End of an Era: The Rubin Museum in NYC Becomes a Global Museum Without Walls
Last chance to see the amazing Rubin Museum of Art and experience a New York spot that is known for its calming and spiritual vibe. This museum is like a temple on every floor and they even have a Buddhist Shrine Room where you can sit and meditate. The New York Times called it a “Haven for Asian art.”
I will miss this sacred space and the Goddesses I have come to know over time.
The cultures represented at the museum embrace the Divine Feminine in their religious and spiritual practices. As a result, the feminine aspects of God are well represented in the statues and art of goddesses who have been honored for thousands of years. This museum provides a wonderful education about Buddhism, Hinduism, and others traditions, just through the art it has long presented to the world at their 150 West 17th Street in Manhattan.
The Rubin Museum of Art, also known as the Rubin Museum, pride themselves on being dedicated to the collection, display, and preservation of the art and cultures of the Himalayas, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and other regions within Eurasia, with a permanent collection focused particularly on Tibetan art.
The museum originated from a private collection of Himalayan art which Donald and Shelley Rubin had been assembling since 1974. In 1998, the Rubins purchased the site of the former Barney’s department store in Chelsea, and six years later, the Rubin Museum of Art opened to the public, bringing the art, cultures, and ideas of the Himalayan region to New York City and beyond.
In 2024, the museum announced they were closing the physical space and making a “transition to a global museum model this October.” For their 20th-anniversary you can still see the permanent collection and all the museum has to offer, and their newest exhibit: Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now. Doors close on October 6 so get there soon.
Green Tara, Tibet
Tara is known as a Boddhisattva and “saviouress.” Up close, this female deity is serene and captivating. It is common to connect with her through the recitation of her invocation (mantra). Appealing to her in this way can bring protection and healing. The Mantra is: om tare tuttare ture soha.
Marichi, Goddess of Dawn, Mongolia
As goddess of the dawn, Marichi is affiliated with the bright light of the sun and new beginnings. She offers a new day, each day, and a new chance to grow. Her presence in this statue is reassuring and gentle. There are other statues and images of her that capture her three heads and multiple arms.
Green Tara, Central Tibet
Tara has a smile on her face in this statue and she exudes kindness, warmth, and friendliness. She offers equanimity and the sense that the world will turn out okay (IMO).
Vajrayogini, Tibet
Vajrayogini is a Buddhist deity and Dakini associated with Vajrayana Buddhism. Her statue is so empowering and freeing. She looks like she is releasing us all from oppression and into liberation for the body, mind, and soul. She has a playfulness. “Vajrayogini’s true nature is of great passion which is free of selfishness and illusion,” according to Original Buddhas. Vajrayogini intensely works for the well-being of others and for the destruction of ego.”
Snake Goddess Manasa
She is a Hindu goddess venerated in Bengal for her ability to prevent and cure snake bite. This superpower is reflected in her hood of seven snakes. “She is also believed to bestow agricultural prosperity and fertility, here represented by the fruit in her right hand and the vase underneath her foot,” according to the Rubin website. Although she has fearsome abilities her presence in this statue is soft and a little motherly.
