The Rubin is Transforming…? Chelsea Museum to Himalayan Art to Close in 2024

April 4, 2024

By Claire Killian

Introduction: What’s Happening?

The impending closure of the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City marks a change in the cultural landscape of the city and beyond. For two decades, at home in Chelsea, the museum has been celebrated for its extensive collection of Himalayan art, its innovative programming, and its commitment to fostering cross-cultural dialogue and understanding since it first opened in 2004. The recent announcement of the museum’s closure sent shockwaves through the art world, prompting reflection on the challenges facing cultural institutions in an era marked by shifting priorities, financial pressures, and global uncertainty.

At the heart of the Rubin Museum’s closure lies a complex web of factors, ranging from operational challenges to broader shifts in the identity and existence of museums as a whole. Many museums around the world – such as Montreal’s Stewart Museum, the L.A. Annenberg Center for Photography, and the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art^[1]. The Rubin Museum has grappled with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly disrupted operations and upended traditional models of cultural engagement – in addition to prompting an existential questioning of what a museum is, and who it serves in the first place. The prolonged closure of the museum during the height of the pandemic dealt a severe blow to its financial stability, exacerbated existing pressures and raised questions about its long-term viability.

The decision to bid farewell to the Rubin’s familiar New York City brick-n-mortar location marks a crucial moment in the institution’s storied history. While the divestment of its physical space on 17th Street represents a pivotal farewell, it signifies the Rubin Museum’s unwavering commitment to fostering a global dialogue and impact, transcending geographical boundaries to nurture cultural understanding and intellectual discovery on a global scale.

Why?

In recent years, the Rubin Museum spearheaded a series of important initiatives that foreshadowed its metamorphosis into a global powerhouse. From providing extensive support for Nepal’s inaugural national pavilion at the Venice Biennale to showcasing the transformative Mandala Lab—an immersive experience rooted in Buddhist principles—in Bilbao and London, the museum has blazed a trail of innovation in the cultural landscape. Moreover, its unwavering dedication to digital engagement, exemplified by the Webby Honoree podcast AWAKEN, underscores its commitment to reaching audiences far and wide.

As the curtains draw to a close on its New York City chapter, the Rubin Museum invites audiences to immerse themselves in the vibrancy of “Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now,” a celebratory exhibition featuring contemporary masterpieces from Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and beyond. With its sights set on the future, the Rubin Museum is committed to expanding access to its collection through a robust long-term loan program, fostering collaborative partnerships with museums and cultural institutions worldwide. Moreover, the museum’s commitment to nurturing creativity, fostering dialogue, and championing scholarly research through initiatives like the Rubin Grant Program and the Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize underscores its unwavering dedication to advancing the cause of cultural enrichment and understanding.

The Rubin Museum has been clear that it is not closing its doors due to financial constraints, and in fact, is in a period of relative financial success. The choice to close its brick-and-mortar location is just that, a choice.^[2] In a post-pandemic world, notions of what a museum is and can be have expanded dramatically to include all forms of curation and presentation, both in-person and online. It seems as if the Rubin is seeking to capitalize on this moment, and invest in a more fluid future, wherein art goes to people, rather than people coming to art.^[3]

The Rubin Museum bought their current location in 2004 from the former department store, Barney’s. In December 2023, the location was sold to a Queens-based developer for $21.5 million. In the twenty years since the Rubin first moved into the neighborhood, Chelsea has seen a veritable metamorphosis, with neighborhood pillars like the Highline and Whitney moving in. What will take over this historic New York building remains to be seen.

Provenance Scandal

In 2021-2022, the Rubin made headlines by announcing its decision to return two significant sculptures to Nepal, following careful research that revealed their illicit acquisition by smugglers from religious sites. Nepal’s acting consul general, Bishnu Prasad Gautam, expressed gratitude for the museum’s proactive response and collaborative efforts, which align with Nepal’s broader initiatives to reclaim lost cultural artifacts.^[4] The involvement of the Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign, a nonprofit organization, played a pivotal role in drawing attention to the sculptures’ questionable history and facilitated their repatriation. This move underscores the growing momentum toward restitution and ethical stewardship in the art world, as museums increasingly confront the complex challenges of provenance and cultural heritage.^[5]

The returned artifacts, including an upper section of a 17th-century wooden torana from the Yampi Mahavihara temple complex and a 14th-century carving of a garland-bearing apsara from the Itum Bahal monastery, represent the Rubin Museum’s first identified instances of unlawfully obtained items in its collection. The museum’s executive director, Jorrit Britschgi, emphasized the institution’s ongoing commitment to thorough research and ethical practice in artifact acquisition and exhibition^[6]. Scholars associated with the museum traced the origins of these sculptures and found evidence of their removal from their rightful sites years prior to their acquisition by the museum’s founders^[7]. As the artifacts prepare to return to Nepal, the country’s Department of Archaeology will determine their final placement, possibly in their original locations or within a national museum, marking a significant step in the ongoing dialogue surrounding cultural repatriation and restitution. Whether these issues of provenance and repatriation played a role in the move to decentralize is unclear, however, it can be identified as part of an international effort to deconstruct and democratize the museum.^[8]

What Does This Closure Mean?

