Among the Bikan Historical Area in Kurashiki, the Ohara Museum of Art stands out with its Western architecture.
At the Ohara Museum of Art, a Evening Tour is held where visitors can enjoy viewing artworks while touring the main building with a special guide after the museum closes.
In this article, I will report on my experience participating in the Evening Tour at the Ohara Museum of Art, where I requested a sign language interpreter due to my hearing impairment.
Evening Tour at the Ohara Museum of Art
The Ohara Museum of Art offers a reservation-only "Evening Tour" where visitors can appreciate artworks with a special guide after the museum closes.
The tour lasts for 90 minutes, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM.
It is designed for groups of about 20 people, allowing participants to tour the main building and appreciate the artworks together with the special guide.
Flow of the Day
In December, when I visited, the closing time was 3:00 PM, so the tour started at 4:30 PM and lasted for 90 minutes. (From December to February, it is possible to start from 3:00 PM)
The tour goes through the exhibition rooms starting from the first floor of the main building. As I have a hearing impairment, I was concerned about whether I could enjoy the Evening Tour, which is conducted only through audio, just like the other hearing participants.
Therefore, I had a sign language interpreter accompany me on this tour.
In Kurashiki City, there is a communication support system that dispatches sign language interpreters to facilitate smooth communication for those with hearing, speech, or language impairments.
My participation in this Evening Tour was arranged to provide sign language interpretation from the perspective of promoting social participation.
Special Commentary Full of Treasure Stories Related to the Collection
The Ohara Museum of Art opened in 1930 as Japan's first Western art museum in Kurashiki.
Many of the Western paintings currently displayed at the Ohara Museum of Art, such as Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" and El Greco's "The Annunciation," were directly purchased from artists in Europe by the painter Kojima Torajiro, who is from Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture.
"Water Lilies" is a work that Kojima Torajiro directly purchased from Monet himself. "The Annunciation" was a piece that he managed to acquire from a gallery in Paris where it had been lying dormant.
While visiting a museum individually, one can read the artworks and their explanatory texts, but knowing behind-the-scenes stories like the purchasing episodes is a unique pleasure of the Evening Tour.
Perspectives on Appreciation that Expand Through Dialogue
Additionally, the Ohara Museum of Art is a museum that proposes dialogue-based appreciation.
During this Evening Tour, since it is conducted in groups, participants were seen casually asking questions and sharing impressions with each other.
The most exciting moment was
the question, "If you could receive one artwork from this exhibition room as a gift, which one would you choose?"
Participants selected artworks based on their own perspectives, saying things like, "This one might be too big," or "I like this color scheme."
While art appreciation can sometimes seem a bit difficult, "which artwork do you like?" is a question anyone can ponder.
In future art appreciation, I would like to think about the pieces I would want to display in my home or gift to someone special while enjoying the experience.
Everyone's My Museum
As can be seen from the episode of Kojima Torajiro, the Ohara Museum of Art always values "supporting artists of the time and collecting contemporary works."
Currently, in preparation for the 100th anniversary of its opening in 2030, the museum is active under the slogan "Everyone's My Museum."
In particular, they are working to ensure that the next generation of children can feel familiar with art by engaging in activities like "finding their favorite paintings" and holding outreach classes for children in hospital schools.
In January 2024, the "35th Kurashiki Kids Friendship Art Exhibition" was held, showcasing works created during outreach classes at the Kurashiki City Art Museum. I also viewed the exhibition, and the children's work titled "Water Lilies" left a strong impression on me.
The children's expressions of "Water Lilies," created with their own imagined colors and shapes, were unique to each child, richly reflecting their individual sensitivity.
During this Evening Tour, it was explained that the "Water Lilies" in the Ohara Museum of Art allows viewers to imagine the scenery reflected in the water and on the water's surface.
The children likely expressed their own interpretations after receiving explanations about the artworks. I thought it was wonderful to see efforts to support the children who will shape the future.
Enjoying the Tour Just Like Hearing Participants Thanks to Sign Language Interpretation
The Evening Tour at the Ohara Museum of Art was filled with treasure stories about the museum's history and the backgrounds of the artworks that one would not know just by viewing the pieces. When visiting special exhibitions at museums, there are sometimes audio guides available.
However, as I have a hearing impairment, I cannot hear the content of audio guides. Therefore, I was unaware of what the explanations in art appreciation were like.
When participating in this Evening Tour, I also struggled with whether it was appropriate to request a sign language interpreter for my own enjoyment, but actually participating with an interpreter greatly deepened my understanding and provided a wonderful experience.
In the future, if there are events I would like to participate in, I want to explore ways to enjoy them while checking the available systems without giving up from the start.
Conclusion
After finishing the Evening Tour that began at dusk and stepping outside, I returned to the quiet beauty of the Bikan Historical Area, with my breath visible in the cold winter air.
Still, having touched beautiful art and experienced the energetic treasure stories of the artworks, my heart felt warm.
I expressed my gratitude multiple times to the special guide and the sign language interpreter as I left the Ohara Museum of Art.
I encourage you to experience the Evening Tour at the Ohara Museum of Art, which can help you love art appreciation even more.
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Data for Ohara Museum of Art Evening Tour
| Name | Ohara Museum of Art Evening Tour |
|---|---|
| Date | Weekdays: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM (90 minutes) *From December to February, consultations available after 3:00 PM (by the 15th of the month prior to the tour month) 【Application Deadline】 By the 15th of the month prior to the tour month |
| Location | 1-1-15 Chuo, Kurashiki City |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | Minimum requirement: 90,000 yen (4,500 yen per person for 20 people) |
| Website | Ohara Museum of Art |
