Current Exhibition Resources

The Rubin Museum of Art is dedicated to enhancing our visitors' appreciation and understanding of Himalayan art with stimulating and interactive educational tools located throughout the galleries.

Featured Exhibition Resource


Timeline: The Modernist Art Movement from India

Timeline thumbnail Explore an interactive timeline discussing the Modernist Art movement and the historical events that helped shaped the art in India through photographs and videos.  
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Current Audio Tours

Explore Areas: Exhibition Exploration Resources

Museum Guides, Docents, and Tours

Current Audio Tours


Gateway to Himalayan Art

Download from iTunesU

This keystone exhibition equips visitors with a working knowledge of the principal concepts of Himalayan art.

Masterworks: Jewels of the Collection

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This audio tour takes visitors through the museum's most stunning works of art. The guide will compare the stylistic diversity and relationships between various strands of Himalayan artistic traditions.

Mirror of the Buddha: Early Portraits from Tibet

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This audio tour will help assist visitors in experiencing the iconography associated with early Tibetan portraits while also studying the forensics of the selected pieces.  Narrated by curator David Jackson, he will describe many of the "unknown" attributes assoicated with the exhibition.

Once Upon Many Times: Legends and Myths in Himalayan Art

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This audio tour will discuss the art of Himalayan storytelling: the many themes and forms of visual and oral narratives.

Modernist Art from India: The Body Unbound

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This audio tour will examine works of Indian art from the early 1940s to the mid-1980s, ranging from traditionalist representations of Indian representations of the metaphysical "man" to the socially and politically charged narrative representations that predominated in the 1980s.


Hero, Villain, Yeti: Tibet in Comics

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This podcast explores the exhibition Hero, Villain, Yeti: Tibet in Comics with curator Martin Brauen who discusses the most complete collection of comics related to Tibet ever assembled.

Explore Areas:
Exhibition Exploration Resources


Gateway to Himalayan Art

Gateway to Himalayan Art introduces visitors to the art of the Himalayan cultural sphere, presenting the major concepts comprehensively and equipping visitors with the tools to understand, appreciate and contextualize many of the works of art throughout the museum's six floors of galleries. Along with the exhibition are educational interactives that will help refine the tools given.

Looking Guide

This Looking Guide booklet is designed to help visitors recognize common symbols and important figures that can be seen in the art throughout the museum.

Educational Interactives   ↓

Explore a Tibetan scroll painting, known as a thangka and how lineage of Buddhist teachers play an important role in understanding the Buddhist religion and its practice.

Explore Lineage Paintings

Explore Mandalas

Explore Narrative Paintings

Explore Wheel of Existence

 

Additional Resources   ↓

 

Masterworks: Jewels of the Collection

As an exhibition the Masterworks: Jewels of the Collection showcases the stylistic diversity and relationships between various strands of Himalayan and neighboring cultural and artistic traditions.  Within Explore Areas visitors can experience the following written literature and use hands-on interactives for further informitive information about the museum's collection.

Educational Interactives   ↓

Explore Organization and Iconography

Explore the Organization and Iconography in early Tibetan paintings and how the relative size and placement of figures is based upon the religious hierarchy of deities.  To experience the interactive please use the link below.

Explore Composition and Structure

Explore the Composition and Structure of a beautifully intricate early 19th century Tibetan painting. Learn the three-fold division that is typical of Tibetan paintings and use the obtained knowledge when visiting the museum for deeper understanding of Tibetan styled art. To experience the interactive please use the link below.

 

Reading List   ↓

Additional Resources   ↓

 

Mirror of the Buddha

Mirror of the Buddha presents exquisite examples of Tibetan Buddhist portraits, painted primarily in the eastern India-inspired Sharri style. Though the Sharri tradition spread from India to many parts of Asia, the style's classic Indian forms, delicate colors, and intricate decorative details were emulated most faithfully by Tibetans and enjoyed particular popularity in Tibet from the 12th to 14th century.

