Sara Steffey McQueen

Category: Events & Exhibitions

Stay informed about upcoming exhibitions, workshops, events, and collaborations featuring Sara’s art.

  • Sand Mandala for Earth Day April 18, 2026 Switchyard Park in Bloomington, IN

    Come down to Switchyard Park on Saturday, Earth Day 2026 and help design a sand mandala. There will be many other community activities to celebrate Earth Day 2026.

    The completed sand mandala in Bloomington, IN for Lotus World Music festival 2006.

    Here are some photos from a community mandala I helped create back in 2006 for our local world music festival, LOTUS. I loved making and teaching about mandalas around the world, and did a great middle school project each year. I presented the mandalas of Tibetan Buddhists and the sand paintings of the Navajo. Students created a personal mandala. We colored the sand with tempera paint and used glue to make a permanent design on cardboard.

    2026 Sponsors

    This year, I am organizing another community sand mandala for Earth Day. The event is for EARTH DAY at Switchyard Park on S. Rogers St. in Bloomington, IN It is supported by a grant of City of Bloomington Department of Economic and Sustainable Development, Brushes for a Better planet and Artists for Climate Awareness .

    We will be creating it with assistance from a local Girl Scout troop.

    I’ll post the 2026 mandala sketch soon!

    Here are some of my own mandalas.

  • “Distant Thunder” Climate Art Exhibition in Bloomington

    “Distant Thunder” Climate Art Exhibition in Bloomington

    Artists for Climate Awareness proudly presents “Distant Thunder,” an impactful juried exhibition showcasing climate-inspired art from talented artists across Indiana and beyond. Join us from April 3 to April 28, 2025, at the Arts Alliance Center, located inside Bloomington’s College Mall, to explore how artistic expression can illuminate urgent climate and environmental issues. Admission to the exhibition is free, and it will be open during regular Mall hours (11:00 AM to 9:00 PM), Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays).

    As part of the Earth Month celebrations, this exhibition encourages community engagement and reflection on environmental responsibility and sustainability through compelling visual narratives.

    Don’t miss the special opening reception on April 6, 2025, featuring “Ceremony for Our Land,” an immersive music and poetry performance led by Grace McKenzie and Daixuan Ai from IU Jacobs School of Music. This unique event emphasizes mindfulness through live music, creating a meaningful space for stillness and reflection. Reception and art viewing begin at 3:00 PM, with performances scheduled at 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Refreshments will be provided.

    For more details, visit Artists for Climate Awareness.