Kurashiki City Art Museum is a 10-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station.
Known for its imposing building, Kurashiki City Art Museum forms a cultural facilities zone in Kurashiki City together with Kurashiki Central Library and Kurashiki Museum of Natural History.
Kurashiki City has many cultural facilities, but what kind of facility is Kurashiki City Art Museum?
We spoke with the museum about its concept, activities, and collection.
Photography may be prohibited inside Kurashiki City Art Museum, depending on the works on display. Please check with a staff member for details.
The information presented was current when this article was published in March 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Kurashiki City Art Museum
Kurashiki City Art Museum opened in 1983.
It is a municipal art museum created by repurposing the former Kurashiki City Office building.
The relocation of Kurashiki City Office and a donation of artworks led to the museum's opening
The building was completed in 1960.
It was designed by architect Kenzo Tange, known in Japan as “Tange of the World.”
It was used as Kurashiki City Office for 20 years, but later a move to the current City Office building was decided.
Kurashiki City began considering ways to reuse the building after the move.
Around the same time, Japanese-style painter Ikeda Yoson, who was born in Kurashiki City, donated around 500 of his works to the city.
The city began considering opening an art museum in the former City Office building, in part to care for Ikeda Yoson's works.
To repurpose the building as an art museum, it was renovated by architect Shizutaro Urabe, who was also from Kurashiki City.
Kurashiki City Art Museum opened on November 3, 1983.
At the time, it was called the “Kurashiki Municipal Exhibition Art Museum.”
It was renamed “Kurashiki City Art Museum” four years after opening, in 1987.
Kurashiki City Art Museum's activities go beyond holding exhibitions
Kurashiki City Art Museum's activities can be broadly divided into three areas.
- Exhibitions
- Education and outreach
- Rental spaces
▼The first is exhibitions.
- Special exhibitions
- Collection exhibitions
When you hear “museum activities,” holding exhibitions may be what comes to mind most readily.
In addition to its own special exhibitions, Kurashiki City Art Museum holds exhibitions jointly organized with others, such as the “Kurashiki Art Exhibition” and the “Kurashiki Children's Art Exhibition.”
▼The second is education and outreach.
- Events related to exhibitions
- Art appreciation lectures
- Practical art courses
- University partnerships
Visitors can learn more about artworks and study art.
For example, the practical art courses run in six-month terms and offer classes in watercolor painting, Japanese-style painting, plaster drawing, lithography, and copperplate engraving.
There are courses for beginners, as well as intermediate lithography and copperplate engraving courses for those with experience.
▼The third is the rental of spaces.
- Exhibition rooms
- Auditorium
- Meeting rooms
Anyone can rent them, and many residents use them as venues for presentations.
The spaces can be used in a variety of ways: exhibition rooms for displaying artworks, the auditorium for piano recitals, and meeting rooms for study presentations.
Kurashiki City Art Museum's collection, centered on artists with ties to the region
One distinctive feature of Kurashiki City Art Museum is the size of its collection.
It houses an impressive collection of more than 11,000 artworks and materials.
The collection is centered on works by artists with ties to the region.
The museum cares for a wide-ranging collection of Japanese-style paintings, Western-style paintings, drawings, sculptures, and crafts, and sometimes restores them as well.
Here are some of the works in Kurashiki City Art Museum's collection.
Ikeda Yoson, “Song of the Forest”
“Song of the Forest,” one of Ikeda Yoson's signature works, was also what prompted the opening of Kurashiki City Art Museum.
It is also featured in the Kurashiki City Art Museum leaflet.
Ikeda Yoson worked as a Japanese-style painter.
Japanese-style painting may seem refined and formal, but Ikeda Yoson's works have a playful quality.
“Song of the Forest” is especially approachable, with a charming, picture-book-like quality that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
Ikeda Yoson, “Phantasm of Myojin Reef”
Another work by Ikeda Yoson worth introducing is “Phantasm of Myojin Reef.”
It is said that he painted it after seeing news of an underwater volcano erupting and letting his imagination run wild.