Educational Interactives   ↓

Schools of Tibetan Buddhism

This document examines the characteristics of the schools explored in this exhibition and reveal the details that help identify to which tradition a painting belongs.

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Additional Resources   ↓

Audio Tour

Download the exhibition audio tour from iTunesU

Narrated by curator David Jackson.

 

 

 

 

Once Upon Many Times: Legends and Myths in Himalayan Art

The Himalayan region is home to strong narrative traditions-evidence of which is found in a great number of Himalayanworks of art. Once Upon Many Times will present the variety of forms that tell stories of the Buddha, great teachers, legendary masters, spiritual quests, and adventures of heroes painted in thangkas, murals, and told in front of portable shrines. 

Educational Interactives   ↓

Exhibition Brochure Online

Explore select narratives in detail with curator Elena Pakhoutova, in this online version of our exhibition brochure. Launch Interactive

Download the exhibition brochure

Explore a Historical Narrative

Historical Narratives in Himalayan paintings are often presented by depicting multiple episodes from a figure's life. Explore episodes concerning Shantarakshita in this interactive.

Download Historical Narrative Interactive (5 MB) 

Explore a Teaching Narrative

Many Buddhist stories are morality tales that teach about Buddhist notions. The painting in this interactive illustrates three different teaching stories.

Download Teaching Narrative Interactive

Take a Closer Look Booklets

These booklets help to identify a few narratives depicted in selected works from the exhibition. Feel free to download them for reflection at home, or print them out and bring them with you to the museum.

 

Buddha's Noble Deeds
Fifth Dalai Lama
Life of Buddha Shakyamuni
Padmasambhava
Tsongkapa

Additional Resources   ↓

 

 

Modernist Art from India: The Body Unbound

Artwork of Woman lying backwards on one elbow.The Body Unbound examines works of Indian art from the early 1940s to the mid-1980s, ranging from traditionalist representations of Indian representations of the metaphysical "man" to the socially and politically charged narrative representations that predominated in the 1980s.

 

Educational Interactives   ↓

Timeline thumbnail Timeline: The Modernist Art Movement from India

Explore an interactive timeline discussing the Modernist Art movement and the historical events that helped shaped the art in India through photographs and videos.   Launch Interactive

Reading List   ↓

Barefoot across the Nation: M F Husain and the Idea of India
by Sumathi Ramaswamy

Bhupen Khakhar
by Timothy Hyman

Rhythms of India: The Art of Nandalal Bose
by Sonya Rhie Quintani

Nalini Malani: Splitting the Other
by Doris von Drathen, Andreas Huyssen and Nalini Malani

Tyeb Mehta: Ideas Images Exchanges
by Arun Vadehra, Geeta Kapoor, Nancy Adajania and Yashodhara Dalmia

Additional Resources   ↓

Exhibition Audio Tour

 

 Educator Resource Guide: The Body Unbound

 Educator Resource Guide for The Body Unbound

 

 

 

 

What's an Explore Area?

Located in each gallery, Explore Areas provide a wealth of age-appropriate background information and interpretive materials that complement the art on display.  Installations include: multimedia stations for relevant websites and documentary films; a display of the materials and techniques involved in the creation of Himalayan paintings; interactive activities that utilize concepts found in the exhibitions; and guided viewing and hands-on opportunities to enable visitors to learn about the art, culture, and history of the Himalayas through differentiated methods. 

  • Directions
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  • 1, 2, 3 to 14th Street (7th Avenue)
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  • By Bus
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  • 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.

  • The museum is closed on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Day.

  • The Café and the Shop are open during the museum hours.

  • To find out more about our tours
  • click here.
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  • The Rubin Museum of Art strives to meet the needs of all visitors. For information about general accessibility and special programs at the museum, click here.
  • Admissions
  • Adults - $10.00
  • Seniors 65+ - $5.00
  • Students 13+ - $5.00
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  • Gallery admission is free every Friday from 6-10 p.m.
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