Izumi Art Gush was held

Izumi City in Osaka Prefecture has developed as a commuter town due to its convenient access—about a 40-minute train ride from central Osaka—and has recently evolved into a "tokainaka" (a blend of urban and rural) city that combines the best of both urban environments and suburban living.
The venue is Izumi City Plaza. It is accessible from Izumi-Chuo Station via the pedestrian deck.

The art tour held on the day. We walked around looking at the art guided by producer Atsushi Yamamoto (right).
The artwork is "Travelers from the museum," which is based on motifs such as Hiroshige's "The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido." The creator is Yuta Kitamado (left).

"Senshu Oki Isana no Namiura" painted on the wall of Izumi City Plaza is based on Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa." The artist is Manabu Nakagawa.

The city is home to the Izumi City Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art, which boasts a collection of approximately 11,000 items, including one of Japan's leading Ukiyo-e collections. In 2016, the "Izumi-Kuboso Museum Town Concept" centered around the museum was formulated, aiming to create a high-quality space where the museum and the city harmoniously blend together.

In such a city of Izumi, the opening ceremony for "Izumi Art Gush" was held on March 21st. "Art Gush" is an event organized by Izumi City and the Izumi-Kuboso Museum Consortium, in which contemporary creators reinterpret about 30 items from the collection of the Kuboso Memorial Museum, and display these rewritten works around the museum.
The rewritten works are diverse and varied, ranging from ukiyo-e prints such as Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" and Toshusai Sharaku's "Ichii Genzo by Bandō Mitsugorō II," to Western paintings such as Monet's "Water Lilies" and Van Gogh's "Woman with a Spinning Wheel," as well as crafts such as the "Bronze Coiled Dragon Vessel with Cover" and the National Treasure "Celadon Vase with Phoenix Handles, Known as 'Mansei'."
True to the word "gush," which means to well up or overflow, it became an event where art overflowed into the city.

Also depicted in the first-floor lobby is "Catnap Dream" by Nana Takahashi. The motifs are surprisingly ancient art pieces such as the "Bronze cauldron with dragon design and lid."

On display is an area within a two-kilometer radius around the art museum, including Izumi-Chuo Station on the Semboku Rapid Railway, which is the nearest station, and the Izumi City Plaza, a cultural and community complex designed by us and opened in 2003.

On the west wall is Togaku-san's "Princess Kuzu-no-ha." Based on Hiroshige's "Ogura Imitation Hundred Poets: Chunagon Kanesuke," it is accompanied by calligraphy by calligrapher Taijun Nagayama. Everyone burst into laughter at the unique banter between the two creators.

Akira Fujiwara, Deputy Mayor of Izumi City, explained: "Since the completion of Izumi City Plaza, the entire area around the station has seen an increase in population as a sub-center, and commercial facilities have also become well-developed. We started 'Art Gush' to increase both visitors and permanent residents." In fact, Mr. Fujiwara also served as the first director of Izumi City Plaza.

"For me personally, City Plaza is a building that I have been deeply involved with since the planning and design stages. Not only during the design phase, but also during construction, we held workshops with citizens and artists to figure out how to incorporate art into the facility. Furthermore, some of the works were created with the participation of local citizens. Looking back with deep emotion, he noted that after nearly 20 years, these efforts have borne fruit, creating connections between art, the city, and people."

Additionally, initiatives themed around "Gush" are not limited to art; for example, everyone cleans the surrounding area in "Cleaning Gush," and activities aimed at improving the town of Izumi are underway.

On the “underside” of Manabino Bridge leading toward St. Andrew's University, there is "The Tale of the Takiyasha Witch? Is It MAD? Everybody Assemble?!" by MAD BARBARIANS. This is a cute rewrite of Utagawa Kuniyoshi's "Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre."

This event, which began with the production of the rewritten works in February and was unveiled on March 21, features permanently displayed rewritten works so you can experience art at any time. In addition, information about the original collection items is displayed next to each work, allowing you to enjoy the art twice as much.
Anyone interested, please come to Izumi City!