The Rubin Museum, housed in the six-story, newly renovated building of ex-Barney (Pressman) department store, which moved to its present-day 60th St location in the early 1990s, is a jewel in the crown of Chelsea neighborhood, sharing (though unequally) the art glory with another neighborhood's attraction, Whitney Museum.
Donald and Shelly Rubin, the former is a health insurance moghul, a son of Jay Rubin, a native of Grodno, Belorussia, a NYC hotels and motels union leader, have started their vast collection of the Himalayan art in the late 1970s-early 1980s. The collection that encompasses the art, ritual artefacts, sculptures, paintings, religious objects, and photographs, covers the extended Himalayan region, which, in turn, comprises of parts of India, China, Tibet, China, Bhutan, and Mongolia.
One doesn't have to be a Tibet scholar or a follower of Buddhism to appreciate the mysterious aura of these ancient cultures. Not only the collection itself is a vast treasure, but the superbly designed exhibiton space, spacious halls, succeeding floors, reached either by walking up the wide spiral staircase or using the elevators, well thought-of lighting, mostly subdued, and the accompanying humming of the traditional music, all combine to create an unexpectedly profound effect of immersion into the ancient world of meditation, the world aimed at reaching the sacral knowledge.
In addition to the permanent collection, the museum often hosts various exhibitions. Right now - until January 29, 2018 - Rubin Museum offers its visitors an amazing exposition "HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON - INDIA IN FULL FRAME", the look into the region by the master of the XXth century photography.
The tickets are available online for a very affordable cost of $15 per person, and $10 for students and seniors (for the latter ones every first Monday of the month is a free admission). Also, every Friday, from 6 PM to 10 PM, the admission is free.
The Museum also features a cafeteria, Café Serai, offering various specialties of the region, such as Potato Samosas, Mirchi Pakora, Aloo Gobi, and, of course, Chicken Tikka Masala, among other delicious courses, priced very affordably.
The museum's gift shop sells the usual - for any museum - lineup of books, jewelry items, and other objects dedicated to the art and history of the Himalayas.