Photo: Katherine Abbott. ©INFGM / ARS
Professional Development Programs
As an artist who refused traditional boundaries, Isamu Noguchi’s life and art uniquely connect to a myriad of topics that are relevant to school curriculum. Noguchi was a biracial artist born in California, who lived and traveled extensively all over the world. Through a lifetime of artistic experimentation, he created sculptures, furniture, lighting, gardens, architecture, ceramics, and set design. Programs focus on building critical and creative thinking skills, academic connections, and developing empathy through art. To book a program specifically designed for your group, please email education@noguchi.org or call 718.204.7088 ext 203.
The cost for a Teacher Workshop for up to 20 teachers is as follows:
Half Day (3 hours): $400
Full Day (6 hours): $600
Resources
Curriculum Guides
Self-Interned: 1942 (grades 5–12)
After the bombing at Pearl Harbor in 1941, Isamu Noguchi realized he was not just an artist and American, but he was also Nisei, a Japanese American. This guide focuses on teaching students about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II through Noguchi’s art and writing.
Mining Art: Basalt, Granite, Marble (grades K–5)
Isamu Noguchi searched for stones all over the world, and wrote “The beauty of a particular stone can only been seen when found.” This guide focuses on identifying and classifying the qualities of a stone, and discussing how Noguchi included elements of a stone’s composition in his art.
What is Sculpture? (grades 3–12)
What is a definition of sculpture? Can a lamp be a sculpture? Or a garden? Noguchi wrote, “Call it sculpture when it moves you so.” This guide focuses on how Noguchi broadened the definition of sculpture through his art.
Akari Light Sculpture (grades K–12)
In postwar Japan, Isamu Noguchi created the Akari light sculpture project, which was inspired by traditional Japanese paper lanterns and combined Eastern and Western influences. This guide focuses on the history of Akari, their construction, and how they’ve been received by the public. The guide is a companion to the Akari in Schools program.
The Noguchi Museum Teacher Think Tank
In the spirit of Isamu Noguchi’s commitment to collaboration and experimentation, The Noguchi Museum invited classroom and museum educators to participate in the Teacher Think Tank. The cohort met five times during the school year to collectively discuss and research topics related to school and museum education.
In 2017-19 year, the Think Tank explored the questions: How are collaborations most successful? How do individuals play different roles within a collaboration? The group decided to collaborate on a book collecting their most successful tips and tricks for the art and museum educator.
In 2016-2017, the Think Tank examined the role of themes in the classroom and museum. Through their experiments, they investigated how themes are chosen, when they’re most beneficial, and when a non-thematic approach could be appropriate. View a short report of their work.
In 2015-2016, the Think Tank experimented with non-verbal communication in their teaching. Through these experiments, they discovered vulnerabilities, cultural assumptions, and tools for effective instruction and classroom management. View a short report of their work.
In 2014-2015, the Think Tank focused on the following questions: What have you always wanted to try in your teaching practice? What does it mean to experiment? When is a risk worth taking? View a compilation of their experiments.
For the 2013-2014 year, the Think Tank explored the questions: What kind of philosophical questions do students pose and address with a work of art? When does inquiry with art become philosophical inquiry?
During the 2012-2013 school year, the Think Tank wondered, “What does success look like for a school tour at an art museum?” View a report sharing advice for teachers and museum educators.