The Utah Museum of Fine Arts Presents “Gateway to Himalayan Art,” a traveling exhibition from the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art

February 15 – July 27, 2025, at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: 
Utah Museum of Fine Arts  
Emma Ryder
Director of Marketing & Communications
801-581-7328
emma.ryder@umfa.utah.edu

Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
Sandrine Milet
Head of Communications & Marketing
212-620-5000 x228 
press@rubinmuseum.org

Access the press kit on Hightail here. (Hightail is best viewed in the Hightail app or on a desktop.)
Request access to the press kit on OneDrive by emailing j.attridge@umfa.utah.edu or emma.ryder@umfa.utah.edu

A colorful image of a buddha surrounded by smaller figures in different action scenes.
Stories of Noble Deeds (Avadana), Central Tibet; late 18th-19th century, Pigments on cloth, Rubin Museum of Art, Gift of the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, F1996.27.1 (HAR 494)

Salt Lake City, January 24, 2025 — The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) is thrilled to present Gateway to Himalayan Art, a traveling exhibition organized by the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art that introduces the main forms, concepts, meanings, and traditions of Himalayan art and cultures. The exhibition features objects from the Rubin Museum’s collection as well as multimedia elements — audio, videos, essays, maps, and more — from the Rubin’s educational initiative, Project Himalayan Art, a resource designed to support the inclusion of Tibetan, Himalayan, and Inner Asian art and cultures into undergraduate teaching on Asia. The exhibition will be on view February 15 through July 27, 2025.

“We were delighted when the Rubin Museum chose the UMFA to be one of the venues hosting the exhibition.” Said Gretchen Dietrich, the Marcia and John Price Executive Director. “In addition to the amazing art on view in the galleries, the exhibition also offers numerous resources for learning about and building connections across disciplines. We’re confident that art lovers of every age will enjoy this amazing exhibition,” she continued.

Gateway to Himalayan Art invites visitors to enter into the art and cultures of the greater Himalayan region — Indian, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Tibetan — and the interrelated Mongolian and Chinese traditions. Much of Himalayan art is informed by Buddhist, Hindu, and indigenous religions, and images play a prominent role in cultural practices.

The exhibition highlights the fundamental visual language and meanings of Himalayan art, the materials and techniques used, and the purposes for the creation of these objects, often in the context of religious and secular well-being. It also includes voices from Himalayan artists and contemporaries, along with connections to related digital content to learn more. 

Gateway features traditional scroll paintings (thangka), sculptures in various media, medical instruments, and ritual objects. Among the featured installations are in-depth displays that explain the process of Nepalese lost-wax metal casting and the stages of Tibetan thangka painting.

Gateway to Himalayan Art is an integral component of the Rubin Museum’s Project Himalayan Art, a three-part initiative that also includes the publication Himalayan Art in 108 Objects and a digital platform, a hub for the study of Himalayan art. Together they provide introductory resources for learning about and teaching Himalayan art, with focus on cross-cultural exchange with Tibet at the center, and Buddhism as the thread that connects these diverse cultures.

The public is invited to be among the first to see the exhibition at the UMFA during a ticketed preview party on Friday, February 14. There is also a free community celebration on Saturday, February 15, hosted in partnership with the Utah Tibetan Association. Learn more at umfa.utah.edu.

Support 

This exhibition is organized and provided by the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art.   

Leadership support for Project Himalayan Art is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Project Himalayan Art has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-253379-OMS-23.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Lead support is provided by the Ellen Bayard Weedon Foundation, Bob and Lois Baylis, Barbara Bowman, the E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Noah P. Dorsky, Fred Eychaner, Christopher J. Fussner, the Estate of Lisina M. Hoch, Matt and Ann Nimetz, The Randleigh Foundation Trust, Shelley and Donald Rubin, and Jesse Smith and Annice Kenan.

Major support is provided by Daphne Hoch Cunningham and John Cunningham, Stephen and Sharon Davies, the Edward & Elizabeth Gardner Foundation, Mimi Gardner Gates, Hongwei Li, Max Meehan, the Monimos Foundation, Edward O’Neill, The Prospect Hill Foundation, Sarah and Craig Richardson, Rossi & Rossi, Basha Frost Rubin and Scott Grinsell, the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation, Namita and Arun Saraf, Eric and Alexandra Schoenberg, Eileen Caulfield Schwab, UOVO, and Sandy Song Yan, and the Zhiguan Museum of Art.

Special Support is provided by:

Dr. Bibhakar Sunder Shakya, to honor the memory and legacy of Professor Dina Bangdel, art historian, curator, cultural activist, and educator from Nepal.

Samphe and Tenzin Lhalungpa, to honor the memory and works of L.P. Lhalungpa, Tibetan scholar, broadcaster, and educator.

Logos for the Henry Luce Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and The Prospect Hill Foundation

Local Sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor:
Virginia Barlage

Curatorial Sponsor:
George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation

Installation Sponsor:
Stephanie and Tim Harpst & The Tozer Endowment for Special Exhibitions

Programming Sponsor:
Thomas and Mary S. McCarthey

Community Partner:
Utah Tibetan Association

About the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
The Rubin is a global museum dedicated to presenting Himalayan art and its insights. Founded in 2004, the Rubin serves people internationally through exhibitions, participatory experiences, a dynamic digital platform, and partnerships. Inspired and informed by Himalayan art, the Rubin invites people to contemplate the human experience and deepen connections with the world around them in order to expand awareness, enhance well-being, and cultivate compassion. The Rubin advances scholarship through a series of educational initiatives, grants, collection sharing, and the stewardship of a collection of nearly 4,000 Himalayan art objects spanning 1,500 years of history—providing unprecedented access and resources to scholars, artists, and students across the globe. rubinmuseum.org

About the Utah Museum of Fine Arts
The Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) at the University of Utah is Utah’s destination for global visual arts. From ancient objects to the latest contemporary works, the UMFA galleries showcase the breadth and depth of human history and creativity. The Museum’s collection of nearly 20,000 original works of art is the most dynamic in the region. As the fine arts museum for both the state and the University, the UMFA is a vibrant hub for cultural exchange among campus and community audiences. The UMFA is located on the University of Utah campus in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building at 410 Campus Center Drive. For more information call (801) 581-7332 or visit www.umfa.utah.edu.