photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

A crowd gathers to watch the closing ceremony at the Lawrence Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

On Saturday, a few days after eight Buddhist monks began crafting a 5-foot-wide mandala out sand in the Lawrence Arts Center’s lobby, the work was completed and swept away in a closing ceremony before the sand was dispersed over the Kansas River.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

Attendees admire the completed sand mandala and purchase goods at the Lawrence Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

Two monks put the finishing touches on the sand mandala at the Lawrence Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

The completed sand mandala at the Lawrence Arts Center is seen Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

Two monks sweep away the sand mandala at the Lawrence Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

A monk sweeps the sand mandala into bags to be transported to the Kansas river at the Lawrence Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

A crowd gathers to watch the closing ceremony at the Lawrence Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

Kevin Mullin passes out bags of sand to attendees at the Lawrence Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

Bags of sand are distributed to attendees while monks work to bag up the sand mandala at the Lawrence Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

A group of monks lead a procession past City Hall on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

Monks say a prayer on the Kansas River before dispersing the sand mandala over the river on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

photo by: Shawn Valverde/Special to the Journal-World

A monk pours sand into the Kansas RIver on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.