The Noguchi Museum in the Long Island City section of Queens was founded in 1985 by sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) to preserve and present his work across sculpture, architectural models, stage designs, drawings, and furniture. Noguchi established the museum in a former photogravure plant and gas station he purchased in 1974, located across the street from the studio where he had worked since 1961, making it the first museum in America founded by a living artist. The roughly 24,000-square-foot building now comprises twelve galleries and underwent a major renovation completed in 2004 that allowed year-round operation.