Rubin Museum of Art

Last updated

Rubin Museum of Art
Rubin Museum of Art Logo.png
The Rubin Museum of Art (49051574333).jpg
Exterior seen from 17th Street
Rubin Museum of Art
EstablishedOctober 2, 2004
Location150 West 17th Street
Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates 40°44′24″N73°59′52″W / 40.7401°N 73.9978°W / 40.7401; -73.9978
Type Art museum, education center, performance and event venue
Collection size2,000+ objects
Public transit access Bus:
M1, M2, M3, M7, M14A, M14D, M20, M55

PATH: JSQ-33, HOB-33 at 14th Street
Subway:

Website rubinmuseum.org

The Rubin Museum of Art, also known as the Rubin Museum, is dedicated to the collection, display, and preservation of the art and cultures of the Himalayas, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and other regions within Eurasia, with a permanent collection focused particularly on Tibetan art. The museum opened in 2004 at 150 West 17th Street between the Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) and Seventh Avenue in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. [1] It announced the closure of its New York City building in October 2024, to become a global museum, focusing on traveling exhibitions, long-term loans, partnerships, and digital resources. [2] [3] [4] The museum closed on October 6, 2024.

Contents

History

The museum originated from a private collection of Himalayan art which Donald and Shelley Rubin had been assembling since 1974 and which they wanted to display. [5] [6] In 1998, the Rubins paid $22 million for the building that had been occupied by Barneys New York, a designer fashion department store that had filed for bankruptcy. [7] The building was remodeled as a museum by preservation architects Beyer Blinder Belle. The original six-story spiral staircase was left intact to become the center of the 25,000 square feet (2,300 square meters) of exhibition space.

The museum opened on October 2, 2004, [8] and displays more than 1,000 objects including paintings, sculpture, and textiles, as well as ritual objects from the 2nd to the 20th centuries. The new facade on 17th Street and the five floors of galleries were influenced by Tibetan art, and were conceived by New York-based museum architects Celia Imrey and Tim Culbert. Its graphic identity was conceived by graphic designer Milton Glaser.[ citation needed ]

Due to budgetary cuts, in 2019 the Rubin Museum fired one-quarter of employees, reduced its operating hours, and reduced the number of special exhibitions it hosted every year. [9] [10] The COVID-19 pandemic in New York City further impacted the museum's finances negatively. [10] In early 2024, media sources reported that the Rubin Museum's Manhattan location would close on October 6, 2024. [10] [11] The Rubin Museum would continue to operate without a physical location, loaning out pieces to other institutions while continuing its support and research of Himalayan art around the world. [11] [12]

Funding

In 2011, the museum announced that founders Donald and Shelley Rubin would give a five-year, $25 million gift to support operations, exhibitions, and programs. Donald Rubin also planned to step down as chief executive, although the couple were to continue to lead the museum's board. [13] This presented challenges and led to a restructuring ahead of the funds running out in 2020. [14] [15]

Building

The 70,000-square-foot museum occupied what was formerly a portion of the Barneys department store in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. It was acquired in 1998 and renovated extensively from 2000 to 2004. The renovation and new design elements were the results of a collaboration headed by the architectural firm of Beyer Blinder Belle and including Atelier Imrey Culbert (associate museum designers) and Milton Glaser Incorporated.[ citation needed ] Many of the architectural details within the building were retained, most notably Andree Putman's steel-and-marble staircase that spirals through the six-story gallery tower. [16] [17] In addition to gallery space for featured exhibitions, the museum includes space for contemporary and historical photography, an art-making studio, a theater for multimedia events and performances, a café, and a gift shop. In September 2011, the museum opened a new 5,000 square-foot Education Center adjacent to the main museum building. [18] The building is also home to the Rubin's other art project, The 8th Floor, which opened in 2010.

Exhibitions

The second-floor gallery with objects from the permanent collection Rubin Museum galleries.JPG
The second-floor gallery with objects from the permanent collection

Among the museum's inaugural exhibitions were "Methods of Transcendence", "Portraits of Transmission" and "The Demonic Divine in Himalayan Art". [19] [20] In 2006, a three-part exhibition called "Holy Madness" spotlighted Siddhas with "Portraits of Tantric Siddhas," "Mahasiddhas at Gyantse," and "Mahasiddhas at Alchi."

The Rubin Museum of Art has hosted numerous exhibitions that explore the intersection of art, spirituality, and cultural heritage, with a focus on the Himalayan and Central Asian regions. One notable exhibition was Living Shrines of Uyghur China, a photography project by American photographer Lisa Ross. This series, which was on display in 2013, documented sacred sites of the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang region and highlighted themes of cultural resilience and spirituality.

