The Rubin Museum of Artwork in Manhattan will shutter after twenty years of championing its prized assortment of artwork from Himalayan Asia, with leaders saying on Wednesday that they wished to examine a contemporary museum with out partitions. However the museum, which can promote its constructing, had additionally confronted some monetary challenges lately.
Doorways to the Rubin Museum will shut Oct. 6, when its last exhibition ends, earlier than transitioning into an establishment that may deal with touring exhibitions and long-term loans. Practically 40 % of its workers will lose their jobs; the museum’s chief, Jorrit Britschgi, had eliminated nearly two dozen positions in 2019 to chop prices.
“The definition of what a museum is has advanced dramatically lately,” Noah Dorsky, the museum’s board president, stated in a press release. “Traditionally, the Rubin’s tradition embraces continuous change and evolution, and in our new incarnation, we’re redefining what a museum may be.”
The closure of its galleries shocked some museum professionals, who stated it was the primary time of their current reminiscence {that a} main museum had closed in New York Metropolis. Main museums have confronted a extreme money crunch for the reason that Covid-19 pandemic modified the habits of vacationers, main a number of establishments to chop jobs and lift ticket costs. Nevertheless, none have taken the Rubin’s excessive step of relinquishing all their actual property.
“Financially, issues are actually troublesome for establishments proper now,” stated Laura Raicovich, a former museum government who writes about challenges dealing with the humanities. “The shortage mannequin of how cultural organizations function on this nation has turn into excessive, the place the reliance on particular person donors and firms is larger than ever earlier than.”
The museum stated it was not closing its constructing due to monetary challenges. A museum spokeswoman stated that its endowment had grown to greater than $150 million on the finish of 2023, which is massive for a corporation of its measurement. And its finances has grown for the reason that pandemic.
However there had been indicators of challenges when it got here to working bills. The Rubin Museum ran a $5.9 million deficit in 2022, in response to its most up-to-date tax filings. And like many museums, it noticed its attendance drop after the pandemic. However the museum stated it anticipated its subsequent set of tax filings would present a surplus.
Based in 2004 to advertise the artwork assortment of Donald and Shelley Rubin, the artwork museum has hosted practically 4,000 Himalayan artwork objects spanning 1,500 years of historical past. Its location on West seventeenth Avenue crammed practically 70,000 sq. toes inside a constructing beforehand occupied by Barneys New York, the style division retailer. The Rubin household bought the property in 1998 for $22 million.
Britschgi stated the museum supposed to promote its Chelsea location, prime actual property that might almost certainly fetch tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars}. That cash, he stated, could be deposited within the Rubin’s sustaining fund.
The constructing subsequent to the museum, 115 Seventh Avenue — which housed Barneys till 2020 — offered for $21.5 million to a Queens developer in December. Louis Puopolo, head of operations for Douglas Elliman Business, stated it might be optimum timing for the Rubin and a chance to stress the brand new neighbors to make a aggressive bid.
“They’re in all probability properly saying, ‘We’ll advertise because it’s such a implausible location,’” stated Puopolo, who added that the property might be transformed to residential or be used to accommodate one other museum or cultural heart.
By means of the years, the Rubin’s exhibitions might be revelatory; it was one of many solely spots in New York that centered on Asian artwork, and there was a string of lauded exhibits by way of the 2010s that introduced up to date artists into the context of Tibetan and Nepalese traditions.
“What the Rubin tried to do was make objects which might be usually labeled as artifacts in different museums into objects that have been as vibrant and alive as up to date artwork,” stated Chitra Ganesh, an artist who will probably be included within the museum’s final exhibition. “What the closure alerts is that there continues to be an absence of structural assist and visibility for Asian artists.”
Objects from the museum’s assortment will probably be included in upcoming installations in Milan and Chicago this 12 months, and an exhibition referred to as “The Gateway to Himalayan Artwork” will journey to universities in a number of states by way of 2026.
Erin Thompson, a professor of artwork crime at John Jay School of Felony Justice in Manhattan, famous that the museum may face questions on its charitable standing if the general public didn’t obtain common entry to the artwork assortment.
“Donors to the museum have been in a position to declare tax deductions for serving to the museum show artwork to the American public,” she stated. “Will the general public proceed to learn from this artwork as soon as the museum closes?”
Britschgi stated the museum, which can keep primarily based in New York and collaborate with different establishments, was labeled as a public charity and wouldn’t change its authorized standing. “Folks hear ‘museum’ and suppose it’s a house the place we are able to stroll into,” he stated. “That’s altering for us.”
Students additionally expressed concern that the museum’s decline would have an effect on its dedication to provenance analysis. The establishment repatriated a number of non secular artworks again to Nepal after citizen activists unearthed info that indicated relics on the Rubin had been smuggled overseas.
Britschgi famous that the museum lately employed one other worker to conduct provenance analysis. “Repatriation stays an vital a part of our work,” he stated. “This resolution has nothing to do with the works that we now have repatriated.”
The museum director stated he was pleased with his seven-year tenure. He had deliberate to depart in 2021 however stayed on by way of the pandemic after the board allowed him to work remotely from Europe.
“I’m proud to have led the group by way of attention-grabbing instances, and partially additionally turbulent instances,” Britschgi stated. “I’m proud to have led the group by way of a part of innovation and experimentation, and now a part of daring modifications and transformation as we’re getting into a brand new chapter.”
Ronda Kaysen contributed reporting.
