The Noguchi Museum’s Teen Advisory Board [TAB] is a paid internship for high school students. Each year, TAB interns plan projects that promote dialogue and inclusivity at the Museum. 

This year, TAB members explored representation and inclusion in arts institutions and learned about Isamu Noguchi’s biracial identity as a lens to examine their personal identities. They connected with Noguchi’s desire to share his personal perspective through the creation of the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, at a time when he saw himself as a “lone wolf” in the art world. 

The Teen Advisory Board’s performance, To Heal is to Fight, is inspired by this story. The title suggests the fight for representation by people of color within art institutions. To celebrate diversity, TAB members wear outfits in different colors during the performance and the text “To Heal is to Fight” is printed in languages other than English that students identify with. The series of meditative movements represent a search for peace and healing inspired by the garden of the Noguchi Museum.