SVCC President Practices Ancient Art Form With Colorful Creations
Dr. John J. Cavan, Southside Virginia Community College’s President with many diverse interests, practices an ancient art form through the doodles he produces to keep his mind focused. The ancient art form is called Mandala from the Sanskrit word for  “circle” and features symmetrical geometric designs usually enclosed within a circle, square or rectangle, that serve as cosmograms and focal points for meditation, according to Mandala Designs by Martha Bartfeld, copyrighted by Dover Publications, Inc., in 1997.
Mandalas were highly developed by Hindus in India and known to have been used there in intricate forms during religious ceremonies by the year 1500 B.C. These were also constructed and further elaborated by Tantric Buddhists in Tibet, according to Bartfeld’s book. According to Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, the psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as "a representation of the unconscious self” and believed his paintings of mandalas enabled him to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness in personality: An interesting fact since Dr. Cavan holds degrees in psychology.
MSN Encarta says each mandala represents the universe pictorially. The worshiper imaginatively enters the mandala, focusing successively on each of its stages and absorbing the logic of its form as the worshiper approaches the center. The Buddhist religious texts known as tantras provide descriptions of a great number of mandalas, supposedly intended for different types of people. Practically every major tantra has one or more associated mandalas, each with specific sets of deities or abstract symbols. Although every mandala has its own individual characteristics, the basic concept and structure of all mandalas is fundamentally the same.
Dr. Cavan’s artwork began as ”just doodles” and have evolved into more concentrated, colorful paintings throughout the years. His work features the telltale mandala circle complete with a central point, varying lines, flower petals, hexagons, diamonds, dots and/or curves or other geometric shapes. Color combinations enhance each design and offer variety and a continuity of interest for the viewer. The eye is drawn into the configuration, the shapes of which are works of art within artwork. This art form serves as a focusing technique for the busy president as well as a form of creative expression, an activity to stimulate his right brain and to bring about relaxation.
According to Newsweek Magazine Web Exclusive, February 26, 2009, “Doodling during class or meetings may actually help your concentration. One study suggests that doodling can help your memory.”
According to the study, doodlers remembered more from a monotonous mock telephone message than the non-doodlers. The article suggests that doodling can be a good thing, even among students in a classroom.
“If there is a choice between doodling and daydreaming, you are better off with students doodling. This is not necessarily a sign of boredom but that it may be hard for them to concentrate without something visual,” the Newsweek article states.
Dr. Cavan creates a number of different versions of his artwork. His art depicts the circles and curves of the ancient form and also celebrates themes such as holidays and one very famous Presidential election. Within the last several years, he has created many mandalas that celebrate institutes of higher education. These usually include the school colors and mascots. These have included commemoration of SVCC, Longwood University, Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, Harvard University, Yale University, University of South Carolina, William and Mary and many others.
The cover of the SVCC College Catalog for 2006-2008 featured this artwork.
About his design, he said,”A mosaic of colors and shapes, when put together, form a work of art. When you educate a diverse student body who are hungry for knowledge and who might not have had opportunities in the past, the result is a work of human art. That is the mission of America’s community colleges—Democracy’s Colleges like Southside Virginia Community College, of which I am immensely proud.”
The colleges and universities featured in his recent works are displayed on both the Christanna and Daniel campuses of SVCC as well as many of the off-campus sites of the college. His artwork has also been sent to various alumnus of institutions featured and has won awards for creativity.
Recently, he sent a canvas featuring Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology shield to the school’s dean. The art was featured in the Yeshiva University’s Progress Notes publication celebrating its 50th anniversary. The magazine featured a photo of Dean Lawrence J. Sigel with the framed painting by Cavan which now hangs in the dean’s office. Along with the artwork, Dr. Cavan wrote a personal note of thanks to the school for playing a “paramount part” in his professional life, and in his developing a “positive personal philosophy.” Dr. Cavan stated that what he learned at Ferkauf gave him the “tools to have a positive impact on tens of thousands of lives.”
Besides art, Dr. Cavan has diverse interests in marathon running and basketball. He has completed 120 marathons including many of the famous New York and Boston varieties. He has not missed a day running in 22 years and exalts the activity’s powers of renewal of body and spirit.
“A deadly accurate outside shooter” turned innovative college president, Dr. Cavan was inducted into the Nicholls State University Athletic Hall of Fame on October 7, 2006 in John L. Guidry Stadium, Thibodaux, Louisiana. He was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC) in Moorhead, Mississippi on April 5, 2003. Cavan played basketball for Barringer High School where he was named an All-City Player. He learned the real game of basketball on the playgrounds of Harlem in New York City and later coached at Central High School in New Jersey.
Whether shooting hoops, running through southern Virginia pine forests, captaining a college or creating art, Dr. Cavan pursues his interests with zeal, dedication, innovation and passion.
(c) 2009. Southside Virginia Community College. All rights reserved.
| 
