Rubin Museum of Art - New York City, NY

Address:150 W 17th St.
New York, New York
Tel: (212) 620-5000

What started as a personal collection of Tibetan art has blossomed into the largest collection of the genre in the Western world - and it's right in the Big Apple for you to enjoy. The Rubin Museum of Art is one of the few museums committed to preserving and promoting art from the Himalaya region. It welcomes visitors in style with a six-story spiral staircase (a remnant of the building's past life as a Barney's) that ascends through a rare collection of paintings, sculptures, and textiles dating back 2000 years.

Despite of its sophisticated theme, the Rubin is very approachable with its interactive ExploreArt centers, which help answer questions about why and for whom the art was made. There's also a performance space on the lower level where you'll find an assortment of lectures, performances, and screenings scheduled for your learning pleasure. The exhibits are well organized and helpful to viewers who are new to Himalayan art, with wall texts and interpretive panels that put the art into context for both scholars and casual viewers. Take advantage of the guides and the tours they give. Choose from Taste of RMA, 5-Minute Focus Tours, and Informal Tours.

The Café at RMA does a great job of giving you a culinary taste of the region. Its varied menu is filled with offerings such as specialty rice dishes, hearty "naan-inis," and salads. The Rubin also doubles as a sweet spot for Friday evening happy hour in the K2 lounge, complete with tapas, cocktails, and live music. Everyone will enjoy the museum's events, such as Bokara Legendre engaging pianist Kenny Werner on the subject of music consciousness. The Rubin Museum of Art is located in the Chelsea district of New York at the corner of 17th street and 7th Avenue.

The Rubin Museum of Art opened on October 4, 2004. It is the first museum in the Western World dedicated to the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions.