A recent $4.5 million capital grant from New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs will open the former studio of legendary sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi to the public for the first time, according to The Art Newspaper.

The 3,200-square-foot, 60-year-old warehouse space is located across the street from the eponymous museum in Long Island City, Queens, and served as his private workshop and pied-à-terre for many years following a move from Manhattan’s Greenwich Village in 1961. 

The Museum’s Director, Brett Littman, says it was “the center of his artistic practice in New York for nearly three decades.” The space was eventually retrofitted by Noguchi collaborator Yukio Madokoro to include a living room, sleeping area, and kitchen space separated by concrete blocks and fiberglass Shoji screens. Noguchi used the studio until his death in 1988. 

“We think the Studio can further illuminate how Noguchi lived and worked, and are excited to be able to share this with the public once our project is complete,” Littman shared. The money will be directed toward replacing the structure’s roof and windows as well as repairing its brick facade. Littman said the studio’s living quarters will be restored using original furnishings and that a new café will join the site shortly after reopening.

The museum declined to comment on any further details as design plans are still in the development phase. The funding is part of a larger $220 million push announced by New York Mayor Eric Adams earlier in the month. In a statement, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo said: “These projects are part of the city’s long-term investment in the cultural community of Queens and across all five boroughs.”

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