The Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan will highlight never-before-seen devotional Buddhist art spanning twelve centuries

The Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Arts Of Bhutan, on view at the Honolulu Academy of Arts from February 26 through May 23, 2008, is an unprecedented exhibition of rare religious Buddhist art with a special focus on the ancient ritual dances still practiced in Bhutan. Organized by the Honolulu Academy of Arts in conjunction with the Department of Culture, a branch of the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of the Royal Government of Bhutan, The Dragon's Gift coincides with 100^th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Wangchuck Dynasty and takes place during the first year that the country of Bhutan transforms itself into a democratically elected constitutional monarchy.

Coordinated by Guest Curator Terese Tse Bartholomew (Curator of Himalayan Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco) and Academy Exhibition Coordinator John Johnston, The Dragon's Gift includes more than 100 exquisite works of art, most of which are on loan from monasteries and private temples.  The majority of these works have never been seen by the public in Bhutan, much less outside the country. On view will be two-dimensional thangkas painted in mineral pigments appliquéd in silk, gilt bronze sculptures, and other ritual objects that range from the 8^th to the 20^th centuries, as well as an interactive database of more than 300 hours of footage of traditional Bhutanese dance. During the exhibition, monks will chant for the safekeeping of the artwork every morning and afternoon at an altar specially commissioned by the Academy, designed by high-ranking monks and built by skilled craftsmen.

Following its debut presentation in Honolulu, The Dragon's Gift will travel to national and international venues throughout 2008 and 2009, including the Rubin Museum of Art, New York (autumn 2008); the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (spring 2009); and other venues to be confirmed.  

The Honolulu Academy of Arts is an encyclopedic art museum founded in 1927 and Hawaii's largest private presenter of visual arts programs, with a permanent collection of more than 50,000 works of art.  The Academy is the only art museum in Hawaii accredited by the American Association of Museums. The Academy's permanent collection includes more than 20,000 works of Asian art, with galleries dedicated to Japan, China, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines.  The collection is especially strong in Chinese and Japanese paintings, Korean ceramics, Buddhist and Shinto sculpture, South and Southeast Asian sculpture and decorative arts, and textiles from Asia. The crown jewel of the Academy's Asian art collection is the James A. Michener Collection of more than 10,000 Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, the third largest collection of its kind in the United States.  The Academy's permanent collection also includes European and American paintings, sculptures, decorative arts and textiles, as well as more than 15,000 works on paper, comprising the largest concentration of works in the European and American collection ranging in date from the Renaissance to the present.

The Honolulu Academy of Arts

900 S. Beretania Street

Honolulu, Hawaii

www.honoluluacademy.org

General Info: (808) 532-8700; Exhibitions: (808) 532-8701

Hours: Tues. through Sat. 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.; Closed Monday. Admission: $10 - General admission; $5 for seniors (62+), students (13 and over), and military; Members and children 12 and under are free.