Group painting, meditation project to create new public artwork
July 22, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Artist and Zen practitioner Monica DiGiovanni during a Zen circle or ensō painting project. Courtesy photo
A special community art and meditation project happening on Saturday aims to bring people together to create a new artwork that could be publicly displayed.
Artist and Zen practitioner Monica DiGiovanni from Montpelier will lead the project titled, “Painting Peace: Community Ensō Painting and Meditation.” Weather permitting, the event will take place in Jack’s Alley on Stowe Street on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. If necessary, the rain location will be the Steele Community Room at the Waterbury Municipal Complex.
The public is invited to join DiGiovanni for an exercise using basic meditation skills through the process of painting a Zen circle or ensō where the image created becomes an illustration reflecting the movement during the exercise.
“Painting a Zen circle, or ensō, is an ancient Japanese practice done with brush, ink and paper. This community art project is an opportunity to pause and explore what's beyond everyday mental noise to cultivate peace in one’s self, to then bring peace into the world,” DiGiovanni said.
This is the first public art project to be funded through a new grant fund of Waterbury Arts and supported by the community development organization Revitalizing Waterbury. Waterbury Arts is a volunteer committee of local art enthusiasts focused on creating temporary and permanent public art projects in Waterbury. It aims to provide up to $3,000 in grants annually to support public art in the community.
Committee member Laura Parette said the Painting Peace project was awarded just under $3,000 to cover the costs of the event and creation of the community painting. Depending on requests the group receives, Parette said Waterbury Arts could potentially fund multiple projects per year.
On Saturday, the meditation focus is “peace,” and participants will physically contribute their thoughts by adding to the Zen circle painting, DiGiovanni explained.
“Movement meditation can help manage stress and fear associated with personal and societal struggles, and nurture connections and understanding on both an individual and collective level,” DiGiovanni explains. “The creative act of painting an ensō fosters a clear mind and heart, facilitating deeper connection. It also gives people who don’t think they are creative an opportunity to hold a brush, dip in paint, and bring something to life.”
DiGiovanni teaches writing, art, yoga and meditation in Montpelier, where she is involved in a variety of public art initiatives. She also leads creative retreats for individuals and organizations.
The finished work from the Waterbury exercise can be mounted and preserved so it may be publicly displayed in Jack’s Alley. Revitalizing Waterbury Executive Director Roger Clapp said that it could work to design the Zen circle piece so it could be hung in the alley space intended to rotate art pieces for exhibit. Clapp said he hopes the Jack’s Alley Steering Committee can seek grant funding to help with more projects like this that will continue to create art that can be placed on view in the alley space.
Event schedule
On Saturday, Painting Peace will give participants a chance to both paint their own ensō and take part in creating the group Zen circle painting. All materials will be provided and the event is free to attend.
The schedule DiGiovanni envisions will have the first and last hours – 10-11 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m. – devoted to individual expression. The group meditation and large painting will be done between 11 a.m. and noon. See more about the project online here.