Sunday, October 15, 2006
The Rubin Museum
...down on 17th Street, between Seventh and Sixth Avenues....a most wonder-filled place. So wonderful , in fact, that Peter and I spent hours there yesterday strolling the gorgeous galleries and listening to the live music events they had scheduled all over the museum! The Silk Road Project, founded by YoYo Ma, has been in residence down at the Rubin all the month of October, and yesterday was their final day, so the various floors and the sumptuous mandala staircase , all these varied locations in the museum, were alive with trios, quartets, and full ensemble expressions of the music they have all been creating while at the Rubin, and Peter and I managed to gleefully stumble into this artistic cornucopia by chance. We simply went to see what Asian art the Rubinhad to offer. Instead, we entered several different entire worlds and cultures. It was amazing.
The Rubin's mission is to gather art from Himalayan countries, and in so doing, present the art in the religious and social contexts from which it all came. Also, in so doing, they focus on educating their museum patrons in the details and general histories of the countries and religions of the Himalayan Region...so, not only are centuries and eons of tradition on display, but thousands of miles of the various peoples' cultures are lovingly explained and written about for the edificationof the public....it's one of the most interesting museums, therefore, that I've ever been in. And since so much of this art is basically religious, it is also one heck of a spiritual place!!! One entire floor is devoted to the glorious art of the Sikh religion...and since I have known nothing at all about the Sikhs, it began to open my eyes to so much of their world...and its comparative youth as a world culture: only 500 years old...barely older than America! And the art is sumptuous. An art that honors its beliefs in the One True God, and the close relationship of all peoples, no matter their social castes...in its day, it was no doubt revolutionary. How it relates to Buddhism I am most curious about.
In fact, even though the Rubin seems mainly a Buddhist-centered musuem, that is probably because my focus is mainly that and so that is what I saw there on my first pass through...i am interested in going back soon and learning more about other things. Also, by the way, the cafe , right off the lobby, is terrific...the food quite good. Peter and I had lunch there.
On the whole, a perfect New York City day....Fall, crisp and clear, and the musuems like the Rubin offering things no other places on earth can offer....quite the reason to live here.
It was what I would call a perfect afternoon with my adorable husband.
This adorable husband has been offered a superb job down at a Wall Street firm, full time and amply recompensed, benefits and all...and it looks as though he will be taking the offer. I am so proud of him. And he seems so genuinely happy. Which, finally, is all I really care about. Today, he goes to help paint sets for the illustrious Blue Hill Troupe...more on that later.
I am determined to make some sense out of the messiness of this wonderful home of ours and shall begin in our bedroom....we tend to live hard and fast in our home, so piles build up...and no matter how wonderful our cleaning lady is, and no matter how much better it all looks after she's been here, there are still these mysterious and mighty piles of stuff...so today, the piles! And a fresh change of sheets on our bed! Time for a little tender loving care of the old homestead!
So, off to the piles!
The Rubin's mission is to gather art from Himalayan countries, and in so doing, present the art in the religious and social contexts from which it all came. Also, in so doing, they focus on educating their museum patrons in the details and general histories of the countries and religions of the Himalayan Region...so, not only are centuries and eons of tradition on display, but thousands of miles of the various peoples' cultures are lovingly explained and written about for the edificationof the public....it's one of the most interesting museums, therefore, that I've ever been in. And since so much of this art is basically religious, it is also one heck of a spiritual place!!! One entire floor is devoted to the glorious art of the Sikh religion...and since I have known nothing at all about the Sikhs, it began to open my eyes to so much of their world...and its comparative youth as a world culture: only 500 years old...barely older than America! And the art is sumptuous. An art that honors its beliefs in the One True God, and the close relationship of all peoples, no matter their social castes...in its day, it was no doubt revolutionary. How it relates to Buddhism I am most curious about.
In fact, even though the Rubin seems mainly a Buddhist-centered musuem, that is probably because my focus is mainly that and so that is what I saw there on my first pass through...i am interested in going back soon and learning more about other things. Also, by the way, the cafe , right off the lobby, is terrific...the food quite good. Peter and I had lunch there.
On the whole, a perfect New York City day....Fall, crisp and clear, and the musuems like the Rubin offering things no other places on earth can offer....quite the reason to live here.
It was what I would call a perfect afternoon with my adorable husband.
This adorable husband has been offered a superb job down at a Wall Street firm, full time and amply recompensed, benefits and all...and it looks as though he will be taking the offer. I am so proud of him. And he seems so genuinely happy. Which, finally, is all I really care about. Today, he goes to help paint sets for the illustrious Blue Hill Troupe...more on that later.
I am determined to make some sense out of the messiness of this wonderful home of ours and shall begin in our bedroom....we tend to live hard and fast in our home, so piles build up...and no matter how wonderful our cleaning lady is, and no matter how much better it all looks after she's been here, there are still these mysterious and mighty piles of stuff...so today, the piles! And a fresh change of sheets on our bed! Time for a little tender loving care of the old homestead!
So, off to the piles!
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