Around the erupting mountain are airplanes, mermaids, seahorses, and more.
Rather than depicting the devastation of an eruption, the work is characterized by its pop, playful style.
Looking at Ikeda Yoson's works, one can imagine that rather than painting in a traditional Japanese style, he was an artist who constantly pursued new forms of expression in Japanese-style painting.
He received the Order of Culture in 1987 and was one of Japan's leading painters.
Inaba Shunsei, “Peonies”
While the museum has works like those painted by Ikeda Yoson, Kurashiki City Art Museum also houses many traditional Japanese-style paintings.
One example is “Peonies” by Inaba Shunsei.
Even amid the painting's soft colors, the peonies' vivid hues draw the eye.
“Peonies” is said to be one of the favorite works of Takushi Sakata, director of Kurashiki City Art Museum.
Works in the collection can be viewed at “Collection Exhibitions” (held irregularly)
If you are interested in Kurashiki City Art Museum's collection, we recommend visiting a collection exhibition, held at irregular intervals.
Kurashiki City Art Museum does not have a permanent exhibition gallery, so its collection is not always on view.
Consider visiting Kurashiki City Art Museum when a collection exhibition is being held.
On the day of our visit, the “Collection Exhibition: Focusing on Newly Acquired Works” was on display.
Although the three works introduced above were not on view, we saw 50 works, including others by Ikeda Yoson.
It gave us a renewed appreciation of the collection's breadth.
“Kurashiki Children's Art Exhibition,” with every elementary and junior high school in Kurashiki City taking part
On the day of our visit, the “Kurashiki Children's Art Exhibition,” one of the museum's education and outreach activities, was also being held.
The 2022 edition marked its 37th year.
Although the students were in different grades, every elementary and junior high school in Kurashiki City took part.
The sight of students' works lined up throughout the exhibition space was impressive.
Director Sakata, who has continued to watch children’s work, seems to feel that “the standard of the works is rising every year.”
Of course, the building itself is also an attraction
The building itself is one of the attractions of Kurashiki City Art Museum.
In 2020, it was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan.
Step into the entrance, and a spacious, imposing interior opens up before you.
Looking up from beneath the stairs toward the entrance to the second-floor exhibition rooms, you can appreciate the distinctive design characteristic of Tange architecture.
Director Sakata says, “I want to carefully preserve the building that Mr. Tange left behind.”
Kurashiki City Art Museum offers many different ways to enjoy it.
What thoughts guide the staff in running the museum?
We spoke with Takashi Sakata, director of Kurashiki City Art Museum, and curator Sugino Fumika.
Kurashiki City Art Museum Information
| Name | Kurashiki City Art Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-6-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-425-6034 |
| Parking | None |
| Opening hours | 9:00 a.m.–5:15 p.m. (last admission: 4:45 p.m.) |
| Closed | Monday ・If Monday is a public holiday, the museum is closed the following day ・Closed during the year-end and New Year holidays ・May also close temporarily on other occasions |
| Admission (tax included) | 【Individual】 Adults: 210 yen University and high school students: 100 yen Junior high and elementary school students: 50 yen 【Groups】 Adults: 150 yen University and high school students: 70 yen Junior high and elementary school students: 30 yen The following visitors may view the collection exhibition free of charge: ・Elementary and junior high school students from Kurashiki City who present an Ikiiki Passport or student ID ・Elementary school students who present a Takahashi River Basin Passport (except on weekdays) ・Elementary and junior high school students from Kurashiki City schools visiting under the guidance of a teacher (including the accompanying teacher) ・Visitors aged 65 or older ・Visitors with disabilities and one accompanying person (upon presentation of a Physical Disability Certificate, Rehabilitation Certificate, or Mental Disability Health and Welfare Certificate) ※Admission fees for special exhibitions are set separately |
| Payment methods |
|
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilets, accessible toilets |
| Accessibility | Accessible toilets, elevator |
| Website | Kurashiki City Art Museum |
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