New York City has many world renowned collections of Asian art. One of the most impressive, the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, is hidden away on Lighthouse Hill in the Center of Staten Island. The museum, while one of Staten Island’s less accessible treasures, is accessible by public transportation, and there is free street parking adjacent to the museum.
Source: Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art
The museum is the life’s work of Jacques Marchais Coblentz, an American actress who developed an interest in Tibetan art, spirituality, and Buddhism. After seeing a photograph of the Potola at Lhasa, the historic seat of the Dalai Lamas, Marchais designed her Staten Island complex as an American version of that Tibetan holy place.
The museum is housed in a building designed to resemble a small Himalayan mountain monastery, providing a striking setting for the collection. The experience of being in another land is enhanced by the museum’s grounds, including a terraced garden with a goldfish and lotus pond that Marchais called the “Samadhi Garden.”
Source: Andrea via Flickr
The museum hosts a variety of events and public programming that complement its collection. Weekly meditation and Tai Chi classes provide a great introduction to the museum’s work. Once a year, the museum hosts a Tibetan Festival, where visitors can sample Tibetan food and purchase crafts.
Whether you go for the art, the lectures, the film screenings, or just to wander around the grounds, a visit to the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art is an unforgettable experience.
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