In Honor of the Opening of the Rubin Museum of Art

IN HONOR OF THE OPENING OF THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 04, 2004)

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to rise today to commemorate the opening of New York's newest museum, located in my Congressional District in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. The Rubin Museum of Art (RMA), a cultural and educational institution dedicated to the art of the Himalayan region, opens this week with a series of fascinating exhibitions and programs.

With a collection spanning the 2nd to 19th Centuries, combining a variety of artistic mediums from paintings to stone sculptures and textiles, this museum will showcase a diverse and vast compilation of historical and sacred art. The inaugural exhibitions are certainly a testimony to the comprehensiveness of this artistic display. Each of the Museum's six floors and theater level gallery features a different exhibit, with educational wall texts and interpretive panels providing another dimension of thought and understanding for both the casual and more experienced museumgoer. The Museum is also home to a state-of-the-art theater, a classroom, and a space for contemporary and historical photography.

RMA's commitment to serving a broad and diverse audience is further evidenced by the wide range of programs offered. RMA has established an innovative Museum Campus program through which it has forged working relationships with the colleges and universities in downtown Manhattan. The Museum's educational programs bring arts education to many public schools and students from underserved communities. Among the future scheduled events are ArtTalks with the Museum's chief curator, Caron Smith, as well as lectures by noted art historians and professors, and poetry and music by contemporary artists.

I am pleased to congratulate the Rubin Museum of Art and all those whose contributions and efforts made the opening of this creative and new enriching cultural center possible, especially the founders Donald and Shelley Rubin. Lifelong New Yorkers, they have been assembling what is now America's largest collection of Himalayan art for over 25 years. Their desire to give back to the City that they love benefits not only New York and its visitors but the world at large. I am proud to join the artistic community of New York in the celebration of the Rubin Museum of Art and its mission of establishing, preserving and presenting to the public a permanent collection of Himalayan art, which accurately reflects its vitality, complexity and historical significance.