Three Principles at the Heart of Arts Maebashi
The museum’s activities are guided by three key concepts: “Being Creative,” “Sharing with Everyone,” and “Being Dialogical.”
Arts Maebashi is not simply a place where visitors view artworks. It aims to create opportunities for people to meet people, people to encounter art, and people to connect with their local community.
Through conversation and participation, the museum encourages visitors and artists to discover new ideas and perspectives together.
A Diverse Collection of Contemporary Art
The museum’s collection includes a wide variety of works connected with Maebashi and the surrounding region, including paintings, photography, video, sculpture, and installations.
These works are presented in exhibitions organized around different themes, offering visitors opportunities to discover both local artistic history and contemporary creative expression.
Artist-in-Residence Programs
Arts Maebashi also invites artists from Japan and overseas to stay and work in Maebashi through its artist-in-residence programs.
By giving artists an opportunity to live and create in the city, the program encourages creative exchanges between artists and local residents and helps connect Maebashi with the wider international art community.
Participatory Programs and Art Through Dialogue
One of the distinctive features of Arts Maebashi is its emphasis on participation and dialogue.
The museum regularly organizes exhibition-related talks, workshops, educational programs, performances, and other events. These activities are designed for a wide range of ages, from children to adults.
Rather than presenting art as something distant or difficult to understand, the museum encourages visitors to experience it as part of everyday life.
Architecture and Innovative Interior Design
The building housing Arts Maebashi was originally completed in 1987 as the former Seiyu Livin Maebashi department store.
The renovation was designed by Toshihiro Mizutani Architectural Design Office. White perforated metal panels were added over the existing exterior walls, transforming the appearance of the former commercial building into a light and contemporary architectural landmark.
Transforming a Former Department Store into a Museum
The interior was also extensively redesigned. The original escalators were removed and replaced with an open atrium, helping transform a building originally designed with relatively low ceilings into a more spacious exhibition environment.
Seven galleries are arranged across the first basement and ground floors. Each gallery has a different scale and atmosphere, allowing exhibitions to be presented in a variety of ways.
The museum is also designed with accessibility in mind, with elevators, ramps, and accessible multipurpose restrooms available for visitors.
Museum Shop, Café, and Art in the City
MINA Museum Shop and ROBSON COFFEE
The museum includes the museum shop “mina” and the popular café “ROBSON COFFEE.”
Both can be enjoyed even without an exhibition ticket, making them convenient places to stop while exploring central Maebashi.
Visitors can relax over a cup of coffee after viewing an exhibition or browse carefully selected art and design goods at the museum shop.
Discovering Art While Walking Through Maebashi
Long-term installations and artworks can also be found both inside and around the museum.
This makes it possible to combine a visit to Arts Maebashi with a walk through the city center and discover art as part of the urban landscape.
Exploring the surrounding streets alongside the museum provides a deeper sense of Maebashi’s contemporary culture and creative atmosphere.
International Recognition for Architecture and Design
Since opening, Arts Maebashi has received recognition through a number of architecture and design awards.
Its achievements include the Good Design Award and the iF Design Award Gold, along with recognition in areas such as lighting and signage design.
The museum has attracted attention for demonstrating how an existing everyday commercial space can be transformed into an engaging contemporary public cultural facility.
A Cultural Highlight in Central Maebashi
Arts Maebashi offers much more than an opportunity to view contemporary artworks. Through exhibitions, architecture, workshops, performances, and artist programs, it creates a place where art and everyday community life can meet.
For travelers exploring Maebashi, the museum provides an opportunity to discover a different side of the city—one shaped by contemporary art, architecture, creativity, and local cultural exchange.
Combine a visit with a walk through central Maebashi, enjoy a coffee at the museum café, and take time to discover how contemporary art is becoming part of the city’s everyday landscape.