The closure of the Rubin Museum reflects broader trends within the museum sector, including the growing emphasis on digital engagement, the need for sustainable funding models, and the imperative of addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In an increasingly competitive cultural landscape, museums must navigate a myriad of challenges, from declining attendance and rising operating costs to changing audience demographics and evolving expectations for visitor experiences. For institutions like the Rubin Museum, which rely heavily on revenue from ticket sales, memberships, and special events, the closure represents a stark reminder of the fragility of the museum ecosystem and the urgent need for strategic adaptation and innovation.

Moreover, the closure of the Rubin Museum raises important questions about the role of museums in society and their responsibility to the communities they serve. As stewards of cultural heritage, museums play a vital role in preserving and interpreting the past, fostering dialogue and critical thinking, and promoting social cohesion and understanding. The loss of a cultural institution like the Rubin Museum not only deprives the public of access to its rich collections and educational resources but also diminishes the cultural vibrancy and diversity of New York City as a whole.

Conclusion

In the wake of the museum’s announcement, stakeholders within the cultural sector must grapple with the broader implications for the future of museums and cultural institutions in a post-pandemic world. While the closure of the Rubin Museum represents a significant loss for the city’s cultural landscape, it also serves as a call to action for policymakers, philanthropists, and community leaders to reevaluate and reimagine the ways in which museums are funded, governed, and sustained. It is imperative that to invest in the long-term resilience of cultural institutions, ensuring that they remain accessible, and relevant to the needs and interests of diverse audiences.

Moving forward, the closure of the Rubin Museum underscores the importance of collaboration, innovation, and collective action in addressing the systemic challenges facing the museum sector. By fostering partnerships between museums, government agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations, sustainable solutions can be developed to strengthen the cultural fabric of cities, promote social justice and equity, and enrich the lives of individuals and communities around the world.

About the Author:

Claire Killian is currently a sophomore at Barnard College studying Art History and Religion. Her primary interests regard the legal issues pertaining to international art restitution. In addition to writing for the Center for Art Law, Claire has interned at the Ukrainian Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and edits Ratrock Magazine.

Sources:

1. Elizabeth Merritt Crowdsourcing a Database of Permanent Museum Closings, American Alliance of Museums (Oct. 11, 2022), available at http://www.aam-us.org/2021/01/08/crowdsourcing-a-database-of-permanent-museum-closings ↑
2. “The Rubin To Transform To A Global Museum Model, Closing Its New York Building.” The Rubin Museum, 31 Jan. 2024, https://rubinmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/RubinTransition_PR_013124.pdf. ↑
3. Small, Zachary. “Rubin Museum, Haven for Asian Art, to Close After 20 Years.” The New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024, http://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/31/arts/design/rubin-museum-closing.html?smid=nytcore-android-share. ↑
4. Small, Zachary. “Rubin Museum to Return Nepalese Relics Thought to Have Been Stolen.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Jan. 2022, http://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/10/arts/design/rubin-museum-returning-nepalese-relics.html. ↑
5. “THE RUBIN TO TRANSFORM TO A GLOBAL MUSEUM MODEL, CLOSING ITS NEW YORK BUILDING.” Https://Rubinmuseum.Org/, The Rubin Museum, 31 Jan. 2024, https://rubinmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/RubinTransition_PR_013124.pdf. ↑
6. Small, Zachary. “Rubin Museum to Return Nepalese Relics Thought to Have Been Stolen.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Jan. 2022, http://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/10/arts/design/rubin-museum-returning-nepalese-relics.html. ↑
7. Bishara, Hakim. “New York’s Rubin Museum Will Help Preserve the Collection of One of Nepal’s Oldest Monasteries.” Hyperallergic, 26 Feb. 2022, hyperallergic.com/713644/ruben-museum-helps-preserve-collection-of-nepals-oldest-monasteries/. ↑
8. Thompson, Erin L. “Return the Stolen Artifact, But Keep the Museum Label.” Hyperallergic, 5 Feb. 2024, hyperallergic.com/870144/return-the-stolen-artifact-but-keep-the-museum-label/. ↑