New Year Mandala Project – A Facebook group is formed each year by Shintani, to celebrate and kick off the new year. Participants are invited to create a mandala each day for 12 days, and join in a community of art making and sharing. 750 people from all over the country and world have joined the project yearly over 5 years span. The goal of the project is to encourage art making daily for 12 days. The 12 mandalas become each artist’s calendar for the year, representing the 12 months. Exhibitions and salons have spun off from the Facebook group.