After a shift in the volume of rotating exhibits in 2019 due to funding challenges, the museum began to focus more on experiences and the permanent collection. [14] [21] In September 2021, the museum opened a new permanent installation, called Mandala Lab dedicated to emotional health and wellness. [22] [23]

In addition to its exhibits, the museum was also known for its wide-ranging public programming series. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea, Manhattan</span> Neighborhood in New York City

Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The area's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, the Hudson River and West Street to the west, and Sixth Avenue to the east, with its northern boundary variously described as near the upper 20s or 34th Street, the next major crosstown street to the north. To the northwest of Chelsea is the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, as well as Hudson Yards; to the northeast are the Garment District and the remainder of Midtown South; to the east are NoMad and the Flatiron District; to the southwest is the Meatpacking District; and to the south and southeast are the West Village and the remainder of Greenwich Village. Chelsea was named for an estate in the area, which in turn was named for the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahasiddha</span> Master practitioner of yoga and tantra

Mahasiddha is a term for someone who embodies and cultivates the "siddhi of perfection". A siddha is an individual who, through the practice of sādhanā, attains the realization of siddhis, psychic and spiritual abilities and powers.

<i>Siddha</i> One who is accomplished in Indian tradition

Siddha is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of perfection of the intellect as well as liberation or enlightenment. In Jainism, the term is used to refer to the liberated souls. Siddha may also refer to one who has attained a siddhi, paranormal capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Newark Museum of Art</span> Art museum in New Jersey, United States

The Newark Museum of Art, formerly known as the Newark Museum, in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey is the state's largest museum. It holds major collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the ancient world. Its extensive collections of American art include works by Hiram Powers, Thomas Cole, John Singer Sargent, Albert Bierstadt, Frederick Church, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Joseph Stella, Tony Smith and Frank Stella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Africa Center</span> Museum in Manhattan, New York

The Africa Center, formerly known as the Museum for African Art and before that as the Center for African Art, is a museum located at Fifth Avenue and 110th Street in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, near the northern end of Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile. Founded in 1984, the museum is "dedicated to increasing public understanding and appreciation of African art and culture." The Museum is also well known for its public education programs that help raise awareness of African culture, and also operates a unique store selling authentic handmade African crafts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Museum</span> Museum in New York City

The New Museum of Contemporary Art is a museum at 235 Bowery, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gagosian Gallery</span> Contemporary and modern art gallery with multiple locations

The Gagosian Gallery is a modern and contemporary art gallery owned and directed by Larry Gagosian. The gallery exhibits some of the most well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. As of 2024, Gagosian employs 300 people at 19 exhibition spaces – including New York City, London, Paris, Basel, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Rome, Athens, Geneva, and Hong Kong – designed by architects such as Caruso St John, Richard Gluckman, Richard Meier, Jean Nouvel, and Annabelle Selldorf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Arts and Design</span> Art museum in Manhattan, New York

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), based in Manhattan, New York City, collects, displays, and interprets objects that document contemporary and historic innovation in craft, art, and design. In its exhibitions and educational programs, the museum celebrates the creative process through which materials are crafted into works that enhance contemporary life.

The Prix d'architecture de l'Équerre d'argent is a French architecture award. This prize was launched in 1960 by "Architecture Française" magazine and its director Michel Bourdeau.

Barbara Gladstone was an American art dealer and film producer. She was owner of Gladstone Gallery, a contemporary art gallery with locations in New York and Brussels.

The Louvre-Lens is an art museum located in Lens, France, approximately 200 kilometers north of Paris. It displays objects from the collections of the Musée du Louvre that are lent to the gallery on a medium- or long-term basis. The Louvre-Lens annex is part of an effort to provide access to French cultural institutions for people who live outside of Paris. Though the museum maintains close institutional links with the Louvre, it is primarily funded by the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.

The Pace Gallery is an American contemporary and modern art gallery with 9 locations worldwide. It was founded in Boston by Arne Glimcher in 1960. His son, Marc Glimcher, is now president and CEO. Pace Gallery operates in New York, London, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Geneva, Seoul, East Hampton, Tokyo, and Palm Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tibet Museum (Lhasa)</span> Museum in Lhasa, Tibet, China

The Tibet Museum is the official museum of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in Lhasa. Inaugurated on October 5, 1999, it is the first large, modern museum in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It has a collection of more than 520,000 artifacts, including pottery, jade, and Buddha statues, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. It has a collection of around 1,000 artifacts permanently on display related to the cultural history of Tibet, from examples of Tibetan art to architectural design throughout history such as Tibetan doors and beams. In order to fill the museum the Tibet aristocracy and religious establishment had their property confiscated by the Chinese Government.

Richard "Dick" Lewis Blinder was an American architect and supporter of historical architectural preservation.

