Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Boone County Public Library has been working to rebuild its adult programming at the Chapin Memorial branch, located in Petersburg, KY. (Population approximately 535) This library branch is housed within the Petersburg Community Center, the key gathering place in the small community. BCPL reached out to Boone County Cooperative Extension to partner on a program specifically targeting adults residing in this outlying location, providing an arts and healthy living opportunity that wouldn’t require a 17-minute-plus drive to the next nearest branch.

On May 15^th, 2025, Community Arts Agent Susan Miller presented “Moment for Mandalas” at the BCPL Chapin Memorial branch at 5pm. The 90-minute program introduced how mindfulness, when applied to different aspects of our daily routine, such as physical movement, eating, and artistic endeavors like drawing, can impact our overall health and well-being. Participants practiced relaxation through guided deep-breathing and muscle relaxation exercises, followed by an introduction to the historical and cultural significance of mandalas and practiced calming techniques of drawing their own mandala. Additionally, they sampled a healthy snack (Crunchy Munch Snack Mix), selected so that they could be mindful of various food textures and encourage high-fiber snacking on nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, foods noted for their positive impact on mental health. (Polizzi, 2024)

Four (4) adult women and one (1) youth from the general public attended the program. Based on the survey results of four participants (three adults and one youth), all (100 percent) reported that drawing mandalas was a new art experience for them. All respondents (100 percent) reported feeling more confident in their ability to use deep-breathing and muscle relaxation to help reduce stress and increase mindfulness. In addition, all (100 percent) reported having a better understanding of how movement and mindful eating can affect their mental well-being. One participant shared, “I really enjoyed the drawing aspects and the wellness aspects, and thought it was a great experience overall. I learned a lot about mandalas and mindfulness today.”

Source:

Polizzi, S. (2024). Food and mood: How diet is key to mental health. Oregon State University Extension Service. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/extd8/files/catalog/auto/EM9444.pdf