PEM Curator Tour – Isamu Noguchi: “I am not a designer”

Registration deadline: November 2nd, 1pm ET

Japan Society of Boston Members are invited to take a deeper look at the Peabody Essex Museum’s exhibition, Isamu Noguchi: “I am not a designer”, in a private tour led by curator Ruthie Dibble.

As one of the 20th century’s most critically acclaimed and genre-blurring artists, Noguchi created a remarkable design legacy encompassing sculpture, lighting, furniture, ceramics and designs for public spaces such as gardens, playgrounds and plazas.

Organized by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Isamu Noguchi: "I am not a designer" shines a light on the artist’s limitless creativity and social consciousness. Discover the evolution of Noguchi’s design work, particularly the way he created environments through theatrical set design, furniture and inclusive public spaces — all of which were intentionally designed to improve the way people lived.

Many of his designs remain incredibly popular, such as the celebrated coffee table and Akari light sculptures that you may recognize in stores today. As Noguchi once said, “Everything is sculpture. Any material, any idea without hindrance born into space, I consider sculpture.”

Noguchi also excelled at working collaboratively and forming close relationships with other creative professionals, particularly with modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, American architect R. Buckminster Fuller and Romanian sculptor and painter Constantin Brâncuși. These fruitful creative relationships are also highlighted within the exhibition.

Learn more about Isamu Noguchi: "I am not a designer"here.

Following the tour (10-11am), enjoy connecting with other JSB Members and exchanging thoughts on the exhibition over coffee at PEM’s Atrium Café (beverages for individual purchase).

* This opportunity is open to active JSB Members only. Museum admission and tour are free of charge. Interested in attending but not yet a JSB Member? Become a member today!

About R. Ruthie Dibble, Ph. D., The Robert N. Shapiro Curator of American Decorative Art

In 2023, R. Ruthie Dibble was appointed PEM’s first Robert N. Shapiro Curator of American Decorative Art. Most recently serving as curator at the Chipstone Foundation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dibble specializes in American and British decorative arts from the 18th century to the present. Her curatorial work expands the field of American decorative arts by examining the global circulation of objects, the relationship between craft and identity and the role of craftspeople as agents of social change.

Emphasizing collaboration and community connection, Dibble's curatorial projects empower diverse perspectives and audiences.

At PEM, Dibble oversees one of the country’s preeminent American decorative arts collections, featuring exceptional holdings of furniture, furnishings and works of material culture. She will soon develop an American Decorative Art gallery and exhibition roster, as well as expand new interpretative strategies for PEM’s historic houses.

Dibble received her Ph.D. and M.Phil. in the history of art from Yale University, her M.A. in art history from Williams College and her B.A. in art history from Hamilton College.