The Rubin Museum of Art, New York’s only museum dedicated to the art of the Himalayas, is launching a series of programmes to honour the cultural heritage of Nepal in the wake of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated the Kathmandu Valley on 25 April. The Rubin will show a selection of its nearly 600 Nepalese objects in the lobby, accessible free of charge, from today, 4 May. It is also offering guided tours focused on Nepalese art and culture, concerts featuring Nepalese musicians and presentations from organisations providing earthquake relief in the region.
The death toll in Nepal has mounted to 5,000 people, according to recent reports. Unesco’s director general Irina Bokova told The New York Times that she could not remember another modern natural disaster that had damaged so much cultural heritage. “We hope to remind visitors of the rich cultural traditions that continue to this day, despite the horrific loss of life and damage to sites of world importance,” the Rubin’s director Patrick Sears says in a statement. Among the objects due to go on view at the Rubin is one of the world’s largest Nepalese scroll paintings. The 19th-century cloth work depicts the temple of Rato Machhendranath in the Kathmandu Valley.