Faret Tachikawa Art 30th Anniversary Museum Day 2024 Autumn Event Report
The Faret Tachikawa Art Museum Day 2024 Autumn was held over four days from October 11th to 14th, 2024, in the FARET Tachikawa block at the north exit of Tachikawa Station. This block, which features 109 pieces of public art created by 92 artists from 36 countries around the world, was treated as a museum, and various events were held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the birth of Faret Tachikawa Art.
Special Exhibition
“Faret Tachikawa Art Elementary School Art Appreciation Class” Report Exhibition
The “Faret Tachikawa Art Elementary School Art Appreciation Class” is held as part of art classes at Tachikawa City elementary schools. This time, fifth grade students at Tachikawa City Seventh Elementary School exhibited works created under the theme “If we were to create the 110th piece of art for Faret Tachikawa Art in the town we live in (Nishikicho).”
“Art Brut Tachikawa” Exhibition
This exhibited featured works by Art Brut artists mainly active in Tachikawa, as well as exhibition flyers that gave a sense of the history of Art Brut.
Panel display for Omachi City’s sister city “Northern Alps International Art Festival 2024”
We used panels to introduce the local situation at the Northern Alps International Art Festival 2024, which was held in Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, a sister city of Tachikawa City, from Friday, September 13th to Monday, November 4th (National Holiday).
30th Anniversary Ceremony & Symposium
On the first day of Museum Day, a commemorative ceremony and symposium was held entitled “30 Years of Faret Tachikawa Art”. After greetings from Tetsuo Kawaguchi, Chairman of the Faret Tachikawa Art Management Committee, and Daishi Sakai, Mayor of Tachikawa, a keynote speech was given by Fram Kitagawa, artistic director of Faret Tachikawa Art. In the keynote speech, he spoke about the background to the establishment of Faret Tachikawa Art and the efforts that have been made so far.
Afterwards, a panel discussion was held, with five speakers: Mr. Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto, representative of the Cultural Commons Institute; Mr. Tetsuo Kawaguchi, chairman of the Faret Tachikawa Art Management Committee; Mr. Fram Kitagawa, representative of Art Front Gallery Co., Ltd.; Mr. Daishi Sakai, mayor of Tachikawa City; and Ms. Sachie Matsuzaka, president of the Faret Club. The discussion focused on the maintenance and preservation of the artworks. Panelist also explored topics like addressing the aging of artworks, the significance and role of art in the changing city, how to coexist with the city, and measures to prevent deliberate damage. The panelists discussed the need to consider creating a system for managing the Faret Tachikawa Art as a cultural resource that the world can be proud of.
Art Tour
On the second and third days of Museum Day, the volunteer group “Fare Club” held art tours. On Saturday, October 12th, they held an “Opening Celebration Tour” that took visitors around all 109 artworks, during which they spent three hours carefully appreciating artworks that are not usually on display.
On Sunday, October 13th, a “Select Tour” was offered, focusing on a selection of works from the entire collection, providing an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the art works that are usually part of our everyday lives.
Donkey and the Amazing Festival
The “Donkey and the Amazing Festival” was a collaborative event with Tachikawa Children’s Theatre, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
There was a workshop where participants made flute-like instruments, and in front of the red flower pots, the Tachikawa-based Roba no Ongakuza troupe held an “Autumn Art Concert,” filling the venue with beautiful music.
Afterwards, on San San Road, a parade was held with the Roba Music Troupe, carrying the instruments that the workshop participants had made, and the whole town was filled with music.
Reading Theatre
At the Tachikawa City Women’s Center I’m Hall, Tachikawa Creation Center performed a double feature of reading plays based on the Faret Tachikawa Art.
Professional actors and directors performed the citizen-created scripts “TACHIKYAWA: Between Zero and One” and “Tachikawa Overtourism,” which were developed through a seminar organized by the Tachikawa Theater Project. The resulting play conveyed the appeal of art from a unique perspective.
Here comes another flowerpot that everyone can make together!
An installation workshop was held by artist Masui Nohara of Ishida Warehouse Atelier.
For one day only, “additional flowerpot” was placed beside the existing red flowerpot, and children were allowed to draw their favorite illustrations or stick stickers featuring parts of Faret Tachikawa Art works onto paper to create their own original flowerpot.
Let’s create an art town
The Art Brut Tachikawa Executive Committee, which is active mainly in Tachikawa City, held a workshop to create an original “City of Art.”
They split thin scrap boards into pieces, painted them colorfully, and created their own original towns. It was a workshop that both adults and children were engrossed in.
Sales of 30th anniversary merchandise and diorama display
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Faret Tachikawa Art, we collaborated with Fukunaga Paper Co., Ltd. to create new goods based on popular works and a paper diorama that shows the Faret district at a glance, which were unveiled at the headquarters tent.
The new merchandise will be available at the Tamashin Museum Shop, and there are plans to set up pop-up shops in Tokyo for a limited time in the future.
Details will be announced in due course, so please keep an eye on the official website and social media.
In addition, Mulberry Field BOOK CAFE CARAVAN, a beloved Akishima store, set up a stall where visitors could enjoy art-related books and hand-dripped coffee, and also sold seasonal vegetables from Tachikawa.
The Faret Tachikawa Art Museum Day 2024 Autumn was a great success, with various programs packed with the charm of Faret Tachikawa Art. The next Faret Tachikawa Art Museum Day is scheduled to be held in the spring of next year, so please look forward to it!