Please join the Department of Art & Art History and the Asia Center in welcoming Ann Shaftel as she gives a talk:

"Thangkas in Museums, Private Collections, Monasteries, and their Communities"
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 | 6 pm | Free in the Dumke Auditorium at the UMFA

Thangkas lead different lives depending on where they live.

Museums can offer non-traditional aesthetics and presentation, combined with the benefits of a technical approach to preservation. Is a thangka still sacred if it is out of the original context?

While thangkas in private homes and collections depend on the choices made by the owners in monasteries and their communities, thangkas are sacred art, with respectful, traditional usage, and centuries-old traditions.

This richly illustrated talk shares exquisite and powerful thangkas in traditional and nontraditional locations, and provokes questions about technical preservation and traditional respect for thangkas worldwide.

For further information on the event and parking, please visit the UMFA website.

Bodhisattvas Maitreya and Manjushri in Tushita Pure Realm, The One of Loving Kindness, Maitreya Tibet; early 20th century, Pigments on cloth, Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, C2002.21.3 (HAR 65114)