The Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York welcomed more than 450 Greek Americans to a special fundraiser reception held this past fall at The Rubin Museum of Art.

The event, to benefit the Cathedral’s programs, gave participants the opportunity to view the museum’s current exhibition which examines intriguing correspondences and differences between Eastern Orthodox icons and Tibetan Buddhist thangkas (paintings on cloth). “Embodying the Holy: Icons in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Tibetan Buddhism” it the title of the collection that will run at The Rubin Museum (150 West 17th Street, Manhattan, tel: (212) 620-5000) through March 7, 2011. Guests viewed this and other collections, while enjoying food, drinks and live Greek music by Grigoris Maninakis and the Microcosmos Ensemble.

Marilena Christodoulou who was part of the Rubin Museum’s founding team and has served as its Chief Financial Officer since before it opened to the public in 2004, and Cathedral Dean Very Reverend Frank Marnagos welcomed the guests. “I never thought I would see Greek icons in a museum of Himalayan art, so this is very exciting for me,” said Marilena. The list of the outstanding guests included Bishop Savas of Troas, representing Archbishop Demetrios of America, Aghi Balta, Consul General of Greece, Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, Consul of Greece, Koula Sophianou, Consul General of Cyprus in New York, Crossroads of Civilization curator Dr. Sofoklis Hadjisavvas, Father Vasilios Bassakyros, Pastor of the Church of St. John the Baptist in Manahattan, and Mr. Emmanuel Tiliakos whose collection the icons were taken from for the exhibition.

The presentation is part of the Rubin Museum’s ongoing exploration of the connection between Tibetan Buddhist art and Western art. “Embodying the Holy demonstrates for the first time how two very different religious traditions have utilized similar visual language and iconography to express fundamental beliefs and narratives,” says Martin Brauen, Chief Curator of the Rubin Museum of Art and one of the co-curators. The other co-curator, Senior Curator Ramon Prats, explains that “both Tibetan Buddhism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity translate their written and oral traditions into symbolic imagery which is only understood fully by the believer.”