Better Late Than Never--LAST Friday's museum fun! :)

As I decide which museum to check out today, I realize that I didn't post about last week's summer Friday!  I actually didn't have a Diners Deck lunch last week, since it was the last day for two co-workers (the office had a going-away pizza party for them).  I considered just bagging the whole summer experiment, but then I decided to stop being a lazybutt and went downtown to the Rubin Museum of Art. 


Again, I have always wanted to check out the Rubin, but have never made it there before.  It is devoted to Tibetan and other Himalayan art, along with the surrounding regions.  There is a lot of religious art, along with textiles, sculptures and paintings.  There is also a Tibetan Shrine Room, and a room with replicas of art from the Dalai Lama's retreat.  A lot of the art is from the 12th and 13th centuries, along with more current work as well.


I was told the building used to be a Barney's department store--I don't know anything about that, but it is a lovely space.  The museum is very nicely laid out, with an attractive circular staircase in the middle of the rooms.  Each floor has its own exhibit, with the second and third floors devoted to their permanent collections, and the fourth and fifth floors with special exhibitions.  Currently, the special exhibitions are works of Naxi religious art from China, and the art of Tibetan carpets.

The Rubin does a nice job of putting labels on the art, and also educational flyers throughout to explain the art and the philosophy behind the art.  I picked up a nice flyer on religious symbols and figures and what they mean in the art.  It was really helpful as I went through the rest of the museum. 

I took a lot of fantastic photos (above are just a few samples--you are allowed to take photos of the permanent collections, but not the special collections) and really enjoyed myself at the Rubin.  It's designed very thoughtfully, with the art grouped well, but also well-spaced, so you don't get overwhelmed.  It has a nice, airy atmosphere, and also a contemplative feel, which pairs nicely with the religious art.  I didn't get a good shot of the Tibetan Shrine Room, which was dark and moody, with music and slight aromas of incense, but it was very calming to spend a few minutes in there to reflect.  I highly recommend making a visit to the Rubin.

I used my iPhone and the Eat St app to try to find a food truck nearby for lunch, but all the trucks in the vicinity were taco trucks, and I wasn't in the mood for tacos.  So, I wandered over to Trader Joe's, picked up some dinner fixins, and headed home to finish up another fun summer Friday...