NEW YORK- (April, 2003) "They've got every subject, every mahasiddha, lama, bodisattva and deity in every form you could imagine," said dealer Carlton Rochell in Stephen Wallis's Art & Auction April, 2003 cover story which profiles the Museum project and its founders. The article focuses on the pluck and perseverance it takes to open an ambitious museum in New York today (price tag, including purchase of building: $60 million); and the passionate and sometimes eccentric nature of the Rubins' collecting--wide-ranging and fueled by personal connection. The result is a museum that fills many of the gaps a more conformist approach inevitably sustains, while containing its share of recognized masterpieces. The article quotes Donald Rubin as saying, "In living with the paintings, we want to almost inhale the energy they exude"; the Rubins and Museum Project Director Lisa Schubert expressed confidence in both New York's economic resurgence and the public's interest in sampling this energy.

Located at 150 W 17th Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan in the site of the former Barneys department store, RMA will open in March 2004. The permanent collection, comprised of over 1,500 paintings, sculptures and other artworks from the Himalayas, is an historic and aesthetic treasure, unparalleled in the U.S. Temporary exhibits will highlight specific aspects or sub-groups of the Collection; or feature contemporary art, or art from other institutions. The Museum is formulating an innovative approach to wall text intended to ease the disjunction between looking at and learning about art, and to explore the links between Himalayan and world culture. RMA is dedicated to the documentation and dissemination of information concerning Himalayan art, both for the general public and scholars, and is a key participant in the Himalayan Art Project (HAP), an online database currently featuring more than 6,000 images of art from the Himalayas and bordering regions. RMA's mission is to be welcoming, inclusive and bold in sharing its art and the knowledge of its curators and consultants with the people of New York. The 70,000 square foot Museum will have approximately 30,000 square feet dedicated to gallery space and a state-of-the-art auditorium. RMA expects to host numerous performances, lectures and special events in addition to its educational programs and art exhibits.

The layout, including a five floor tower housing the permanent collection (accessed by the famous spiral staircase designed by Andre Putnam and left intact by RMA), allows for many kinds of activity and mood, from the festive to the intimate. Extensive building renovations were conceived by the firm of Beyer, Blinder and Belle; graphics is the work of Milton Glaser, Inc. Other members of the RMA team include Associate Museum designers Imrey/Culbert.