Make Himalayan Asia come alive! This enrichment program for schools allows students to engage deeply with the art, history, and cultures of the Himalayas, India and neighboring regions in three thematically-connected 90-minute sessions. The pre-visit introduces the Rubin Museum to the students and begins to make connections between areas of classroom study and the art at the museum. During the visit, students will use close observation, inquiry, and discussion as they explore the Rubin’s permanent collection and special exhibitions. The post-visit synthesizes students’ knowledge and experiences in a dynamic hands-on art-making while furthering the connections between the classroom and the museum.
A Himalayan Art Encounter is:
- Two 90-minute in-school sessions
- One customized 90-minute museum visit
- Planning meeting with museum educator to ensure curriculum integration
- $500 per program (up to 32 students per residency)
ALL-DAY EXPERIENCE
If your school is far away or if you want an extended museum experience, you can schedule an all-day Himalayan Art Encounter in our state-of-the-art Education Center. In the morning, students will be introduced to the Rubin Museum, take part in an exciting workshop and will tour the galleries. After lunch, students will continue to explore Himalayan Art in a dynamic hands-on art-making experience. The class can continue engaging with the Rubin collection afterwards through a self-guided tour experience or by visiting the gift shop. Students can bring brown-bag lunches or you can ask about catering from our Café.
Possible Session Themes
Mapping the Silk Road Students will explore the connections between geography, art and culture along the Silk Road in Himalayan Asia and will learn how material culture helped spread ideas such as Buddhism. Through creative drama and engagement with artifacts students will imagine what life was like along the Silk Road and will create maps incorporating drawing, collage and writing.
Pilgrimage: Travel through Himalayan Asia Students will explore the idea of travel in Himalayan Asia and will mine the collection of the Rubin Museum to understand how objects in the museum’s collection associated with pilgrimage reveal universal and cross-religious ideas.
China: Minerals and Mountains Students will develop their observation skills to see how elements of Chinese art influenced the art from other areas in Himalayan Asia. Students will create their own landscape paintings using traditional Himalayan paint-making techniques with mineral pigments and animal glue.
Indian Symbols and Sculpture Students will explore symbols in Hindu art and will trace their influence throughout the art from other regions of Himalayan Asia. After learning about ancient sculptural techniques such as repousse and lost-wax casting, students will create a metal plaque with a personal symbol.
Art and Expression Students will learn about the art of the Rubin Museum as a form of personal and cultural expression. Students will make personal connections and draw parallels to their personal experiences. Focusing on universal themes, students will explore various art techniques to create their own unique works of art ““ choose from puppet-making, personal shrines, multimedia collage, and many more.
Looking for more? Talk with a Rubin Museum Educator to customize an experience to suit your classroom.
Free Program
Math and Mandalas (A free 3-session programs from NYCDOE Title 1 schools)
Explore the mandala, an ancient symbol of the universe, through the lens of mathematics. Over three 90-minute sessions students will learn printmaking techniques and apply mathematical concepts to the art-making process to create their own printed mandalas. The program supports the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and makes cross-curricular connections to social studies, ELA and art.
For more information or if you want to schedule this experience for your students, please email education@rubinmuseum.org or call 212-620-5000 x359
This program is made possible by Deutsche Bank.