Openings, Endings, and Updates for October 2011

Perhaps in accordance with the end of spring and the ushering in of the fall, there are quite a few more endings in October than there are openings. Visit what you can before they are gone, and let me know what you think if you make it out. Despite all the closings, October is also full of a number of special events – including lectures, book signings, and performances – so it should be a busy month indeed if you plan on seeing it all!

 Openings

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: While technically opening in September and not October, I must have missed this exhibit beginning this Wednesday called “Wonder of the Age”: Master Painters of India, 1100-1900 (September 28, 2011 – January 8, 2012). Accompanied by a catalogue co-written by John Guy and Jorrit Britschgi, this major loan exhibition will feature “some 220 works selected according to identifiable hands and named artists…dispel[ling] the notion of anonymity in Indian art.” For more information on this beautiful collection, see: http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2011/wonder-of-the-age–master-painters-of-india-11001900. May I also take this opportunity to note that the new design of the Met’s website is beautifully intuitive and comprehensive – they really did an amazing job!

 Rubin Museum of Art: Mirror of the Buddha: Early Portraits of Tibet (October 21, 2011 – March 5, 2012) opens towards the end of October, presenting portraits of founding masters and important teachers within the Buddhist traditions, primarily in the India-inspired Sharri style of painting. It is the first in a series of exhibitions exploring particular Tibetan painting styles, and according to the official website, “will clarify some of the confusion and correct misidentifications previously posited by Western scholars.” The exhibit is accompanied by a full-color catalog by its curator, David Jackson, who will also hold a special members-only key talk and preview the night before its opening, Thursday, October 20^th at 6 pm. For more information on this new and potentially enlightening display, take a look at its official announcement: http://www.rmanyc.org/nav/exhibitions/view/1309.

 Endings

Asia Society Museum: The extraordinary exhibition, The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara, ends Sunday, October 30. If you have not already seen the contents of this much-anticipated collection of early Buddhist artifacts, I urge you to make it out to the Museum before it is gone. A lot of work was put into getting these pieces to America from their home institutions, and it would be a shame to miss out on the opportunity to see them. Be sure to read my brief review of the exhibit and its accompanying lecture by Christian Luczanits if you haven’t already (https://beyondthedisplay.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/buddhas-and-bodhisattvas-from-pakistan-to-new-york/), and for more information, see its official website (http://asiasociety.org/arts/asia-society-museum/current-exhibitions/buddhist-heritage-pakistan-art-gandhara).

 Brooklyn Museum: Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior (June 24, 2011 – October 2, 2011) ends as soon as next week. Proclaimed as the first major museum exhibit to feature this deity, it is a must-see for anyone interested in Indian art and religious practice (http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/vishnu/).

The Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art: The current exhibit, Artist Tashi Dhargyal and the Menris Tradition of Thangka Art, ends on October 9, 2011. Sadly, no further information is provided regarding this display and its contents on the Museum’s official website: http://www.tibetanmuseum.org/calendar.htm.

Newark Museum: While part of the Tibetan Collection Centennial Exhibitions, the small but particularly beautiful display, Pots of Silver and Gold (March 5, 2011 – October 30, 2011), will be removed at the end of October. While not grand enough to make a special trip, if you planned on making a visit to the Newark Museum this coming month, be sure to take a peek! See the first segment of my entry on the Centennial Exhibitions for more information (https://beyondthedisplay.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/celebrating-a-century-part-one/), as well as the official description on their context and fabrication (http://www.newarkmuseum.org/potssilvergold.html).

Rubin Museum of Art: The exhibition Pilgrimage and Faith: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, having opened in July 1^st of this year, will be closing on Monday, October 24, 2011. For more information on this cross-cultural exhibit, see the official website and press release here: http://www.rmanyc.org/nav/exhibitions/view/1061.

