Museum of Contemporary Tibetan Art

The museum exhibits works, varying from wall and flooring paintings, to art pieces like sculptures, tapestries, (thangka) paintings and photographs. Art is being exhibited of various Tibetan artists, like Sonam Dolma Brauen, Tenzing Rigdol, Gonkar Gyatso and Tulku Jamyang (TJ). The museum displays pieces of co-founder Tashi Norbu as well.[2] A version of Norbu's Urban Buddha was temporarily installed in the Rensenpark.[3] Next to a permanent collection, temporary exhibitions are held.[1]

The museum organizes educational activities, like lectures, workshops and live paintings.[2] The mission of the museum is to bring together Eastern and Western aesthetics.[2] In the first two months, in June and July 2017, the museum attracted 5,000 visitors.[4]

The museum was founded by artist and curator Tashi Norbu, who has contacts in the Tibetan artist world, and business director Marjanne Tholen. Around twenty volunteers are involved with the museum. Norbu is a Tibetan from Lhokha (Shannan) who was born in Bhutan. He was educated in thangka painting in Dharamshala, India. In 2000 he went to Belgium and in 2007 he moved to the Netherlands. During consequent studies he earned art degrees at Sint-Lucas (Ghent), the Free Academy (The Hague) and Loods 13 (Emmen). His art was exhibited at the Tibet House in New York, the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago (Urban Buddha, with a height of 4,5 meters), the Huis van Alijn in Ghent and the World Museum in Rotterdam.[2]

The museum is established in the Rensenpark in downtown Emmen. This was the site of Emmen Zoo before it was transferred into the Wildlands Adventure Zoo, some kilometers to the north. Emmen Municipality decided to found a creative industry hub in the Rensenpark, with place for this museum, around twenty art galleries, workshops, open air theater[2] and concerts.[5]