The Future of the Rubin
Next month, we will say farewell to the galleries at 150 West 17th Street in New York City and welcome in a new chapter as a global museum. In our next incarnation, we are continuing to present Himalayan art through traveling exhibitions, digital experiences, and collaborations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and beyond. As part of our evolution, we will close the physical galleries on 17th Street on October 6 and sell the building.
We are proud of the groundbreaking exhibitions and events we have held in New York over the last 20 years and our building has been central to that success. While we are making major operational changes, our mission remains the same: to bring greater understanding and appreciation of Himalayan art to as large and diverse an audience as possible. The Rubin’s commitment to this overarching goal is unwavering and we look forward to continuing our work in this field well into the future.
To learn more about our future, click here.
Programs and Events
Before our final day at 17th Street on October 6, 2024, we invite you to join us at the Museum to celebrate 20 years of transformative exhibitions and programming, some of which are listed below:
Family Sundays
Sundays through Sept 29
1:00–3:00pm
Weekend Public Tours
Saturdays and Sundays through Sept 29
2:00–2:45pm
Reimagine Durational Performances by:
YESHE
FORBIDDEN SONGS
Live performances on Sept 8, 15 & 22
and
Sonam Tshedzom Tingkhye
Per(sever)e
Live performances on Sept 5–8 & 12–15
Mindfulness Meditation
Every Thursdays through Sept 26; continuing on at New York Insight Meditation Center on W 29th Street starting Oct 10
1:00–1:45pm
Buddhist Wisdom from Palm Leaf to Pixel with Laurie Anderson, Donald S. Lopez, and Michael Imperioli
Friday, Sept 20, 2024
7:00–8:30pm
K2 Friday Nights
Fridays through Sept 20
6:00–10:00pm
A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism Book Launch
Friday, Sept 13, 2024
6:30-8:30pm
To learn more about their final programs, click here.
Installation view of Mending and Moving | (top) Upper Section of a Torana; Nepal; dated by Inscription 1810; copper alloy, repoussé; Rubin Museum of Art; gift of Hardt & Sons; C2003.21.3 (HAR 65234) | (left) IMAGINE (a.k.a. Sneha Shrestha); The Menu; 2023; acrylic ink on canvas; courtesy of the artist | (center) IMAGINE (a.k.a. Sneha Shrestha); sculpture fabricated and engineered by Black Cat Labs; Calling the Earth to Witness; 2023; acrylic on Masonite, steel; courtesy of the artist | Photo by Dave De Armas
Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now
March 15 – October 6, 2024
Contemplate and celebrate what Himalayan art means now with a Museum-wide exhibition of artworks by over 30 contemporary artists, many from the Himalayan region and diaspora and others inspired by Himalayan art and cultures.
On the occasion of the Rubin’s 20th anniversary, Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now transforms the entire Museum with new commissions, some site-specific, and existing works juxtaposed with objects from the Museum’s collection, inviting new ways of encountering traditional Himalayan art.
Through a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, sound, video, installation, performance, and more, the artists explore their personal and collective histories and call attention to themes such as the fluidity of identity, spiritual practices, sense of belonging, grief, memory, and reclamation. The artists also offer critical and thoughtful commentary on issues facing humanity across time.
To learn more, click here.
Guided Public Tours
Explore Himalayan art and cultures during our engaging tours led by an expert docent. Through close looking at art and conversation, visitors gain greater insights into current exhibitions and our collection. Tour themes may include Mindfulness, Living Traditions, Stories of Migration, the Role of the Female, Tradition and Technology, and Environmental Sustainability, among others. Tours meet at 2:00 PM at the base of the spiral staircase and last approximately 45 minutes. No reservation required beyond regular admission ticket.
To check upcoming dates and learn more, click here.
Gateway to Himalayan Art
June 11, 2021 – October 6, 2024
Gateway to Himalayan Art, curated by Elena Pakhoutova, introduces viewers to the main forms, concepts, meanings, and traditions of Himalayan art represented in the Rubin Museum collection.
To view the exhibition, click here.
Installation view
The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room
October 11, 2019 – October 6, 2024
Since it first opened, the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room has been one of the most popular installations at the Rubin Museum, providing an immersive experience inspired by a traditional shrine. Art and ritual objects are displayed as they would in an elaborate private household shrine, a space used for offerings, devotional prayer, rituals, and contemplation. For Museum visitors, this richly detailed, immersive installation provides an oasis for peaceful contemplation at the heart of the Rubin Museum.
To view the exhibition, click here.
Masterworks: A Journey Through Himalayan Art
January 29, 2021 – October 6, 2024
This regularly changing exhibition at the Rubin explores major strands in the development of Himalayan art, covering a period of over one thousand years and featuring objects drawn primarily from the Rubin Museum’s collection.
To view the exhibition, click here.
Mandala Lab installation
Mandala Lab
October 1, 2021 – October 6, 2024
An Interactive Space for Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning
The Mandala Lab, located on the Museum’s remodeled third floor, invites curiosity about our emotions. Consider how complex feelings show up in your everyday life and imagine how you might have the power to transform them. Inspired by powerful Buddhist principles, the Mandala Lab features five thought-provoking, playful experiences—including videos, scents, sculpture, and curated percussion instruments—that guide you along an inner journey focused on self-awareness and awareness of others. See, smell, touch, and breathe your way through the space, designed to inspire connection, empathy, and learning.
To learn more, click here.
Project Himalayan Art
Publication, Traveling Exhibition, and Digital Platform
This monumental initiative, which is now live, is the first project of its kind to offer comprehensive, introductory resources for learning about Himalayan art, with a focus on the cross-cultural exchange of Tibetan, Himalayan, and Inner Asian art and cultures. It features an expansive digital platform, traveling exhibition to university museums, and a cross-disciplinary publication featuring essays from 72 international scholars. The new digital platform is a hub to dive into the world of Himalayan art, including for students, teachers, scholars, or visitors looking to expand their understanding of Himalayan art and cultures. It features materials from the traveling exhibition, which opened this month at its first venue, Lehigh University Art Galleries, 108 object essays from the publication (available to pre-order today), videos, 360-degree object views, an interactive map, a glossary of hundreds of definitions, over 1,000 object images, and much more!
To learn more, click here.