C24 Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located on West 24th Street in Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City. The gallery was founded in 2011 by Emre and Maide Kurttepeli and partners, Mel Dogan, and Asli Soyak. David C. Terry is the gallery’s director and curator. Terry joined the gallery with a reputable background in nonprofit arts administration, curation, and his own professional art practice. His experience in the arts world has been influential in building C24 Gallery’s reputation for showing critical and socially engaged artwork. Terry and C24 have focused on exhibiting work by a diverse roster of international and internationally renowned Black and women artists, such as Ethiopian-Israeli painter Nirit Takele and American ceramicist Tammie Rubin.

Jeff Watt is a scholar and curator of Himalayan and Tibetan Art and well known translator of Tibetan texts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kasmin Gallery</span>

The Kasmin Gallery, formerly known as the Paul Kasmin Gallery, is a New York City fine art gallery, founded in SoHo in 1989.

Poster House is the first museum in the United States dedicated exclusively to posters. Located in Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, on 23rd Street between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue, the museum opened to the public on June 20, 2019.

The Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation is a New York City based foundation focusing on art, social justice and civic life in New York City and the Himalayas. It was established in 1995 with Evelyn Rich as the first Executive Director. Following her 2004 departure, she was succeeded by Bruce Payne (2004-2013), Alexander Gardner (2013-2016) and Sara Reisman (2016-2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pema Rinzin</span> Tibetan painter and artist

Pema Rinzin Barotsang is a Tibetan master of traditional Tibetan thangka painting and a contemporary abstract artist. He was the former Artist in Residence and a curator for the Rubin Museum of Art.

References

  1. ↑ Kanter, Evelyn (2010). Peaceful Places: New York City: 129 Tranquil Sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island . Birmingham, AL: Menasha Ridge Press. p.  183. ISBN   9780897327206.
  2. ↑ Aguiar, Annie. "Rubin Museum's Tibetan Shrine Will Move to Brooklyn Museum". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  3. ↑ Choi, Christy (February 2, 2024). "New York's Rubin Museum is closing its doors — but will live on as a 'museum without walls'". CNN. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  4. ↑ Small, Eddie (February 2, 2024). "Rubin Museum to shutter and sell longtime Chelsea home". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  5. 1 2 McGee, Celia (March 12, 2008). "He's Hauling in the Visitors by Livening Up the Events". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  6. ↑ Powell, Michael (October 17, 2004). "In New York, Himalayan Art With a Lofty Mission". The Washington Post. p. N01. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  7. ↑ Barbanel, Josh (May 2, 2004). "Himalayan Artworks at 17th and Seventh; A Former Barneys To House a Museum – New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  8. ↑ Larson, Kay (July 25, 2004). "ART; Karma? Top Floor, Next to Shoes". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  9. ↑ Stoilas, Helen (October 2, 2019). "Rubin Museum restructures, reducing staff, hours and programmes, for 'long-term sustainability'". The Art Newspaper – International art news and events. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 Small, Zachary (January 31, 2024). "Rubin Museum, Haven for Asian Art, to Close After 20 Years". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  11. 1 2 Mitchell, Bea (February 1, 2024). "Rubin Museum to close New York building and become "global museum"". Blooloop. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  12. ↑ Greenberger, Alex; Villa, Angelica (January 31, 2024). "Rubin Museum to Shutter New York Space After 20 Years, Pivot to 'Global' Model". ARTnews.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  13. ↑ Kennedy, Randy (October 20, 2011). "Rubin Museum Will Get $25 Million and a New Chief Executive" . Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  14. 1 2 Stoilas, Helen (October 2, 2019). "Rubin Museum restructures, reducing staff, hours and programmes, for 'long-term sustainability'". The Art Newspaper – International art news and events. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  15. ↑ "New York's Rubin Museum to Cut Jobs and Programs in Major Restructuring". www.artforum.com. October 4, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  16. ↑ Murg, Stephanie (March 16, 2007). "Dalai Lama appears at the Rubin Museum, in spirit and acrylic". Chelsea Now. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  17. ↑ Stevens, Mark (May 21, 2005). "Stairway to Nirvana". New York Magazine. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Rubin Museum of Art website" . Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  19. ↑ Rubin Museum of Art: The First Five Years (PDF). New York: Rubin Museum of Art. 2010. p. 82.
  20. ↑ Linrothe, Robert N.; Rhie, Marilyn M. (2004). Demonic Divine: Himalayan Art and Beyond. New York and Chicago: Rubin Museum of Art and Serindia Publications. p. 321. ISBN   1932476083.
  21. ↑ Dafoe, Taylor (December 11, 2019). "Amid Financial Struggles and Cutbacks in Staff, the Rubin Museum Hires a Chief Experience Officer to Address the Institution's 'Body Language'". Artnet News. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  22. ↑ "The Rubin Museum Is Building an Emotional Wellness Lab, and Other News". SURFACE. October 26, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  23. ↑ Malone, David (August 17, 2021). "The Rubin Museum of Art's Mandala Lab set to open | Building Design + Construction". www.bdcnetwork.com. Retrieved September 28, 2021.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.