The website was created with funding from the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation in 1997, as an education and research database of Himalayan Art.
[3][4] Since 1998, Jeff Watt, a Himalayan and Tibetan art scholar, has been the director and chief Curator of the HAR website.
[9] Scholars of Himalayan art make regular use of the web site during their research.
[10] The site also makes available hundreds of resources for educational and interpretation purposes.
[11] These include curriculum, essays, glossaries, and organizational outlines to help users navigate the material on the site.