Visits to the Museum with Sage Ali: Noguchi Museum

For my class, Education and the Aesthetic Experience we were asked to visit a museum and reflect upon our experience. So I decided to write about a recent visit to Noguchi Museum, a museum and sculpture garden in the Long Island City section of Queens, New York City, designed and created by the Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi.

I was able to visit the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City. I went with my toddler and I must say it was a joy. The museum was kid-friendly and it was invigorating to see my daughter explore the structures. I feel like she was able to engage with the museum through a variety of senses and it was relatively friendly to that sense of exploration that toddlers have.

It was not crowded which helped because I was feeling that I would have to be mindful of my toddler and other people's experience. I love museums and it was nice to have this experience in winter with my daughter. I felt calm and surprisingly we were able to walk and explore for an hour. I wasn't able to truly sit with many pieces but I noticed how my daughter like the garden area and the visual textures and the art of seeing sculpture outside of the self . It was a reminder of the importance of exposing my daughter to different environments and how places I once experienced are wildly different years later as a mother. Can't wait to do it again :)

Yes, I said again, you heard right. I do think Noguchi is the kind of museum to see again especially as one the employees pointed out in different seasons. I went to High School in the area and it creates a sense of nostalgia and full circle-ness going back to that area and engaging in artful, cultured experiences locally. It reminds me how beautiful Queens is and how diverse an experience in Queens can be depending on your exposure to certain things.

I made the reservations in advance and the address is 9-01 33rd Road (at Vernon Boulevard) Long Island City, New York 11106. Wednesday to Sunday it is open from 11am until 6pm. We went on a Wednesday at 4pm. It was a nice activity to do transitioning from work/daycare. Like I mentioned, an hour or even 45 minutes is more than enough for a toddler. Now, please keep in mind the sculptures are not meant to be touched. But gratefully we did not get kicked out because people understand toddlers are learning about boundaries and rules.

I enjoyed the exhibit Useless Architecture. However to truly enjoy and sit with the experience I am going to go back solo and reflect on the pieces. Very soon as the exhibit will be leaving in May 2022.

Have you been to a museum lately?