Now entering its second year, the Himalayan Heritage Meetup Group at the Rubin Museum is a community-based program that provides a platform for people of Himalayan descent and their friends to showcase their artwork and engage in dialogue inspired by our core collection. The program is supported by the Adult and Academic wing of the Education Department.
No two Himalayan Heritage Group gatherings are the same. In the past year, we have hosted poets, singers, dancers, community leaders, doctors, and more. Our outstanding guests have led workshops, demonstrations, presentations, performances and tours. Though the program is informal, we are constantly blown away by and grateful for the knowledge and experiences that are shared during these meetings.
One of the most exciting aspects of this program is been how inter-generational and multi-cultural these gatherings are. Our guests represent many ages and walks of life and remind us that our Museum is a vibrant melting pot of community and personal connection.
Our latest Himalayan Heritage celebration kicked off Losar, the Tibetan New Year, and was co-presented by the New York City branch of ACHA Himalayan Sisterhood, a global organization dedicated to the advocacy of Himalayan women’s issues. After a tour in the galleries highlighting our favorite female deities lead by HHMU founder Tashi Chodron, we made our way to the Museum’s Education Center, where we learned more about ACHA’s work and were treated to traditional Tibetan song and circle dances in honor of Losar (which occurs on February 19).
For our next event, we’ll be hosting Wangdak Taksar, a master of Lingdro—a type of sacred dance invoking King Gesar, the celebrated epic hero of Central Asia.
Interested in attending an upcoming gathering? The Himalayan Heritage Meetup Group meets the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. To learn more, suggest an event, or join our mailing list, please email Tashi Chodron at TChodron@rmanyc.org or Harry Einhorn at HEinhorn@rmanyc.org.
If you’d like to know more about ACHA Himalayan Sisterhood and their work, check them out on Facebook.
| As they say in Tibet, Tashi Delek! |