The “35th Kurashiki Children’s Friendship Art Exhibition,” featuring works by children studying in special needs classes at elementary and junior high schools and at special needs schools in Kurashiki City, has opened at the Kurashiki City Art Museum.
This exhibition brings together works created by children who value their own sensibilities, cooperate with one another, and apply creativity, ingenuity, and effort.
This article reports on the “35th Kurashiki Children’s Friendship Art Exhibition.”
The information presented was current when this article was published in January 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “35th Kurashiki Children’s Friendship Art Exhibition”?
The Kurashiki Children’s Friendship Art Exhibition is held every year to broaden understanding of and support for special needs education. It marked its 35th edition in 2024.
In 2024, it is being held at the Kurashiki City Art Museum for six days, from Tuesday, January 23, to Sunday, January 28.
Participants include special needs classes and resource rooms at elementary and junior high schools in Kurashiki City, as well as Kurashiki Municipal Kurashiki Special Needs School.
The venue displays works that children have worked hard to create through their daily activities, including art projects such as paintings, Japanese-language projects such as calligraphy and essays, and home economics projects such as clothing and handicrafts.
Exhibition
The first floor displayed works by students in junior high school special needs classes and Kurashiki Municipal Kurashiki Special Needs School. The second floor displayed works by students in elementary school special needs classes and resource rooms (hospital classes).
At the reception desk, there was a box filled with lots of cards. These were also made by children participating in the Kurashiki Children’s Friendship Art Exhibition, and visitors could choose one to take home as a souvenir. I received a welcome card with a beautiful marbled paint pattern.
First-floor exhibition
I began by viewing the exhibition room on the first floor. It features works by children from junior high schools and Kurashiki Special Needs School.
Many of the works by students in junior high school special needs classes were sashiko and woodworking projects. These activities are related to what students learn in the upper secondary department of special needs schools. In junior high school special needs classes, they likely engage in activities that look ahead to their paths after graduation. Every piece was carefully made, and I found myself taking a long look at them.
In the elementary department of Kurashiki Special Needs School, a piece featuring the sheet music for the children’s song “Obento” was displayed above a bento project. I wondered if everyone sang together while making the work, or after it was finished. Looking at the piece, I felt as though I could hear the children’s happy voices.
The middle school department of Kurashiki Special Needs School displayed sacoche bags. They were made for carrying transit IC cards and disability certificates when using public transportation on school outings. Just looking at the many sacoche bags lined up, I could picture the children using them as they walked around town.
Second-floor exhibition
Upstairs, works by children in elementary school special needs classes and hospital classes were on display.
I got the impression that many of the works by children in elementary school special needs classes brought together small pieces made by many children to form one large work.
Children enrolled in special needs classes have a wide range of needs, and many find collaborative work difficult. Even so, they can work on their individual tasks at their own pace, then bring the finished parts together into one work, giving them the experience of having made something together with everyone.
Something they worked so hard to make is displayed at the city art museum, where many people come to see it as “something we made together.” Surely, this will become one of their irreplaceable memories.
Children in hospital classes also displayed works they had made in an outreach workshop by the Ohara Museum of Art.
Perhaps the children, who can rarely leave the hospital, also set off on an imaginary journey using the artwork as their guide. They have painted not only the flowers but also the pond in their own distinctive ways. As they created their works, we could also see their imaginations expanding in many directions—their ideas about flowers, the places where flowers bloom, and more.
From the Writer
Every piece on display throughout the exhibition room was carefully made, and they were all fascinating.
I used to work as a teacher at a special needs school.
Special needs schools often have just one class per grade, and some schools have only one special needs class in the entire school.
Teachers in these settings have fewer people to consult and fewer opportunities to observe other teachers’ lessons than teachers at regular schools.
In that context, I thought this was a wonderful exhibition where works from special needs classes and schools across Kurashiki City are brought together, allowing visitors to learn from the efforts of other schools.
For the children and their parents, too, having their work displayed at Kurashiki City Art Museum, where many members of the public come to see it, must bring great joy and confidence.
The 35th Kurashiki Children’s Friendship Art Exhibition is held through Sunday, January 28, 2024. Why not take this opportunity to see the children’s energetic works?
Articles about Kurashiki City Art Museum
35th Kurashiki Children’s Friendship Art Exhibition Information
| Name | 35th Kurashiki Children’s Friendship Art Exhibition |
|---|---|
| Dates | January 23 (Tuesday)–28 (Sunday), 2023 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Location | 2-6-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | Free |
| Website | Kurashiki City Art Museum: 35th Kurashiki Children’s Friendship Art Exhibition |
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