2008 Theme - Communing Spirit

We are, by our very nature, communing beings. We connect with each other through myriads of actions and gestures which say, “I want to know you.” We reach out through artistic expressions such as music, dance, the written word and visual arts. We yearn to stretch not only towards each other but towards life around us: to the natural world, to the inner world within us, and to the Divine. We put ourselves into places and experiences where we can get a rush: from the sunset, from the sound of a drum, or from the touch of another body. Is this not our spirit communing?

Communing takes many forms, from the spontaneous and ephemeral to the complex and enduring, such as our religious and secular rituals that have been created over untold time and continue to be shaped today.

This year’s invitation to artists to submit their creations of the communing spirit was answered with overwhelming response! Well over 100 artists responded with some 500 images from which we had to make this selection. Each piece was carefully chosen for its graphic strength as well as its contribution to the whole. We are thrilled with this year’s collection and wish to thank all the artists who submitted their work for our viewing. The most difficult part in assembling these visual offerings is the limitation of space. We hope that you, the viewer, will find inspiration in these images!

The Multifaith Calendar provides valuable information about fourteen different faith groups. Their major holidays are noted and explained. We trust that this publication can be a valuable source of information to support understanding of religious and cultural traditions and to extend not just tolerance, but more importantly, appreciation.