In the Long Island City section of Queens lies the Noguchi Museum, a testament to the life and work of Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988). The Noguchi Museum, chartered as The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, is a museum and sculpture garden.

Born in Los Angeles, CA, he was the illegitimate son of the Japanese poet Yone Noguchi and the respected American editor and journalist Léonie Gilmour. Growing up in Japan with his mother, he found his artistic calling as an apprentice to a local carpenter. Later, before beginning his career in the United States, he benefited from the mentorship of the sculptor Constantin Brancusi in Paris.

As an acclaimed sculptor, furniture designer, and landscape architect, he experimented with biomorphic forms to create unexpected aesthetic combinations.

In 1974, Noguchi purchased a photogravure plant and gas station across the street from his New York studio, where he had worked and lived since 1961, to house his museum. He designed the repurposed 1920s red brick industrial building in collaboration with Shoji Sadao (1927–2019). They would add an attached concrete pavilion in the 1980s.

Opened to the public on a limited basis in 1985, Noguchi sought to show his life’s work in a context essential to his vision. At the time, it was the first such museum to be established by a living artist in America. Today, the two-story Museum contains approximately 27,000 square feet of exhibition space, including a renowned sculpture garden. The museum and foundation preserve and display Noguchi’s sculptures, architectural models, stage designs, drawings, and furniture designs.

More than just a showcase for his works, the Museum offers a range of programs for children, adults, and families, including hands-on workshops, lectures, community partnerships, and more. One program of note is Project Luz, a free Spanish-language photography class for adults led by artist Sol Aramendi.

Since 2014, the Museum has annually awarded the Isamu Noguchi Award to individuals who share Noguchi’s "spirit of innovation, global consciousness, and East-West exchange." The recipients in 2023 were artist and writer Edmund de Waal, artist Theaster Gates, and novelist and editor Hanya Yanagihara.

The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free on the first Friday of every month. Please note that advance reservations are highly recommended.

Significant financial means are needed to support the Museum’s exhibitions, educational programs, and care of its collection. Your tax-deductible gift will help the Museum continue its mission.

Broadway Stages loves the spirit of partnership, cooperation, and innovation behind the Noguchi Museum. Moreover, we are thrilled to have such a great resource of beauty and introspection right here in our backyard. Everyone should make a point to visit this excellent museum sometime this summer.