Museum of the Moving Image is the country’s only museum devoted to moving image media including film, TV and digital media (pop culture on the Internet, video-based art and games), for more than 30 years. Today, the collection comprises more than 130,000 artifacts from every aspect of producing, marketing and exhibiting.
“What you see now at the Museum of Moving Image is a result of our 2011 expansion and renovation,” said Tomoko Kawamoto, the museum’s public information manager. “We built new theaters and created more gallery space.”
The collection also includes significant works of art by such artists as Red Grooms and Nam June Paik. More than 1,400 collection artifacts are currently on display in the museum’s core exhibition, Behind the Screen, and thousands more can be seen on the museum’s online collection database (www.collection.movingimage.us).
“The museum was created as a collaborative effort between the motion picture guilds and unions, back in the ‘80s, as part of the efforts to bring filmmaking back to this neighborhood,” said Kawamoto. It is now part of the Kaufman Arts District, which celebrates the arts in Astoria.
The museum screens more than 400 films each year, and the Pinewood Dialogues, an ongoing series of conversations with film, TV and digital media professionals, draws leading creatives such as Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, Daniel Day-Lewis, Glenn Close, David Mamet and Frank Oz to the museum stage.
Some upcoming events include:
- New York on Location street fair (May 22)
- Mad Max Weekend (May 27-29)
- Arcade Classics: Video Games from the Collection (opens May 21).
The Museum of the Moving Image is a one-of-a-kind attraction for audiences of all ages and interests. Check the museum’s website calendar for the full list of events, movies and exhibits.
Admission: $15 adults; $11 seniors (65+) and students (18+) with ID; $7 youth (3-17). Children under 3, military/veterans and museum members are admitted free. Admission is free on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m. Film screenings have an additional fee.
The Museum of the Moving Image is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and is located at 36-01 35th Ave. in Astoria. The museum is across the street from the Kaufman Astoria Studios; the building was part of the original studio complex, dating back to the 1920s.
Visit www.movingimage.us or call 718-777-6888 for more information.
