Collection Sharing

Central to our collection sharing program are long-term object loans spanning three to five years. These expand access to the collection in a meaningful way, enabling more people in more places to learn about and experience the art and cultures of the greater Himalayan region. The Rubin also shares objects from the collection for short-term special exhibitions at other museums, as well as through traveling exhibitions curated by the Rubin, such as Gateway to Himalayan Art.

By collaborating with college and university museums, the Rubin aims to promote understanding and encourage education about the art created in Tibetan, Nepalese, and culturally related regions. Partnerships with organizations such as the Lehigh University Art Galleries and the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College—both past venues of the Gateway to Himalayan Art exhibition—ensure professors and students have ongoing opportunities to teach and learn about Himalayan art. Objects from the collection also anchor the rich digital resources from the Rubin for educators, scholars, and the general public. 

The Rubin’s collection sharing program also aims to achieve a more holistic representation of Himalayan art in the context of Asian art at larger museums. One example is our multiyear partnership with the Brooklyn Museum, where the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room will go on view for six years, starting in June 2025, as part of the institution’s permanent Asian art galleries. These initiatives enable more diverse audiences to see Himalayan art, and underline the importance of people from the Himalayas and  Tibetan Plateau in the transmission of art, technology, and religious traditions in Asia.

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