A Collection in Three Acts

March 7 – May 10, 2026

The Art Museum & Library, Ota presents its first ever collection exhibition.

INFORMATION

Exhibition title: A Collection in Three Acts
Venue: Art Museum & Library, Ota
Schedule: March 7 (Sat) – May 10 (Sun), 2026
Closed: Mondays (open on May 4), March 24, April 28, May 7
Hours: 10:00-18:00 (last entry 17:30)
Admission: Free

Organizers: Ota City, Ota City Culture & Sports Promotion Foundation
Cooperation: Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office, Yoko Ando Design, Izumi Okayasu Lighting Design Office, AFFORDANCE inc.

Exhibition Outline

Since opening nine years ago, the Art Museum & Library, Ota has been collecting and retaining artworks and other resources created in or otherwise related to the region. It does not have a permanent exhibition room, and now showcases the works in its collection in the museum’s first ever collection exhibition.
The idea was to approach the exhibition with a focus on three processes – or “acts”: The creative process of each work, the process of bringing the works together according to the museum’s policy, and the process of publicly exhibiting them within the museum’s environment. This is why the spotlight here is not only on the works themselves, but also on the museum’s architecture as an environment that affects the viewing experience, as well as elements such as textiles, lighting and signage. The exhibition further includes related items borrowed from other institutions, to help visitors gain a better understanding of the works in the collection.

Featured Artists

Setsuya Nakamura
Western-style painter. Born 1905 in Oura-gun, Gunma Prefecture, died 1991. Under the guidance of Matsujiro Sone, a graduate of the Tokyo Fine Arts School’s drawing instructor course and his teacher at the old-style junior high school in Maebashi, he entered the Tokyo Fine Arts School’s Western Painting department in 1924, where he studied under Saburosuke Okada and others. Based in Takasaki, Nakamura mainly presented his works at the Dokuritsu exhibition from 1932 onward, while at once also being involved in art education, and devoting himself to the promotion of culture and art in Gunma Prefecture as chairman of the Gunma-Ken Bijutsu Kai (Gunma Prefectural Art Association) since 1977.

Shokansai Iizuka
Bamboo artist. Born 1919 in Tokyo, died 2004. Initially aspiring to become a Western-style painter, after studying under Takeji Fujishima at the Tokyo Fine Arts School, he continued to study bamboo art under his father Rokansai. He was first chosen for the Nitten exhibition in 1947, and for the Nitten Tokusen (special selection) in 1954. In 1974, he was selected for the 21st Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition, and won the Minister of Education Award. After moving to Ota City in 1981, he spent the rest of his life working at his atelier at the foot of Mt. Kanayama. Iizuka was designated as a Living National Treasure in the realm of bamboo art in 1982. His real name was Shigetoshi.

Jo Shoda
Painter. Born 1928 in Watauchi-mura in Nitta-gun (today Ota City), Gunma Prefecture, died 2016. Studied under his uncle Jiro Shoda, as well as Tentaro Fukuda, Tadayoshi Matsumoto and Kaoru Yamaguchi. His participation in the 6th Gunma Modern Art Exhibition in 1964 marked a stylistic change toward depicting humans, insects, animals, etc. in unique shapes and materials. In 1993, he was appointed chairman of the Gunma-Ken Bijutsu Kyokai (Gunma Prefectural Art Association), and received a prize for cultural service that was awarded to citizens of Ota in 2005.

KIKI
Model, photographer. Graduated from the Architecture department at the College of Art and Design, Musashino Art University. Presented photographs from the “Prisma” series in a solo exhibition, and showed other works in the “KIKI photo essay exhibition: Nichijo ha fumoto ni oite (Daily life at the foot of the mountain)” (Minami Alps Ashiyasu Alpen Museum, 2020). She has a regular column “memento of lens” in “Leica Style Magazine”, and contributes book reviews for the monthly arts and literature magazine “Shosetsu Gento”. Publications include the photo essay collection “Utsukushii yama wo tabi shite” (“Traveling in the beautiful mountains”) (2014), “LOVE ARCHITECTURE KIKI” (2004) and others.

Taisuke Fujiwara
Painter. Born 1988 in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, presently lives in Yamagata. Completed studies at the graduate school of the Western Painting department, Tohoku University of Art and Design. In his work, he carefully observes streets and towns, and collects various motifs that he rearranges in minutely crafted paintings highlighting the respective place’s unique character. Among several other awards, he was selected for the Triennial Competition in Toyohashi for the 8th Hoshino Shingo Prize, and won the FACE 2015 Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Art Award.

