The Rubin Hosts Beyond the Spiral: A Gala Celebrating the Next 20 Years

On September 27, 2024, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art hosted a gala to celebrate our 20th anniversary and launch as a global museum. What a joyous and unforgettable evening it was!

The gala began with guests writing their good wishes on prayer flags designed by five artists featured in Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now: Kabi Raj Lama, Yangdzom Lama, Shushank Shrestha, Asha Kama Wangdi, and Losel Yauch.

Our performers made the night distinctive: singer and songwriter Falu sang while descending the iconic spiral staircase, followed by a ceremonial conch performance by Lama Pema Kunsang. Multimedia artist and vocalist Laurie Anderson gave a special tribute to founders Shelley and Donald Rubin’s extraordinary legacy, and Nepalese artist Raju Lama sang an original song with musicians Prajwal Bajracharya, Shyam Nepali, and Bikash Rai while Rubin staff and volunteers carried a processional of prayer flags and ribbons of light.

There were also some firsts. We announced Tibetan artist Tenzin Gyurmey Dorjee as the recipient of the first Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize, and unveiled the remarkable bronze award statue created by artist and trustee Tsherin Sherpa and fabricated by artisans in Nepal. Following a report just hours earlier in the New York Times, gala guests were the first to hear publicly that the Rubin’s beloved Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room will find a home in the Brooklyn Museum next year.

With our supporters’ astounding philanthropy and collective generosity, we raised $309,809 for the Rubin’s multiyear initiatives and programs. This is just the beginning, and we thank you for joining and supporting the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art. 

We look forward to a bright future! Thank you for being a part of it.