The National Museum of Art, Osaka

The Museum

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April 1974

Preparatory office for the National Museum of Art, Osaka (provisional name) established

December 1975

Former Expo Museum of Fine Arts building in Expo ’70 Commemorative Park (Suita City, Osaka Prefecture) transferred for use as the National Museum of Art, Osaka (provisional name)

May 1977

The National Museum of Art, Osaka established under the partially amended Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Education (Act No. 41 of 1977)

October 1977

Opening ceremony held

October–December 1977

Inaugural exhibition Aesthetics in Japanese Art: Form and Colour held

June 1978

828 artworks from the collection of the late Ohashi Kaichi donated by his family

October–December 1987

10th anniversary special exhibition Painting 1977-1987 held

September 1992

Special meeting of the Board of Trustees held to discuss relocation to new building

April 1993

Construction of new building discussed, decision made to relocate to new site in Osaka City

April 1994

Candidate sites for the new building examined, relocation to underground space beneath Osaka Science Museum in Nakanoshima, Osaka City approved

October 1995

Cesar Pelli & Associates Japan (now Pelli Clarke & Partners Japan) selected as architect for basic design of new building

March 1996 Daikin Foundation for Contemporary Arts (now a public interest incorporated foundation) established to support the National Museum of Art, Osaka
March–June 1997 The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition: From the Ohashi Collection held
October 1997 20th anniversary commemorative ceremony held
January 1999 Construction of new building begins
April 2001 Transition to Independent Administrative Institution National Museum of Art completed
January 2004 Closing ceremony for former building held
March 2004 New building ownership transferred and completion ceremony held
July 2004 New building unveiling ceremony held
November 2004 New building opening ceremony, grand opening
November–December 2004 Inaugural exhibition Marcel Duchamp and 20th Century Art held
December 2007 30th anniversary commemorative ceremony held
December 2007–February 2008 The 30th Anniversary: Collection of the National Museum of Art, Osaka held
January–April 2010 5th anniversary of relocation exhibition Garden of Painting: Japanese Art of the 00s held
January–May 2018 40th anniversary exhibition Travelers: Stepping into the Unknown held

Directors

Honma Masayoshi May 1977–July 1981
Ogura Tadao August 1981–March 1986
Miki Tamon April 1986–March 1992
Kimura Shigenobu April 1992–March 1998
Miyajima Hisao April 1998–March 2005
Tatehata Akira April 2005–December 2010
Yamanashi Toshio April 2011–March 2021
Shima Atsuhiko April 2021–present

Director’s Message

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