 One-Time Events

 American Museum of Natural History: While not at all related to anything particularly pertaining to Asian art, artifacts, or traditions, I had to mention the 16^th Annual Halloween Celebration at AMNH, where (for $10 for non-members and $9 for members) children can trick-or-treat in costume, participate in arts and crafts, and carve pumpkins throughout the halls of this inspirational and historic Museum. The event takes place on Halloween itself (October 31, 2011) from 4 pm to 7 pm. For more information, see: http://www.amnh.org/calendar/event/16th-Annual-Halloween-Celebration/

 Rubin Museum of Art: As always, the Rubin Museum of Art is hosting a number of exciting events next month for a variety of audiences (including a number of live musical performances), and I will only mention a small sampling –check out the website’s official calendar for more events than these:

This coming Friday and Saturday evenings the Museum will be featuring Public Rehearsals of The Vimalakirti Sutra with Peter Sellars, Kate Valk, & Michael Schumacher at 7 pm. This work-in-progress is meant to accompany the newly-opened exhibition Once Upon Many Times: Legends and Myth in Himalayan Art (September 16, 2011 – January 30, 2012). Tickets are $25 for non-members, $22.50 for members (http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/1318).

Additionally, on Wednesday, October 12, author Dana Micucci will be holding a Reading and Signing of her new travel memoir, Sojourns of the Soul: One Woman’s Journey around the World and into Her Truth, at 6 pm (http://www.rma2.org/events/load/1386), followed by the New York Film Premiere of the documentary Light of the Valley: The 15^th Renovation of Swayambhu at 7pm (http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/1359).

The weekend of October 21-23 promises a three-day Traditional Thankga Painting Workshop with Carmen Mensink. Registration is required and all materials are included for $175 for non-members, $150 for members. Sign-up soon if you are interested, as spaces for these workshops often fill up fast (http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/1393).

The last event I will mention is the one I am most excited to see. Andrew Quintman, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University, will be leading a discussion along with several other professors and professional authors entitled From Urdu Epic and Tibetan Sorcerers to Today: Fantasy in Tibetan and World Literature. Dr. Quintman specializes in the Buddhist traditions of Tibet and the Himalayas, and he currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Tibetan and Himalayan Religions Group of the American Academy of Religion. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 26 at 7 pm and costs $12 for non-members, $10.80 for members. Tickets also include a 6:15 pm tour of Once Upon Many Times: Legends and Myth in Himalayan Art (September 16, 2011 – January 30, 2012) (http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/1385).

The Tibet House: On Thursday, October 6 at 7 pm, the Tibet House will be hosting a Book Launch and Signing for Yangzom Brauen’s new book, Across Many Mountains: A Tibetan Family’s Epic Journey from Oppression to Freedom. This emotional memoir chronicles the lives of three generations of Tibetan women, covering almost one hundred years of Tibetan history and looks to be a moving and inspirational read. Admission to this event is free for all (http://www.tibethouse.us/programs/view/581693/4).

Tashi Delek!

Openings, Endings, & Updates for September 2011

My apologies, first, for being somewhat absent since my last post, and for the continued quiet that is sure to continue over the next week or so. I am currently moving into a new apartment and this has absorbed most of my time and energy this month. Nevertheless, I thought it would be prudent to begin what I hope will become a monthly feature of this blog – a summary of some of the local openings, endings, and one-time events coming up in the following month. Most of these I have already tweeted (or re-tweeted) at some point or another as they have come up, but here I will provide them for ease of viewing. Without further ado, I shall begin:

Openings

Rubin Museum of Art: The new exhibit on Himalayan narrative traditions called Once Upon Many Times: Legends and Myths in Himalayan Art (September 16, 2011 – January 30, 2012) opens next month and is curated by Elena Pakhoutova.  For an official summary, see http://www.rmanyc.org/nav/exhibitions/view/1223.

Tibet House: Tibetan Contemporary Art: Tantric Vision in Modern Self-Expression (September 14, 2011 – November 15, 2011) opens up in place of the current exhibition next month, aiming to engage the viewer with “a powerful new genre” of Tibetan artistic expression. An Opening Reception will be held September 14, 2011, 6:00 – 8:00 pm. The official announcement can be found here: http://www.tibethouse.us/art-gallery/upcoming-exhibitions.

Closings

Newark Museum: I seem to have made a mistake in the showing dates for the Special Exhibitions at the Newark Museum – while one area of the website says they are running until the end of the year, the individual announcements list different, earlier dates. That being the case, Tsongkhapa: The Life of a Tibetan Visionary ended this past weekend, as I recently tweeted. However, Pots of Silver and Gold, which contains some fine pieces of Tibetan and Mongolian craftsmanship, will continue until October 30, 2011. I apologize for my mistake. See my July entry on the Tibetan Collection Centennial Exhibitions for information on the collections (https://beyondthedisplay.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/celebrating-a-century-part-one/).

