An exclusive, invitation-only reception for National Museum Members, Contributing Level and above. For information, please contact Member and Donor Services at 213.830.5646.

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Current National Museum Members are invited to attend a private Members-Only preview of the exhibition before it opens to the public on Sunday, February 5, 2006. The invitation is for a member and one guest and is non-transferable.

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February 5, 2006 through May 14, 2006

Isamu Noguchi - Sculptural Design celebrates the legacy of Isamu Noguchi by integrating more than 75 of his works into a series of dramatic installations by renowned theater designer and artist Robert Wilson. The exhibition includes Noguchi's portrait busts, unique stone sculptures, and set designs for the Martha Graham Dance Company, as well his iconic furniture designs and Akari lamps, all arranged in thematic settings with bold lighting, visually striking tableaux, and evocative sounds.

Isamu Noguchi and Martha Graham shared a respect for aesthetic clarity--organic movements, direct gestures--and their partnership resulted in Noguchi designing twenty-one sets for Graham's company. As one of Graham's principal dancers for over two decades, Yuriko has a degree of knowledge about Noguchi and Graham's collaborative efforts possessed by few others.

Writer, scholar, and educator, Mindy Aloff, and the Noguchi Museum's Curator, Bonnie Rychlak, join the octogenarian dancer-choreographer in an exploration of one of the 20th century's most affecting artistic partnerships.

*Program is free with admission to Isamu Noguchi - Sculptural Design. Advanced reservations highly recommended. For reservations or more information, call 213.625.0414.

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RESCHEDULED!
This program was originally scheduled for February 19, 2006, but was unfortunately postponed. Thankfully, we were able to reschedule with the authors.

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In the book, The Life of Isamu Noguchi: Journey without Borders, Masayo Duus has written what many consider the definitive biography of the influential artist. For this event, she is joined by her husband--historian and translator Peter Duus--in a conversation that sheds light on Noguchi's life, work, and legacy.

*Program is free with admission to Isamu Noguchi - Sculptural Design. Advanced reservations highly recommended. For reservations or more information, call 213.625.0414.

Isamu Noguchi explored California's culture, history, and terrain in two impressive works: To the Issei and California Scenario. The former, located on the plaza at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo, pays homage to the Issei pioneers. The latter, resting between two skyscrapers and a parking structure in Costa Mesa, offers a vivid sculptural portrait of the Golden State.

Learn more about the work and the man who created them in a special guided tour with Amy Lyford, Assistant Professor, Art History, Occidental College and Bert Winther-Tamaki, Associate Professor, Asian American Studies, UC Irvine.

Space is limited, $50 for museum members, $65 for non-members, includes transportation and lunch. Advanced reservations highly recommended. For reservations or more information, call 213.625.0414.

Kids of all ages will model and mold Isamu Noguchi-inspired sculpture with goop, a quick-drying and fun material. Whether they create their own sculptures, playgrounds, landscapes, or furniture to take home with them, kids can explore the Isamu Noguchi - Sculptural Design exhibition and discover how they too can make objects that are both beautiful and functional in design.

Free with admission to Isamu Noguchi - Sculptural Design. Kids under 18 years FREE when accompanied by an adult.

Isamu Noguchi and R. Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller were two pivotal figures in 20th century art and design. Nisei, Shoji Sadao, director emeritus of the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, trustee of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation, and principal of architecture firm Fuller and Sadao, was introduced to Noguchi by Bucky Fuller when he was an architecture student at Cornell University. Founder, and first President, now Chairwoman of the Board of Director of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, Allegra Fuller Snyder, is Bucky's only child. Professor Emerita of Dance and Dance Ethnology at UCLA, she has a unique window on their relationship. Join Sadao and Fuller Snyder as they discuss the legacy of a friendship that continues to influence the nature of art, architecture, and design in this country and beyond. Advanced reservations required. FREE with admission to Isamu Noguchi - Sculptural Design. For reservations or more information, call 213.625.0414.

Bust of Buckminster Fuller
38 x 20.5 x 20.5 cm
Chromium-plated bronze
Loan: Southern Illinois University Museum

Closing of the exhibition Isamu Noguchi - Sculptural Design