Everyone knows how important it is to remember the flowers on special occasions. One of those occasions is the “Festival of Flowers,” held on Pioneer Courthouse Square in late June. Forgive me for being a little late in documenting it on this blog. This year’s design, “Container of Essence,” created by local artist and sculptor Dana Lynn Louis, was made up of nearly 20,000 colorful flowers, bamboo and ornamental grasses to create a mandala in the heart of downtown, encouraging peace within one’s self and the world at large. Both the Navajo Indians, and Tibetan monks inspired the floral design. They created sand mandalas, to demonstrate the cycle of life and celebrate in a colorful gathering after its creation. This event marks the end of spring and the beginning of summer on the square. At the end of the event the flowers go on sale to the public. This is one the most special events held on the square and is one of my favorites. The Festival of Flowers was going on when I made my first post on this blog on June 22, 2010. To view a rendering of this year’s installation, click here. http://www.thesquarepdx.org/images/2012MasterSitePlan.jpg
