Rubin Museum Awards 13 Himalayan Art Grants Totaling Nearly $195,000 for 2026
The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art has revealed the 13 awardees for its 2026 Rubin Grants, allocating nearly $195,000 through five Rubin x Art Projects grants and eight Rubin x Research grants, with individual awards between $3,000 and $25,000. Initiated in 2024, this initiative aims to assist international artists and researchers dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the Himalayas. The art cycle attracted 149 inquiries, resulting in five selected grantees, while the research cycle received 71 letters of inquiry for eight available positions. The grantees hail from eight different countries, emphasizing Tibetan art. Significant projects include the US edition of the Tibet Film Festival and the documentation of Bhutanese thangka techniques. Research efforts encompass studies on Newar manuscripts and cliff-face paintings. This year, the total funding for artists amounts to approximately $225,000.
Key facts
- The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art selected 13 recipients for the 2026 Rubin Grants, launched in 2024.
- Funding totals nearly $195,000, with individual grants from $3,000 to $25,000.
- Five Rubin x Art Projects grants and eight Rubin x Research grants were awarded.
- The art cycle received 149 inquiries and 10 final submissions; the research cycle received 71 letters of inquiry and 11 final submissions.
- Grantees are based in eight countries across Asia, Europe, and North America.
- Executive director Jorrit Britschgi said the grantees preserve, study, and reimagine Himalayan art, with particular focus on Tibetan art.
- The Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize went to Bhutanese artist Pem Lham in 2026, bringing total direct support to about $225,000.
- Tenzing Rigdol's new works will appear in Brigham Young University Museum of Art's Thus Have I Heard: Tenzing Rigdol, opening in 2029.
Entities
Artists
- Pem Lham
- Peldon Tshering
- Lopen Wangchuk
- Sonam Tshedzom Tingkhye
- Tenzing Rigdol
- YESHE
- Birat Raj Bajracharya
- Karma Yeshey
- Kunsang Namgyal-Lama
- Jampa Choetso
- Kyiga Wilberforce
- Saptamuni Bajracharya
- Khyentse Chenmo Genyen Namgyal
- Drakpa Gyaltsen
- Virūpa
- Shamir Amir Kansar
- Shital Shakya
- Kunsang Kelden
- Gawa
- H. E. Asanga Rinpoche
- M. Fermer
- L. Dondrub
- Yutaka Hirako
- Pimpim de Azevedo
- Rémi Chaix
- Roland Lim
- Hawxhurst D. A. McNabb
- Charity Reynolds Appell
- Tshewang Zangmo
- Robbie Sweeny
- Michelle Smith-Lewis
- Kalsang Ringchen
- Anahi Tisseghem
- Jorrit Britschgi
Institutions
- Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
- Tibet Film Festival
- Sakya Research Centre
- Tibet Heritage Fund
- Tsum Oral Literature Project
- Brigham Young University Museum of Art
- FACT/SF Summer Dance Festival
- Hong Kong Baptist University
- Academy of Language and Culture
- Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project
- Gongkar Choede Monastery
- Roland Lim Studio
Locations
- Thimphu
- Bhutan
- Seattle
- United States
- San Francisco
- New York City
- Washington, DC
- Lalitpur
- Nepal
- Taktsang
- Tiger's Nest
- Gyantse
- Central Tibet
- Tibet
- China
- Gongkar
- Tsum Valley
- Kathmandu Valley
- Patan
- Kathmandu
- Bhaktapur
- Leh
- Ladakh
- India
- Kham
- Tibetan Plateau
- Denmark
- United Kingdom
- Dehradun
- Vermont
- Maine