New York: As part of the Tibet Museum’s ongoing travelling exhibitions in the United States honouring the onset of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s year-long 90th birthday celebration, Additional Secretary Namgyal Tsewang and Museum Director Tenzin Topdhen from the Department of Information and International Relations (CTA) successfully concluded exhibitions in the New York on 6 February 2025.

Prior to the start of the three-week-long exhibition, scheduled from 3 to 24 February, Additional Secretary Namgyal Tsewang and Director Tenzin Topdhen met with Nico Simoni, Executive Director of the Jacques Marchias Museum of Tibetan Art, and Ganden Thurman, Executive Director of the Tibet House, to discuss the ongoing exhibition initiative. On 6 February, the duo also met with representatives of the Rubin Museum, to exchange insights and discuss future collaborations.

On 4 February, a three-day exhibition in New York officially began at the Phuntsok Deshe Hall of the New York and New Jersey Tibetan Community. The travelling exhibition was inaugurated by Ven Chokhor Rinpoche, the Abbot of Sera Jey Buddhist Culture Center in New York, to whom Tibetan Liaison Officer of the Office of Tibet, Washington DC, Kunga Tashi, introduced the details of this travelling exhibition. Additional Secretary Namgyal Tsewang and Director Tenzin Topdhen then briefed Rinpoche on various photographs and nearly a hundred exhibition items, including Tibetan tam-ka (coins) and paper currency. In response, Rinpoche commended the exhibition’s rich content and, through a video message, encouraged Tibetan youth in the region to visit the exhibition as there was much to learn.

The exhibition also displayed His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s virtuous endeavours related to His four noble commitments, Tibetan monetary history, the Tibetan Plateau’s natural environment, and documentaries related to His Holiness and the Tibet cause.

“Over the course of three days, approximately 1,500 visitors attended the exhibition, including former CTA civil servants, Tibetans of all generations, and Mongolian and Chinese guests. It was especially touching to witness the strong interest displayed by young people and students from the Danang and Losel Ketsel Tibetan Weekend Language and Culture classes,” expressed the Additional Secretary and Tibet Museum Director. They further added, “Based on the visitors’ age groups, we screened documentaries covering the four Fact-finding Delegations to Tibet (1979-85), In Search of Jewel, which explores His Holiness’s reincarnation, and Mission Joy, which were well-received with great interest by many. Overall, the three-day exhibition in New York, along with the engaging discussions held with staff from the art gallery and exhibition departments, successfully fulfilled our intended goals.”

On the evening of 6 February, as the exhibition concluded, the executive members of the New York and New Jersey Tibetan Association held a dinner reception for the visiting teams from the Department of Information and International Relations. The Tibetan Liaison Officer, Additional Secretary Namgyal Tsewang, and the Association’s President each gave brief closing remarks and exchanged thank you messages.

On the morning of the following day, Additional Secretary Namgyal Tsewang and Museum Director Tenzin Topdhen flew from New Jersey to Minnesota, where they will hold a six-day exhibition starting from 8 February.

-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Washington DC