The Venezuela Experience

On Sunday, 8 July 1984, the museum doors of Maracaibo's Centro de Bellas Artes opened to present its newest exhibition to the Venezuelan public. Jharna-Kala, Fuente de Arte, was being exhibited for the first time in Latin America.

The beautiful museum, resembling New York's Guggenheim Museum, had been decorated for the occasion with touches of India, a decor which proved elegant in its simplicity. It served as an appropriate introduction to the flood of Jharna-Kala colours which touched every wall. A gracefully curving rampway led from the bottom to the top level of the museum, where clusters of colour and joy seemed to dance in natural sunlight from the overhead skylight.

The inevitable reaction to such an exhibit was the heart's feeling of oneness, peace and joy. In anticipation of this, one part of the museum had been decorated to resemble a temple, where the viewer could go to make contact with those same qualities within himself. Here was an opportunity to absorb the peace of Jharna-Kala in an eastern ambience surrounded by a dancing figure of the Hindu goddess Kali, the artist's haunting music and the smell of incense.

Jharna-Kala was explained to the public as divine art, created solely for the purpose of giving its peace and joy to the art-lover. Those who understood its divinity were profoundly moved. Others were able to perceive this at various moments when their minds were not asking too many questions. But everyone, on this special opening day, felt that they were in a special environment, a refuge of purity and peace.

This was evident by some of the many positive comments recorded in the guestbook on 8 July:

"It inspired a deep inner feeling."

"It could not be better."

"Beautiful, inspiring peace and love."

"Beautiful art."

"The art, the ambience are a road to achieve peace."

"Infinitely beautiful."

"Fantastic movement."

In addition, every local newspaper covered the exhibition with an inspiring picture-review.

Once the exhibition opened, the month of July quickly flew by. Each day was on experience of discovery for all who come to view the art. As the museum contained a large public auditorium, every night of the week the halls were filled with people attending the ballet, the Maracaibo Symphony Orchestra and many graduation ceremonies. The Jharna-Kala exhibit was able to offer its beauty and peace to hundreds and hundreds of people who otherwise might not have had the opportunity to come to the museum.

Only five days earlier, the museum stood naked and empty. Its graceful lines were cold and lacked movement and colour. Suddenly, like a dynamic snowball, three of Sri Chinmoy's students come to Maracaibo from the New York winter to begin work on the exhibition. Under the amazing talent of Shivani and Dhurjati Mueller, the transformation-snowball gathered momentum. The New Yorkers — Shivani, Dhurjati and Barada — were joined by Sri Chinmoy's Venezuelan friends and students, including Aurora Saavedra and Victor Virla for day-into-night sessions of planning, building, cleaning and framing. The workers were often joined by the museum's Assistant Director, by members of the Maracaibo Symphony Orchestra and just by interested people stopping by. When only one day remained until the opening, it seemed humanly impossible to have all the paintings mounted by the next morning. But thanks to the patience and perseverance of the museum's mounter, Mr. Antonio Inciarte — who worked 24 hours to assemble every painting — the miracle was completed.

The art seemed to emanate actual waves of peace and happiness so that everyone who entered the museum felt something spiritual. Actress Lupita Ferrera, who had starred with Anthony Quinn in his films, came to visit the exhibit and said that the paintings gave her more peace than she had had in a very long time. John W. L. Russel, the United States Cultural Attache in Venezuela, visited the exhibit and said that he wished he could own all the paintings.

On 29 July the exhibition of Sri Chinmoy's 75 paintings and drawings closed. A special function was held for the public, complete with a vegetarian meal and a selection of Sri Chinmoy's music played by the cellist of the Maracaibo Symphony Orchestra, St. John Maber. The taking down of the paintings as the last person left the museum was sad not only for Sri Chinmoy's students but the museum staff as well. But although Jharna-Kala had to go back to New York, its message of love and peace had penetrated deeply the hearts and souls of many, many wonderful people in Venezuela.

“I am a sea of consciousness vast. I shall sweep you away in my tide, my colour-current, and wash you up upon the golden shores of Infinity, the shores of your own inner Reality.”

— Sri Chinmoy

(by Barada Weisbrot)