Rubin Museum of Art, New York

Profil

Founded in 1999 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit trust, the Rubin Museum of Art, the premier museum of Himalayan art in the Western world, opened to the public in October 2004. The museum is governed by an independent Board of Directors, which, with its professional staff, has led the museum to become universally recognized by newcomers and connoisseurs alike for showcasing the art of the Himalayan region. Through its collections and extensive public programming, the museum is a resource to the diverse communities that live in or travel to the New York region.

The Rubin Museum engages visitors through exhibitions, educational and public programming, and special events that invite a broad range of cultural and historical exploration. With 25,000 square feet of gallery space-in addition to public spaces, an education studio, a state-of-the-art theater, a shop, and a café-the museum draws more than 100,000 visitors a year.

On view at any one time are numerous exhibitions, drawn from the museum's collection, with diverse themes that range from female buddhas to divine madness and flying mystics to the origins of ancient Himalayan religions. The museum also serves as a venue for traveling exhibitions, bringing to New York audiences such critically acclaimed exhibitions as Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World, Eternal Presence: Handprints and Footprints in Buddhist Art, and The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama.
 
Collection

The museum's collection of more than 2,000 works of art includes Himalayan paintings, sculptures, textiles, ritual objects, and prints spanning a period from the second to the twentieth century. The works of art in the collection are drawn from the cultures that touch upon the 1,800 mile arc of mountains that extends from Afghanistan in the northwest to Myanmar (Burma) in the southeast and includes Tibet Autonomous Region, Nepal, Mongolia, and Bhutan. The larger Himalayan cultural sphere, determined by significant cultural exchange over millennia, includes Iran, India, China, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.
 
Exhibitions and Programs

The Rubin Museum offers an array of on- and off-site educational programs, as well as public programs such as talks and discussions; film screenings; live music, dance, poetry and other performances; and art demonstrations. The museum continues to refine a museum-wide access program in order to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities and special needs, language challenges, and at-risk and underserved segments of the population. A visit to the Rubin Museum is enhanced by the presence of guides in the galleries, American Sign Language tours, verbal imaging andtouch tours, and a wheelchair-accessible facility. Assistive listening devices and wheelchairs are also provided.

 Hours
 Monday: 11 a.m - 5 p.m.
 Tuesday: Closed
 Wednesday: 11 a.m - 7 p.m.
 Thursday: 11 a.m - 5 p.m.
 Friday: 11 a.m - 10 p.m.
 Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m - 6 p.m.