Featured Works

1. Setsuya Nakamura, Pelicans, 1934

2. Jo Shoda, drawing for the picture book Makkakka na musume ga mado kara nozoiteiru (“A　bright red girl looks out of the window”), 1973
From the collection of the Ota City Nitta Library


3. Shokansai Iizuka, title and year unknown	4. Shokansai Iizuka, K Jozo (“Portrait of K”), 1942

5. KIKI, Machikado no neko (“Cat in the streets”), 2016

6. Taisuke Fujiwara, Otashigai-zu (“Overview of Ota City”), 2017

Items 1, 3-6 are from the collection of the Art Museum & Library, Ota

Related Events

1. Taisuke Fujiwara Workshop “The town seen from a drone” (deadline for applications: 4/5)
Taisuke Fujiwara, an artist who has been depicting in various townscapes from a bird’s-eye perspective, uses a drone in his work to actually observe sceneries from above. This workshop will give participants an opportunity to share this part of the creative process.
[Please note that program details may be changed according to the weather]

Schedule: April 26 (Sun), 13:30-16:00 (reception desk opens at 13:00)
Instructor: Taisuke Fujiwara (artist featured in the exhibition)
Venue: Exhibition room, area around the museum, audiovisual hall
Target group: Anyone (children below elementary school age must be accompanied by at least one adult), limited to 15 participants.
Participation: Free

2. Museum & Café Collaboration Workshop “See, Make, Eat” (deadline for applications: 3/8)
After seeing the exhibition, participants make original sweets inspired by works from the collection at the café.
Schedule: March 22 (Sun), 13:30-16:00 (reception desk opens at 13:00)
Instructors: Coffee & Th!ngs Oh! and the museum’s curator in charge
Venue: Exhibition room, event space, café
Target group: Anyone (children below elementary school age must be accompanied by at least one adult), limited to 20 participants.
Participation: 500 yen

<Reference image>

Cafe Special Menu for Nam Ham Da Ham ‘Kaiki! Haisetsutoshi’, 2023

3. Museum & Library Collaboration Workshop “See, Read, Make” (deadline for applications: 3/28)
After browsing through the riddle picture book “Makkakka na musume ga mado kara nozoiteiru” (“A　bright red girl looks out of the window”), participants make their own snow globes (but filled with stars instead of snow) onto which they write their answers to the riddles.
Schedule: April 18 (Sat), 14:00-16:00 (reception desk opens at 13:30)
Instructors: Library staff and the museum’s curator in charge
Venue: Exhibition room, event space
Target group: Anyone above elementary school age (lower grade elementary students must be accompanied by at least one adult), limited to 20 participants.
Participation: 500 yen

4. “Museum for Babies” (deadline for applications: 3/21)
This slow, guided tour around artworks will be a perfect opportunity for your baby’s museum debut!
Schedule: April 11 (Sat), 13:30-14:30 (reception desk opens at 13:00)
Venue: Exhibition room
Target group: Infants (aged 3-12 months) and their parents, limited to 5 families of 1 child + 2 parents.
Participation: Free

5. “Art Walk, Museum & Library edition” (deadline for applications: 3/29)
Participants make a tour around all parts of the museum and the library. Adults and children are welcome!
Schedule: April 12 (Sun), 13:30-14:30 (reception desk opens at 13:00)
Instructor: The museum’s curator in charge
Venue: Exhibition room, other places in the museum
Target group: Anyone (children below elementary school age must be accompanied by at least one adult), limited to 15 participants.
Participation: Free

For events 1-5:
Please use registration form on the museum’s website to sign up for an event.
All events are carried out in Japanese only.
Please sign up by filling out the respective form(s) below.
In case registrations exceed capacity, participants for the respective event will be determined by lottery and notified of the result.

1. Click here for the registration form for the Taisuke Fujiwara Workshop “The town seen from drones” (Japanese only)
2. Click here for the registration form for the Museum & Café Collaboration Workshop “See, Make, Eat” (Japanese only)
3. Click here for the registration form for the Museum & Library Collaboration Workshop “See, Read, Make” (Japanese only)
4. Click here for the registration form for “Museum for Babies” (Japanese only)
5. Click here for the registration form for “Art Walk, Museum & Library edition” (Japanese only)

After signing up for an event, you will receive a confirmation of your participation by email from the museum. Please set your device to receive emails from “artmuseumlibraryota.jp”.

– Photographs or videos of events may be used for PR purposes for the exhibition or the museum in general, or posted on social media during the event period. Please contact the staff if you do not wish to be filmed during your visit.
– Events may be canceled, or details may be changed according to the circumstances. Please check the museum’s website or social media for up-to-date information.

Catalogue

An official exhibition catalogue will be published at some point during the exhibition period.