On Saturday, December 14, 2024, a workshop titled “Let’s Go to Ohara: A Thoughtful, Unhurried Dialogue with Art Through Sketching for Adults” will be held at the Ohara Museum of Art.
This edition of Let’s Go to Ohara is said to be a workshop where you can sketch while looking at artworks and enjoy dialogue-based viewing.
I enjoy visiting art museums, but when I hear about a museum workshop, I sometimes hesitate to take part, wondering, “Will I have to critique or create an artwork?”
Curious about what it involved, I interviewed the organizers about Let’s Go to Ohara.
The information provided was current when this article was published in December 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Overview of “Let’s Go to Ohara: A Thoughtful, Unhurried Dialogue with Art for Adults”
“Let’s Go to Ohara” has mainly been associated with events for preschoolers and elementary school students. However, this workshop is open to adults aged 18 and over.
The format also seems different from usual: participants look at a painting and sketch, “experiencing what they feel and notice anew”.
The approximately two-hour program will proceed as follows:
- Dialogue-based viewing
Participants gather in front of an artwork and talk about what is depicted - Sketching
Choose one artwork from Gallery 2 in the Main Building and try sketching it!
Applications are accepted only through the web form on the special event page, and the application deadline is Saturday, December 7, 2024.
Please note that walk-ins will not be accepted on the day of the event.
For details such as the participation fee, see the image below.
We asked Shizuka Teramoto of the Ohara Art Foundation, the public interest incorporated foundation that plans and runs “Let’s Go to Ohara,” how the event came about.
How the adult edition of “Let’s Go to Ohara” came about
Could you tell us how the adult edition of “Let’s Go to Ohara” came about?
Teramoto (hereafter, Teramoto)
The Ohara Museum of Art regularly welcomes elementary school groups through its school program and has held the “Children’s Art Museum” for children every summer.
The Children’s Art Museum is a large-scale event. It was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to resume. Even before the pandemic, we wanted to hold smaller workshops more frequently, so we launched “Let’s Go to Ohara” in 2016.
The aim was to “create opportunities for participants to become familiar with art and art museums, develop their imaginations, and express themselves.” At first, the workshops were held irregularly.
Recently, however, they have been held every month.
Why was this workshop, which was mainly for elementary school students, aimed at adults this time?
Teramoto
The Ohara Museum of Art’s workshops have generally been open to adults as well. However, it seems that adults still found it difficult to participate. So I thought, “Why not have a workshop just for adults?”
We first added “for adults” to the event title, and this time we chose the program “Dialogue with Art Through Sketching.”
Some visitors would like to sketch inside the museum. However, as a rule, we do not allow sketching inside the galleries.
If there are people looking for an opportunity to sketch, I wanted to offer them the chance to sketch in front of paintings in the museum.
A special time after closing, with no one there except the participants.
I think being able to sketch in the galleries after closing, with the museum to yourselves, is a rare opportunity, so that is another way this event differs from those we have held before.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Teramoto
Since this is a sketching workshop, the materials will be pencils or colored pencils.
Everyone is welcome, whether you find drawing difficult but would like to try, or want to take a closer look at the artworks.
There will be no instructor, and participants will not critique one another’s sketches.
I hope you enjoy a conversation between yourself and the artwork in the quiet, private space.
From the Writer
“Let’s Go to Ohara” grew out of a variety of ideas. Among its programs, “Dialogue with Art Through Thoughtful, Unhurried Sketching for Adults” looks set to offer an atmosphere different from previous events.
The application deadline is Saturday, December 7, 2024.
This event invites you to value what you feel within yourself through sketching. There are so many things you can understand by experiencing them for yourself and engaging your whole body.
I thought the idea of “not critiquing one another, but simply enjoying a dialogue between yourself and the artwork” was wonderful.
If you are interested in sketching at an art museum, why not take part?
Articles about the Ohara Museum of Art
Let’s Go to Ohara: Data for “Take Your Time, Sketch, and Engage with Art,” for Adults
| Name | Let’s Go to Ohara: Take Your Time, Sketch, and Engage with Art, for Adults |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, December 14, 2024 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Location | 1-1-15 Chuo, Kurashiki City |
| Participation fee (tax included) | Advance reservations required. *Minimum of 5 participants Ages 18 and over Participation fee: ¥3,000 【What to bring】 Drawing paper, sketchbook *Please bring any other tools you need for sketching. 【Tools you may use】 Pencils, colored pencils, kneaded eraser, eraser, pencil sharpener, portable easel, drawing board, binder *Please inquire about tools not listed. 【Tools available to borrow at the museum】 Drawing boards (accommodate up to shikishi size), binders, folding chairs *Advance application required. *No sketching instruction or critique provided |
| Website | Ohara Museum of Art (Main Building, Room 2) |
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