Students and faculty could, on a Friday night, learn about Himalayan Asian culture thanks to a recent partnership between The Rubin Museum and CUNY.
“What this partnership provides, which is really exciting, is that in addition to the free admission provided to CUNY students, faculty and staff, we offer complimentary tours, up to 100 from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016,” Laura Lombard, head of the Adult and Academic Programs, said. “Many faculty have already taken advantage of this and so far we’ve already had 30 tours out of the 100 booked.”
The Rubin Museum, founded in 2004, holds a collection of art from northern India, Nepal, the Tibetan Plateau and Mongolia.
Donald and Shelley Rubin founded the museum after collecting Himalayan and Asian art for over 30 years.
“Now the story goes that as Donald Rubin was traveling down 17th street, he saw a for sale sign in the window of a building, which would later be the museum. When he stepped in and looked up at the ceiling from the ground floor, he felt a connection with this place. He called his wife and told her that he had found a place for their art,” Lombard said.
In addition to free admissions, the museum also offers student stand-by tickets, referring to programs available at a discounted price.
“We have a lot of films and talks during the year, we also hold events in our theater downstairs where we hold musical programs and a ton of different series. So, in addition to the art, we have a lot of other things going on that we want to share with the colleges,” Robin Carol, public relations and marketing manager, said.
The museum attracts younger crowds not only with their historical art pieces, but also with works from contemporary artists.
“I think that the Power of Masks, which showcases masks from all around Asia, exhibits their cultural and religious significances, and the Steve McCurry photography exhibit will be a great hit with college kids that come to visit in the future,” Carol said. “On Friday nights, the dining area also gets turned into a lounge where we do offer drinks and food, so it’s a perfect place for college kids if they want to just come and hang out and de-stress.”