Philadelphia Museum of Art: Porcelain for the Emperor: Chinese Ceramics of the Kangxi Reign (1662-1722) opened a year ago and ends this coming September 5, 2011.  For a full description, see: http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/553.html.

Rubin Museum of Art: Both Patterns of Life: The Art of Tibetan Carpets (April 8, 2011 – August 22, 2011) and Quentin Roosevelt’s China: Ancestral Realms of the Naxi (May 13, 2011 – September 19, 2011) are ending soon, the former before the end of the month! Take a look at both before they are gone. For further information, see http://www.rmanyc.org/nav/exhibitions/view/989 and http://www.rmanyc.org/nav/exhibitions/view/955, respectively.

Tibet House: Containing photographs highlighting the life and work of His Holiness, The Dalai Lama and His People, which opened on July 5, 2011, will close on September 7, 2011.  The photos are featured in an upcoming book by Don Farber (http://www.tibethouse.us/art-gallery/current-exhibition).

One-Time Events

Asia Society: The acclaimed exhibit, The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara, runs until the end of the October, but the Asia Society will be holding a related lecture by Christian Luczanits, a leading scholar of Gandharan art, on Monday, September 12 at 6:30 pm. Seating is limited and tickets are available at a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 6:00 pm (http://sites.asiasociety.org/gandhara/related-events/).

Rubin Museum of Art: The New York Premiere of the new documentary, “In the Shadow of Buddha,” will be held Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $12.00 for non-members, and a post-screening discussion will be held with the filmmaker, Heather Kessinger, and Prof. Kim Gutschow, author of Being a Buddhist Nun: The Struggle for Enlightenment in the Himalayas. For this and other events, see: http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/1319.

Art and Avatars in Brooklyn

I just found out that the Brooklyn Museum is hosting a one-day workshop called “Mehindi, the Art of Henna” on Saturday, August 13, 2011 from 2-5 pm with practitioner Sandy Patangay. A materials fee and registration are required for participation, so if you can make it, check out the official calender of events for more information: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/calendar/event/4404 

Even if you are not able to make the workshop (like me), be sure to check out the Museum’s current exhibition of South Asian art, “Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior,” which started this summer and will end on October 2, 2011. The exhibit proposes to examine Vishnu in three sections: 1) in his primary form; 2) as his numerous avatars, or manifestations, and; 3) as an object of worship and ritual practice. While I haven’t had a chance to make it out there just yet, the official website boasts a presentation of one-hundred-and-seventy Indian paintings, sculptures, and ritual objects from within the Vaishnava tradition ranging from the fourth through twentieth centuries, and those pictured on the website are quite beautiful. This definitely looks like a must-see for anyone fascinated by South Asian art and religion, and I’ll be interested in seeing how this highly popular deity is presented by the staff of the Brooklyn Museum!

For further information, see the exhibit’s official description on the Brooklyn Museum’s website (http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/vishnu/) and the related blog entry by the Brooklyn Museum’s Lisa and Bernard Selz Curator of Asian Art, Joan Cummins (http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/2011/08/02/the-original-avatars-an-introduction-to-vishnu%e2%80%99s-earthly-manifestations/).

A Quick Interlude

While Part Two of my trip to the Newark Museum will be posted early this week, I felt it important to mention an upcoming event I have gotten particularly excited about. Coming this fall (Friday, September 30, 2011 – Sunday, October 2, 2011), the Philadelphia Museum of Art will present the Third Annual Anne d’Harnoncourt Symposium, Exhibiting India’s Art in the Twenty-First Century, in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania History of Art Department. Friday evening will feature a reception with the Museum Director Timothy Rub and the UPenn’s W. Norman Brown Professor of South Asia Studies, Michael W. Meister, as well as an introductory talk on the South Indian Pillared Temple Hall with the Museum’s Stella Kramrisch Curator of Indian and Himalayan Art, Darielle Mason. Saturday boasts a series of interesting talks in the morning and afternoon, including a presentation by the Newark Museum’s Curator of the Arts of Asia, Katherine Anne Paul, entitled “Prisms of Practice: Tibetan-Buddhist  Altars in Museum Settings.” Finally, Sunday will consist of roundtable  working sessions discussing the previous day’s sessions. I’m definitely looking forward to this event, and barring complications I hope to attend and give a full account come September. Maybe I’ll see you there too!

For more information and a full schedule of events, see the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Official Calendar: http://www.philamuseum.org/calendarEvents/adults/symposia.html