Noguchi Museum

The Noguchi Museum displays a comprehensive collection of artwork by the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988). It is located in the neighborhood of Long Island City in New York City (USA), close to the East River.

History

The Los Angeles-born, globe-trotting artist first established studio and living quarters in Long Island City in 1961. In 1981, the Isamu Noguchi Foundation purchased adjacent land for what would first be called the "Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum," which opened in 1985.

The Noguchi Collection

The museum's thirteen galleries are contained within a renovated cinderblock building, and primarily house Noguchi's marble, granite and basalt sculptures. Other works using a variety of materials --including metal, wood, paper and clay -- are displayed on a rotating schedule.

The museum adheres to Noguchi's vision for how his work should be displayed, including placement of the sculptures and the absense of the labeling adjacent to identify and explain each work. The museum's gift store stocks Noguchi compendiums, and books by other artists sharing his minimialist aesthetic.

Subway Access

Many visitors, as well as museum staff, arrive by subway, then take a mile-long walk through a swath of Long Island City that offers a sampling of New York City life outside Manhattan.

Recent News & Events

When Isamu Met Bucky
In May 2006, the Noguchi Museum in Queens opened an exhibit highlighting the works of sculptor Isamu Noguchi and his good friend Buckminster Fuller.