Abstract submission deadline:   April 10, 2012
Conference weekend:   July 6-8, 2012

In Buddhism, as in other major religions, the visual arts have played a central role. Buddhist artists and artisans created images that inspired by their form and function.  As Buddhism spread from place to place, it adapted local artistic traditions, creating styles and symbol-sets that not only represented Buddhism but, simultaneously, remained in touch with local sensibilities and culture. Portrayals of the Buddha and other important figures in stone, wood, bronze, and ink, for example, continue to anchor local communities, serve as their ritual center, and convey their teachings to new generations.

Today, a number of prominent Buddhist styles and symbols are recognized the world over—forming what is called “traditional” Buddhist art. In the face of this broad recognition of the traditional, it is easy to forget that the processes of localization, transformation, and creation are still at work. As demonstrated by Nam Jun Paik’s “Buddha” (1989), Mariko Mori’s “Enlightenment Capsule” (1998), Xu Bing’s “Where Does the Dust Itself Collect?” (2004), or Gonkar Gyatso’s “Buddha in Our Time” (2007), contemporary artists draw upon Buddhist iconic, conceptual, and ritual traditions to create works that speak to present day struggles with identity, politics, social practice, and consumer culture. Buddhist artists combine new and old media and display influences from the many kinds of training available in a mobile, globalized world: whether in traditions descended from the European fine arts, apprenticeship in the creation of Buddhist icons, or in the enclaves of the avant-garde.

How to submit an abstract:
We invite the submission of paper abstracts (150 words) and a brief CV (no more than 1 page) to bcsprogram@gmail.com by April 10, 2012. We encourage papers that explore (1) any facet of contemporary Buddhist art, or (2) contemporary issues in relation to Buddhist antiquities and traditional art objects. Papers may, for example:

- explore definitions of “contemporary Buddhist art”
- interpret form or content of art works using theory in the visual arts
- describe specific works, particular artists, or artistic communities
- examine the transnational linkages of contemporary Buddhist art
- explore local and global issues in the preservation, management, trade, and exhibition of Buddhist antiquities
- examine the deployment of traditional Buddhist art for contemporary political, cultural, or religious purposes that differ from original context and use

“Corporate Craving and Buddhist Compassion: Is There a Middle Ground for Buddhism in Business?”

Date: Thursday, 02 February 2012
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Place: Room 120, C.K. Choi Building, 1855 West Mall

Lectures are free and open to the public. Seating will be on a first-come first-serve basis. 
To download a .pdf poster for printing: Jan W. Walls.

The choice of “Right Livelihood” is so important among primary Buddhist values that it has been enshrined in the Noble Eightfold Path. “Right Livelihood” does not exclude serving or owning a wealth-generating business, but the rightness of a livelihood is determined not by the amount of material wealth it produces, but rather by the well-being it generates. Since the business of businesses today is the pursuit of as much profit as markets and laws allow, isn’t “Buddhist business” an oxymoron by its very nature? In recent years, owing to widespread concern over “corporate greed”, many “ethical business” initiatives have emerged and continue to grow. Assuming that “ethical business” and “Buddhist business” should have much in common, this presentation looks at the diametrically different starting points of Buddhist thought and free enterprise corporate goals, then considers the recent ethical business movements in search of a future convergence of Buddhist ideals and corporate behavior.

After completing his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Chinese and Japanese languages and literatures, Dr. Walls began his academic career teaching Chinese language and East Asian cultures at the University of British Columbia (1970-78) and the University of Victoria (1978-85). In addition to teaching at UVic, he founded and directed the Center for Pacific and Oriental Studies. From 1981 to 1983 he served as First Secretary for Cultural and Scientific Affairs at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, and from 1985 to 1987 he was Senior Vice President of the newly established Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, where he founded and developed their first Education and Cultural Affairs programs.

In September, 1987, he joined Simon Fraser University, where he founded and directed a center for the interdisciplinary study of international, intercultural and interlingual communication at SFU’s Harbour Center campus in downtown Vancouver: the David Law Center for International Communication. He also founded and directed SFU’s Asia-Canada Program, an interdisciplinary minor or intensive minor program for undergraduate students.

He has published literary and cultural studies and translations, and lectured widely in the fields of East Asian languages and cultures, East-West intercultural communication, and the theory and practice of cross-cultural translation.

BCS Program lectures are made possible by the generous support of The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation.

Here is the link: http://www.vancouversun.com/Metro+ethnic+enclaves+expand+will+residents+trust+hold/5578612/story.html

The movie “Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche” is also a potential candidate for entry in the Arclight Documentary Film Festival, if enough of the public “Like” it on the Arclight YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzZRiE7C_Ac