhala members, 65$ for
non-members. Please contact me if you need consideration for paying a lower fee.

2. Contemplative Writing:
Continues on Thursday evenings from 7:30-9:30 at the
Madison Shambhala Center (see address above) on a
drop-in basis. For now the only night not happening is
4/20. Check www.herspiral.blogspot.com regularly, or
the Isthmus www.dailypage.com under words for updates
each week. Drop-ins are donation-based, 5-10$.

There is a committed class, the last one before I
leave, also still with a couple of openings -
in May, day and time to be determined. Let
me know if you are interested. Cost is 45$. 5 classes.

---------------------------------------------

When I get back late summer, I will be teaching as
well in the mornings (committed contemplative writing)
and likely a second night class, besides drop-in.
Please put your vote in now, if you are interested in
different days of the week or times than what I
currently offer, for what times I should offer classes
in the fall.

Eventually, the goal with Miksang is to get a bunch of
people trained on Level I, then have my teacher come
in the fall to do Level II. So take it now in order
to move forward with us, if you are interested!

Thank you for all your support as I move forward in my
teaching. Naropa University has accepted me into their
contemplative education masters program (long-distance
- I won't be leaving Madison), and there is much to be
learned from my end, too. All of my current students
have been great teachers for me.

In art,
Miriam

Miksang (please see earlier post for full description) has already filled up for April 1! If you are still interested in taking it, please email me at herspiral@yahoo.com. The next date available is 4/29/2006. I recommend signing up now, as the first class filled quite quickly. We celebrated Miksang on 3/19 as part of Shambhala Arts Day at the Shambhala Center, and it was quite exciting. Thank you all for your continued interest and support. If we get enough students, we can have a regular Miksang group - we can shoot together and review pictures once a month.

Miriam Hall at Poetry Reading as part of Africa Diaspora Conference, 3/24



I am going to be doing one of those still-pretty-rare-for Miriam-Hall readings this Friday, 3/24, at the MCCCA (Madison Center for Creative and Cultural Arts, 310 W. Dayton, behind the White Horse Inn), 8-10pm, as part of a larger group.

Some of the other featured poets included Daniel Kunene, Mukoma Wa Ngugi and Ray Hsu. There will be a dozen excellent poets, present and reading for our pleasure. Do come if you have the chance; the reading is a part of a larger conference about Africa and its Diaspora occuring on the UW campus this next weekend.

For a link to the conference, please see:
http://africa.wisc.edu/diaspora/symposium-2006/program.htm
and a link to the MCCCA, http://www.mccca.net/events.htm
And to my blog, where I keep track of such things and my classes:
www.herspiral.blogspot.com

Many thanks for all those who showed up to the last reading, and for all your continued support, whether over email, in person, or in brain waves.

Here are my offerings for spring Contemplative Arts! Please note all classes take place at the Madison Shambhala Center, 408 S. Baldwin St, side door entrance.

1. Contemplative Writing - Committed Class (pre-registration required).
We will be meeting Tuesdays, 7-9pm, in two different sets this spring. You can do one or both. If you sign up, please plan to pay for and attend all 5 classes, though if conflicts come up, we can try and work around them. The two committed sets are:
5 Tuesdays March-early April:
3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28 and 4/4

5 Tuesdays in May:
5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30.

Cost for all 5 of either is 45$. Please email or call me (441-0203) in order to register.

2. Contemplative Writing, Drop-in (no registration required).
For those who can't commit to the 5 week sessions, or who'd rather do it on a drop-in basis, contemplative writing is available on Thursdays through April, 7:30-9:30. It happens every week, save (usually once a month) the occasional break. Listings appear in the Isthmus under words, and updated listings are always on my blog: www.herspiral.blogspot.com. There is no need to pre-register. We ask for a 5-10$ sliding scale donation for the class.

3. Miksang: Miksang is a form of contemplative photography, and I will be teaching it for the first time in both Madison and Milwaukee this spring! Please visit www.miksang.net for full information on the background of Miksang and its view. If you are already interested and have yet to sign up, now is the time!

There are six spots left for the first class, and the second is wide open - so far (not yet announced in Milwaukee). As schedule allows, we will be making a second class in Madison, as well, sometime late spring/early summer. If you cannot make the first Madison date or the Milwaukee date, let me know if you are interested and Saturdays which may work for you in that timeframe.

Cost is 50$ for Shambhala Center members, 65$ for non-members.

Dates:
Free presentation as part of Shambhala Arts Day!
3/19/2006, Morning.

Class 1 - 6 spots left - Madison
Presentation/talk 7-9pm 3/31
Lesson/Shoot/Discussion 9-5 4/1 (lunch not included)

Class 2 - open - Milwaukee
Presentation/talk 7-9pm 5/5
Lesson/Shoot/Discussion 9-5 5/6

Class 3 - open - Madison
Same Friday evening/Saturday situation. Date TBA.

That's it for this season's offerings!
I hope to see you here or there, experiencing art in the moment.

February 9th: No Drop-in Class

Just a warning that there will be no drop-in class on February 9th. I have a teacher training out of town. Otherwise, the rest of February Thursdays are drop-in.

Thanks!

Thursday Drop-in Schedule for January/February

As for drop-ins over the next couple of months, please note I will be holding them every Thursday, 7:30-9:30, NOT including 1/5 (sorry about the confusion). Please feel free to drop in - no previous experience or attendance required!