Peace Under the Prisms
December 2022
Last month on Black Friday I followed the white light to the Dwan Light Sanctuary. This building is located in Montezuma, New Mexico on the campus of a boarding school called the United World College-USA. While the campus and Montezuma Castle have a long history, the sanctuary opened in 1996. It truly is a place of peace, recharging, and inspiration.
After checking in with security at the entrance, I drove around the football field, passed a few administration buildings, and came to a small stone building tucked in the trees. The sidewalk had a winding approach to the doors of the building. The card fob gave me access and immediately I was hushed by the all-white interior and light filling the space. After removing my shoes, I floated around swirling in the light. I found so many wonderful design elements in the minimal interior, but the highlight were the giant prisms.
The prisms were installed in the ceiling and two sides of the building. They were massive compared to hand held prisms I was used to. They looked about 4 to 5 feet long. As I got closer to the windows on the walls, I saw prisms within the prisms! Peering through the glass to the trees and outdoor environment there was much distortion. For a moment, I felt like an alien in this mothership of peace and light. Over the next hour, I sat in multiple spots to experience various perspectives and watch the rainbows change on the surfaces.
Sitting on the circular bench (and floor), I had many thoughts passing through my mind like light through those prisms. I thought about art and architecture history, personal healing, what the meaning of the lines and circles in the floor might be, all the research that went into this project, paintings at home, what if this building was situated in an even more remote spot, and, of course, all at the same time trying to hush my mind. I think it was quieted for 30 seconds, at most.
This day trip was one of exploration, escape, and release. I’m so grateful that I had nearly 45 minutes by myself before the next visitors arrived. I was bathed in beautiful light and colors.
In my peaceful state, I was reminded of a science project I completed in fourth grade. I vaguely remember understanding the premise of a prism, but fascinated one beam of white light passes thru a prism and separates into a spectrum of colors. It seemed more like a magic trick than science.
This space created by artists and architects also reminded me of other “sacred” spaces. Prior to Albuquerque, I lived in Houston and a few locals came to mind. The Rothko Chapel featuring Mark Rothko’s paintings and James Turrell Skyspace, “Twilight Epiphany” on the Rice University Campus. I lived and worked near both, so I could visit anytime. There are other Turrell pieces in Houston with similar experiential qualities, like the tunnels at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Live Oak Friends Meeting House.
And here I was, in a room of giant prisms, watching light and rainbows gently cast on the walls, seats, floor, and ceiling. Watching it morph and change right before my eyes. I tried to stay in the moment to soak up all the beauty, the timing of this experience, and silence.