Hand-Painted Animations Bring Isamu Noguchi's Unrealized Playgrounds to Life
So, there’s this Montreal studio called Eastend Western, run by Nicolas Ménard and Jack Cunningham, that created five beautifully hand-painted animated films for The Noguchi Museum’s exhibition, ‘Noguchi’s New York,’ celebrating its 40th anniversary. These films showcase Isamu Noguchi’s unrealized playground concepts, including Play Mountain (1933) and Riverside Playground (1961–62), among others. They painted over 1,800 frames by hand and added digital animations for the characters. Curator Kate Wiener chose animation to capture the essence of childhood playfulness. The films have music composed by James Hatley. You'll be able to check out this exhibition from February 4th to September 13th, 2026, in Long Island City, New York, thanks to The Isamu Noguchi Foundation.
Key facts
- Eastend Western created five hand-painted animated films for The Noguchi Museum's 'Noguchi's New York' exhibition.
- The films reinterpret five unrealized playground proposals by Isamu Noguchi, including Play Mountain (1933) and Riverside Playground (1961–62).
- Over 1,800 celluloid frames were hand-painted using vinyl acrylic paint.
- Directors Nicolas Ménard and Jack Cunningham led the project.
- Curator Kate Wiener chose animation over architectural renderings to preserve openness.
- The exhibition marks The Noguchi Museum's 40th anniversary.
- Composer James Hatley created the score.
- The exhibition runs from February 4th to September 13th, 2026, in Long Island City, New York.
Entities
Artists
- Isamu Noguchi
- Nicolas Ménard
- Jack Cunningham
- Kate Wiener
- James Hatley
- Isaac Holland
- Laura N-Tamara
- Laurence Thérien
Institutions
- The Noguchi Museum
- Eastend Western
- The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum
- designboom
Locations
- Montreal
- Canada
- New York City
- United States
- Long Island City
- New York