Community Mandala Project
Art workshops for healing, empowerment, self-care and connection. Strengthening and transforming people, communities and brands since 2002!
Community Mandala Project’s meditative art workshops combine the power of love, nature, personal stories, creativity and wisdom teachings from around the world to inspire, empower and strengthen people, communities and brands. They can restore a sense of wholeness and wellness, connect, support the healing journey and transform. Think yoga and meditation, but with art!
About CMP
Founded in 2004 by Donna Gentile, Community Mandala Project (CMP) is an initiative offering immersive art workshops inspired by sacred geometry, patterns in nature, stories of triumph, positive affirmations and wisdom teachings from around the world. They help participants practice self care, access creativity, take back personal power, turn wounds into wisdom, manifest positive transformations, activate the body’s energy centers, support the healing journey, relax, restore, rejuvenate and more!
History
In 2002, Donna designed and taught “Circle of Life” art workshops inspired by nature and the sacred wheel of life at Holcomb Community Farm School (Granby, CT) and The Cobb School Montessori (Simsbury, CT).
In 2004, The Bushnell of Hartford hired Donna to design a vibrant art program about ‘community’ for second graders at Plainville Community Schools (CT). Donna designed the Community Mandala Collage (pictured), and Community Mandala Project was born. After three incredible years teaching second graders in three Plainville Community Schools, it became evident that the workshops were not just for children. Adults in the classroom were asking if they could make a mandala collage too! This inspired Donna to develop workshops for adults.
She began designing watercolor and mixed media mandala art workshops for healing, empowerment, self-care and connection. As needs in the community grew, she designed and taught custom workshops for victims and survivor groups on their journey to thriving after domestic violence/abuse, and for addiction recovery groups, veterans with PTSD, seniors with dementia, K-12 school students, cancer recovery groups, family who lost loved ones to cancer, senior centers, house parties, special events, yoga centers, farmers markets, non-profits and more.
In 2014, Hartford Performs brought CMP onboard to join their team of 100+ teaching artists serving Hartford, CT public and charter schools, where CMP workshops became very popular. Donna designed custom workshops for grades k-12, adapting them to core curriculum requirements for English, math, social studies, science, art and more.
Gentile went on to design and teach Personal Mandalas helping students learn new mindfulness practices and ways to deepen connections to nature and self including the “I AM” Mandala for self-care and empowerment, the STEAM Nature Mandala incorporating critical thinking, sacred geometry in nature, mechanical tools and aspects of STEAM, the Peace & Unity Mandala to cultivate harmony, 44″ x 44″ Community Mandala Puzzles incorporating words, symbols and graphics aligned with the school’s philosophy and message, and many more workshops.
Since then, CMP has developed dozens of programs and facilitated hundreds of workshops.
In 2020, Donna built out a minivan for van living, discovered hidden carpentry skills and a love for building with wood, left the east coast and headed west with her young adult daughter and their cat on an epic adventure and personal freedom journey.
In 2021, while in Tucson, AZ, Donna proposed a massive Nature Mandala Mural to a community village where she was living in a hobbit-style hut, and her long-time dream to paint a huge mural with community was realized.
Today, the workshop facilitator is in southwest Colorado creating art inspired by nature, painting murals and offering art workshops for healing, empowerment, self-care and connection.
Clients
CMP has worked with incredible people and organizations including Advocacy Unlimited, AIM for a Better Tomorrow, CancerCare, CT Dept. of Mental Health & Addiction Services (DMHAS), Connecticut Women’s Consortium, Dogs Deserve Better, Farmington Valley Health District’s RGH program for veterans and community, Hartford Performs, The Bushnell of Hartford, schools, senior centers, recovery clubs, yoga centers, retreats, festivals, special events, home parties and more.
View full Client List.
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About the the Founder
Donna Gentile (pictured with daughter Kira) is a visionary, artist, designer, educator, author, musician, empowerment navigator and the founder of Community Mandala Project. She has taught meditative art workshops since 2002 at incredible organizations and holds a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design. Mandala art helped Donna heal, take back her power and shine her light after domestic violence. It feeds her passion for freedom and service, and today, she travels America in a minivan with her cat connecting with nature, creating for liberty and working to empower and transform people, communities and businesses.
More about Donna’s Story.