Rubin Museum of Art

The Rubin Museum of Art opened in New York City in 2004 as the premier museum of Himalayan art in the Western world. As stated on its website, it "holds one of the world's most important collections of art from the countries and cultures of the Himalayas, including Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, and Bhutan. The museum's exhibitions also include works from the larger Himalayan cultural sphere, such as India, Pakistan, China, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia." The museum's programming includes, in addition to its exhibitions, "opportunities for cross-cultural exploration through films, talks, music, and dance. Interactive educational resources, such as scavenger hunts, artifacts, and computer terminals, can be found on each gallery floor." It also offers a very impressive collection of books published in accompaniment with past exhibitions, including Mandala: Sacred Circle in Tibetan Buddhism, I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion, Victorious Ones: Jain Images of Perfection, Worlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion, The Flying Mystics of Tibetan Buddhism, Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Mystical Art, and Bon: The Magic Word: The Indigenous Religion of Tibet. If you are going to New York City and have any interest in Buddhism and/or Bon in particular or this region of the world in general, you will surely want to visit the Rubin Museum of Art. This museum -- and its website -- is a precious gem.