Established in 1945, the Museum was founded by the pioneering American woman Jacques Marchais (1887-1948), an important collector and respected expert on Tibetan art. Designed by Marchais, the rustic complex of fieldstone buildings, the “jewel on a hillside”, was designed to resemble the Potala of Lhasa, a Tibetan mountain monastery. The museum’s historic buildings represent the first Himalayan-style architecture to be built in the United States, and it was the first museum in the world devoted solely to Tibetan art. When he visited the museum in 1991, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, said it felt like being in Tibet. The mission of Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art is to preserve its unique collection of rare and sacred artifacts, provide careful stewardship of its historic buildings and gardens, and present the art, culture and history of Tibet to a world audience, educating and inspiring appreciation of Himalayan cultures and fostering better global understanding. Our vision is to be a living museum, with and without walls, promoting diversity and inclusion, welcoming visitors to our unique and historic hillside site, and bringing the Museum into the community in person and online. As we share the unique culture of Tibet, we strive to make connections between past and present, between Tibet and other cultural heritages, to foster awareness, insight, and appreciation of the commonality of our shared humanity.