The first University Open House weekend at the Rubin Museum of Art Saturday, September 17 – Sunday, September 18, was a fun, lively, and well attended event. During the weekend, many students, faculty, and staff took advantage of the opportunity to visit the museum free of charge. Visitors attended thematic gallery tours, followed a self-guided scavenger hunt, and enjoyed savoring artwork quietly on their own.
Sketching in the galleries
Studying a map of the Himalayas
We were particularly happy to see so many students from our University Partnership institutions, including Baruch College, John Jay College, Hunter College, Queens College, Queensborough Community College, and Borough of Manhattan Community College.
Admiring a Tibetan Buddhist sculpture of Green Tara
But what really made the day special was the warm, collaborative spirit of our staff and volunteers. Juliet Gumbs, Chantal Lee, and Michael Obremski did a fantastic job of guiding larger than usual tour groups through crowded galleries.
Michael Obremski leading a guided tour in the galleries
Our loyal Rubin Museum volunteers delighted visitors with an assortment of possible raffle prizes for future winners, including RMA catalogs and our ever-popular stuffed Yak, as well as creating hand-made customized buttons inspired by our collections.
- RMA volunteers Alana Depena, Dorothy Cancellieri, Anne Brink, and Manashi Mukherjee
Many students commented that they had never visited the museum before and looked forward to coming back. As Marcos Stafne, Head of Education & Visitor Experience commented, “it was truly a joy to see so many first-time visitors in the galleries engaging and enjoying the art and exhibitions.”
Note: Blog photographs were provided Veronique Lerebours