The Fudo Myoh-oh, a 33-foot-tall, 7-ton sculpture carved at the Maryland Institute, College of Art, will find a permanent home at Becton Dickinson's corporate headquarters in Franklin Lakes, N.J., according to the college.
The Alaskan cedar sculpture, which was carved by three Japanese sculptors -- Yasuhiko Hashimoto, Jinichi Itoh and Isao Yanaguimoto -- is the largest Fudo Myoh-oh in the world. The Fudo Myoh-oh, or "immovable God of Light" is a reincarnation of the Cosmic Buddha, an angry warrior-like Buddha that represents the Buddha's power against evil.
Begun in 1990, the sculpture was constructed in five parts that can be dismantled. The artists are adding the final touches of Japanese paint and gilt and should be finished by mid-April.
The sculpture project was intended to introduce Americans to traditional Japanese art and culture. During the past 2 1/2 years, hundreds of area school children have visited the Fudo, and Maryland Institute students have assisted on the project.
During the time that the Fudo was under construction, the Institute searched for a suitable permanent home for it. Becton ,, Dickinson and Company, a medical technology corporation, will house the Fudo in a glass atrium in its headquarters after it arrives this spring.
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John Olive's "Voice of the Prairie," a whimsical play about the early days of radio, will usher in the first season at Olney Theatre's renovated theater auditorium on April 27.
The subsequent productions, chosen because each represents something hopeful about the experience of living in America, are "The Tavern," by George M. Cohan (June 1-27); "Lend Me a Tenor" by Ken Ludwig (July 6-Aug. 1); "Shadowlands" by William Nicholson (Aug. 10-Sept. 5), and "Show Me Where the Good Times Are," a musical by Lee Thuna, Kenneth Jacobson and Rhoda Roberts (Sept. 21-Oct. 17).
"Voice of the Prairie" runs through May 23. Subscriptions are on sale at the Olney Theatre box office. Prices range from $75 to $110 for the series. Single tickets go on sale April 1. The theater is accessible to the disabled. For details, call (301) 924-3400.
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The Maryland Historical Society has received a $154,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to fund a summer institute for 30 Maryland teachers who are teaching state history from a multicultural perspective.
"Maryland: A Cultural and Social Mosaic," a three-week residential program running from July 12-30, will cover the period of pre-settlement to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. It is 00 designed for teachers of the fourth through eighth grades.
The institute is free to participants. Teachers will develop classroom-ready materials based on Maryland school curricula, train for in-service workshops and receive peer instruction, review and evaluation.
Applications for this program must be postmarked by Mar. 16. The museum is accessible to the disabled. For details, call (410) 685-3750.