Museum Concept

The Museum’s Mission and 4 Active Roles

So as to fulfill Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum’s founding aim—“To promote the advance of art for the sake of the city’s residents”—and achieve its fundamental mission established by Tokyo Metropolis, we, the museum’s designated administrator, have implemented a new administrative policy on the occasion of its 2012 grand reopening, as set forth below.
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum aspires to be a “doorway to art.” The Museum, in its new incarnation, aspires to be a “doorway to art,” open to all people for compelling art experiences—a place where children can visit, budding artists can debut their works, and people with disabilities can come to enjoy art without hesitation. The Museum will strive to build an “art community as a place for creativity and coaction,” where people can encounter new values, re-examine themselves, and deepen their bonds with the world. It will seek to be a place where people engage in art as “nourishment for living.” The Museum will strive to become “a haven for enrichment of the heart.”
(Source: 2010 partially amended “Designated Administrator Proposal Document [Business Plan]” of Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture)

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum takes 4 active roles.

  1. 1. To foster interchange among people and generate new values.
  2. 2. To impart vitality to people’s art activities and deepen their appreciation of art.
  3. 3. To respect tradition, give new life to tradition, and enable new fusions.
  4. 4. To offer encounters with art masterpieces from Japan and around the world.

The Museum pursues these roles through 4 programs.

  1. 1. “Exhibition Program”—Special Exhibitions and Thematic Exhibitions offering the joy of viewing and fun of learning.
  2. 2. “Public Entry Exhibition Program”—Collaborating with art groups and sharing the joy of creating.
  3. 3. “Art Communication Program”—Exploring new possibilities through exchange between people, such as by fostering “art communicators” in
    conjunction with Tokyo University of the Arts and holding workshops.
  4. 4. “Amenity Program”—The “Sato Keitaro Memorial Lounge,” Library, a museum shop, restaurants, and other functions adding richness to the enjoyment of museum visits.