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The Rubin Museum - Home to Himalayan Art in NYC

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Wish-fulfilling Tree New York City is home to many small museums that highlight specific areas of art or history. One of the best is he Rubin Museum, which focuses on the people of the Himalayas. The Rubin Museum was founded by Shelly and Donald Rubin. They first bought art from the Himalayas in the 1970’s. Over the following decades they amassed a large and diverse collection. By the 1990’s they had decided to use their collection as the founding basis for a new museum to showcase and preserve art and culture from that part of the world. Shiva Vishvadura (Tibet) In 1998, the Rubins purchased the former Barney’s building on 17th street, in the Chelsea section of New York. By 2004, when they museum opened, they had converted that site to a world class exhibition space. It’s six floors offer a comprehensive look into the past, present and future of art and culture from the Himalayas, and also relating to social justice campaigns around the world. Breathing Room by Na...

December Lights in New York City

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Met Life Building Just a short piece this week. December in NYC is a time of lights. So this week I took a walk through the center of the city, camera in hand. Here is some of what I saw. I started at Lincoln Square, on the Upper West Side. The tree in the square offered a wonderful sight on a snowy day with Lincoln Center in the background. Lincoln Sqaure snowy tree for sale From there I walked down Broadway to the Time Warner Center, where the colored stars were beautiful. Time-Warner Center Time Warner Center Time Warner Center My walk continued east to 6th Ave. and then south towards the big tree. Garland, with a little surprise The Time-Life building has big, uh, ornaments From Radio City, it was a short walk to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Happy Holidays, No Service The Rockefeller Center Rink The big tree The last leg of my walk was over to Grand Central Station. Park Ave. Lights Helms...

Small Brooklyn - Visit some of the Boroughs interesting if smallest museums

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I love small museums and galleries. They are a great way to enjoy art or history, without being overwhelmed. On a recent day I had a chance to visit three interesting small museums in Brooklyn. Each offered a unique view of art and history. Brooklyn Art Library Take the L train to Williamsburg and you will find a truly unique museum. The Brooklyn Art Library is the only user-sourced museum that I know of. It is a collection of over 45,000 sketch-books created by people who just want to contribute to art in the world. That’s right, even you can add your creative touch to their library. Anyone can purchase a 30 page blank book for $30 and create your own work. When done, just mail your book back to the library. It will be added to the collection.   Taunting Sweater by Lance Holden Time and the Way We Travel by Lance Holden When you visit the Brooklyn Art Library, it can be a little overwhelming. The walls are filled, floor to ceiling with books that ...

Taos is a place to celebrate American and Native culture and art

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A visit to Taos is really a visit to two different places. There is the town of Taos, with its history and thriving artist community. There is also Taos Pueblo, with its own history and a very different artist community. Taos Pueblo The Taos Pueblo reservation is the home to around 4500 Tiwa speaking people. It is considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the United States. The old part of the reservation sits at the foot of the Taos mountains, along the Red Willow Creek, which runs from its source at Blue Lake to the Rio Grande River. Its most famous feature is the multistory complex of houses constructed out of adobe bricks that was built between 1000 and 1400 CE. Today around fifteen families live in the pueblo full time. I started my visit with a tour of the pueblo. The tour started at the Iglesia de San Geronimo (Church of Saint Jerome). The current version of which was built is 1850. The previous building had been destroyed by Ame...