Japan Print Association Traveling Exhibition Niigata (2023)

　Minamiuonuma

About six months after the Shibetsu traveling exhibition, it was held from June 4th to July 9th, 2023 at the Ikeda Memorial Museum of Art in Urasa, Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture. Thanks to the efforts of director Masaaki Onuma, we were able to invite the Ikeda Memorial Museum to hold a traveling exhibition for the first time. In addition, we would like to thank Mr. Onuma, who previously worked as a traveling exhibition clerk, for his cooperation in everything from preparation to the event. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again.

There are two major differences between the Minami Uonuma traveling exhibition and the previous Shibetsu exhibition. One is that it's my first traveling exhibition, so it's hard to imagine how it will be held. Director Ryoichi Takahashi, who supported the idea of holding a touring exhibition of unexplored areas, must have had concerns as well. Therefore, this time we held a meeting in Ueno, Tokyo, and visited the Ikeda Memorial Museum of Art for more detailed coordination and discussions. Thanks to that, I think we were able to hold the Minami Uonuma traveling exhibition with a sense of peace and security.

　The second project is to simultaneously exhibit the award-winning works of the 22nd Hanga Koshien in 2022. This competition, held in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, is where high school students from all over the country compete in their printmaking skills, and has been exhibited simultaneously at the Japan Print Association Print Exhibition. Although the locations are far apart, I think that bringing together the young talents of high school students in the same space, both in Niigata, is an important initiative for both Niigata and the print association, with an eye on the future. As a result, a total of 101 works were exhibited at the Minami Uonuma Traveling Exhibition, including 87 works and 14 works that won Hanga Koshien awards. (Total 105 pieces including works from later workshops)

　During my stay in Minamiuonuma, the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Takao Kobayashi, and the Director of the Board, Mr. Kaoru Ueno, were in charge of overseeing the exhibition venue and giving gallery talks, and I was in charge of the workshop.

　The workshop on June 4th was aimed at children and was titled ``Let's all make a big piece of art by using nature as a print'', and we used the frottage technique to create collaborative works. I believe this is probably the first time that a workshop for children has been held at the Japan Print Association Traveling Exhibition. This was born out of a coincidence between Director Takahashi's efforts at the museum and my direction for the touring exhibition. Director Takahashi places great importance on collaboration between school education and art museums, and the children who participated in this workshop were approached by local after-school clubs and high schools, and about 10 children participated, including some who dropped by.

　Frottage is a technique that is used as a teaching material in schools and involves copying the unevenness of a material onto paper using a pencil, charcoal, crayon, etc. The materials used to make the prints are man-made objects such as the walls and floors inside the Ikeda Memorial Museum of Art, as well as natural objects such as grass and trees in the park outside the museum. The paper used was Japanese paper such as Ganpi paper, and the drawing tools included crayons, pastels, coupies, colored pencils, and pens.

In the introduction, we provided a reference-level explanation of the mechanism and plates of printmaking, and in frottage, we taught students how to copy shapes and patterns by using uneven surfaces around us as plates. Then, each child worked on frottage at their own discretion, with some children searching for materials outside with tools and others taking photos of the walls and floors of museums. Teachers and parents were also involved in the work.

　The next step was to paste the Japanese paper obtained through frottage onto a large wooden panel. Sirius watercolor paper is pre-filled with water on the wooden panel, then glue dissolved in water is spread with a roller and washi paper is pasted on top of it. The main feature of this workshop is that even if you layer the washi paper on top of each other, the colors and shapes underneath will not be hidden. It took advantage of the thinness of Ganpi paper, and thanks to this, the children were able to paste the washi paper onto the panel without hesitation. The more they were pasted, the more complex their shapes and colors became, and the more gorgeous they became. It is an expression that surprised even the surrealists.

　Thus, I continued pasting them one after another, and at the final stage, I pasted in washi paper with the names of the children who were the creators written on it, and the four pieces were successfully completed. This workshop was a great success, with all the children expressing their enjoyment of frottage in their questionnaires.

The works of this workshop were displayed on the entire wall at the entrance in front of the temporary exhibition room, the first room of the traveling exhibition, along with the titles given by each child. As a result, the exhibition venue has expanded to include elementary school students, high school students, and members. The works from this workshop will also be on special display at another special exhibition after the touring exhibition.

　The outcome of this workshop was not only to encourage children to take up printmaking. It will serve as research material for Professor Takeyoshi Matsumoto of Joetsu University of Education, who attended the workshop, and in some cases, it will serve as inspiration for adults and teachers who view the research and papers, and as a result, it may even be used to feed back into the education of children. Furthermore, on the way, the Superintendent of the Minami Uonuma City Board of Education took time out of his busy schedule to attend a workshop and experienced frottage and pasting together with the children. The president and everyone else were very surprised by this sudden visit from the superintendent. After the workshop ended and the children went home, the space became quiet and I felt a refreshing sense of unity between the traveling exhibition staff, the Ikeda Memorial Museum of Art, and Minamiuonuma City in their efforts to educate children. We hope that this will become the next traveling exhibition.

Afterwards, in the gallery talk, Mr. Takao Kobayashi, who also experienced the workshop, Mr. Masaaki Onuma volunteered under the direction of Mr. Ueno, and Mr. Teruo Isomi and Mr. Harumi Sonoyama, who visited from afar. Also participated. In particular, Mr. Ueno has deep ties to Minamiuonuma City, and there were some interesting things to see, such as his memories with his father, Makoto Ueno, who moved to Muikamachi, Minamiuonuma City after the war, and his interpretation of the poems emanating from his works. Painters, sculptors, and print collectors living in Niigata attended the event and listened intently to what the teachers had to say. The social gathering that followed was a great success with everyone attending. Niigata's rice and sake were exceptional. This is how my big job in 2022 as a traveling exhibition clerk has come to an end.

　As this traveling exhibition was held for the first time, we were able to obtain many results during our stay in Minamiuonuma, including the following.

　・We have received the intention to hold a traveling exhibition every other year at the Ikeda Memorial Museum of Art. Due to the museum's schedule, this will take place in two to three years.

　・We gained a connection between the Japan Print Association and the superintendent of the Minamiuonuma City Board of Education. I think this will have a great deal to do with the continuation of the traveling exhibition, as well as interaction and development with the local community.

　・We had a meeting regarding the holding of a traveling exhibition at the Suzaka Print Art Museum. A curator from the Suzaka Print Art Museum in Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture visited us. Through the introduction of member Yuko Iwakiri, I was able to contact the curator in advance, and since it was in a neighboring prefecture, I was able to visit the Ikeda Memorial Museum of Art. The Suzaka Print Art Museum is said to be undergoing renovation work, so the touring exhibition will not be held until 1 to 2 years later. I look forward to future progress.

　・We realized a joint exhibition of Hanga Koshien works, a workshop for children, and an exhibition of completed works.