Rubin Museum of Art
Encyclopedia
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The Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) is a museum dedicated to the collection, display, and preservation of the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions, especially that of Tibet
. It is located at 150 West 17th Street
between the Avenue of the Americas
(Sixth Avenue) and Seventh Avenue
in the Chelsea
neighborhood of Manhattan
, New York City
.
The Rubin Museum originated from a private collection of Himalayan art which Donald Rubin, the founder of MultiPlan Inc., and his wife Shelley had been assembling since 1974. In 1998, the Rubins purchased for $22 million the building that had been occupied by Barneys New York
, a department store for designer fashion which had filed for bankruptcy. The building was remodeled as a museum by preservation architects Beyer Blinder Belle
. The original 6-story spiral staircase was left intact to become the center of the 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) of exhibition space.
The museum opened in October 2004, and displays more than 1,000 objects including paintings, sculpture, 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 the New York-based museum architects, Celia Imrey and Tim Culbert. The graphic identity was conceived by the noted designer Milton Glaser
.
Besides exhibitions based on the museum's permanent collection,the Rubin Museum of Art also serves as a venue for national and international traveling exhibitions. It is affiliated with two organizations: the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center and the Himalayan Art Website to advance the study of Himalayan arts and culture.
The Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) is a museum dedicated to the collection, display, and preservation of the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions, especially that of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. It is located at 150 West 17th Street
17th Street (Manhattan)
17th Street is an east-west running street between First Avenue and Eleventh Avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Traffic runs one way along the street, from east to west excepting the stretch between Broadway and Park Avenue South, where traffic runs in both directions.17th Street...
between the Avenue of the Americas
Sixth Avenue (Manhattan)
Sixth Avenue – officially Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown"...
(Sixth Avenue) and Seventh Avenue
Seventh Avenue (Manhattan)
Seventh Avenue, known as Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard north of Central Park, is a thoroughfare on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is southbound below Central Park and a two-way street north of the park....
in the Chelsea
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
neighborhood of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The Rubin Museum originated from a private collection of Himalayan art which Donald Rubin, the founder of MultiPlan Inc., and his wife Shelley had been assembling since 1974. In 1998, the Rubins purchased for $22 million the building that had been occupied by Barneys New York
Barneys New York
Barneys New York is a chain of luxury department stores headquartered in New York City. The chain owns large stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Scottsdale, and smaller stores in other locations across the United States.Brands sold include...
, a department store for designer fashion which had filed for bankruptcy. The building was remodeled as a museum by preservation architects Beyer Blinder Belle
Beyer Blinder Belle
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP is an international architecture firm. It is based in New York City and has an additional office in Washington, DC. The firm's name is derived from the three founding partners: John H. Beyer, Richard Blinder, and John Belle. The three architects met...
. The original 6-story spiral staircase was left intact to become the center of the 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) of exhibition space.
The museum opened in October 2004, and displays more than 1,000 objects including paintings, sculpture, 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
Tibetan art
Tibetan art refers to the art of Tibet. For more than a thousand years, Tibetan artists have played a key role in the cultural life of Tibet. From designs for painted furniture to elaborate murals in religious buildings, their efforts have permeated virtually every facet of life on the Tibetan...
, and were conceived by the New York-based museum architects, Celia Imrey and Tim Culbert. The graphic identity was conceived by the noted designer Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser is a graphic designer, best known for the I Love New York logo, his "Bob Dylan" poster, the "DC bullet" logo used by DC Comics from 1977 to 2005, and the "Brooklyn Brewery" logo. He also founded New York Magazine with Clay Felker in 1968.-Biography:Glaser was born into a Hungarian...
.
Besides exhibitions based on the museum's permanent collection,the Rubin Museum of Art also serves as a venue for national and international traveling exhibitions. It is affiliated with two organizations: the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center and the Himalayan Art Website to advance the study of Himalayan arts and culture.