"The Kyoto Art Center" is a cultural complex that opened in 2000 as a center of creation and communication for the promotion of the arts in Kyoto City.
Based on the supporting the creative activities of young artists regardless of genre, collecting and disseminating information on arts and culture using a variety of media, and promoting exchange between artists and citizens and between artists, Kyoto City, artists and people involved in the arts work together to organize a wide range of activities, including exhibitions, artist-in-residence programmes, stage performances, and public-participatory events.
The Kyoto Art Centre building is housed in the Meilin Elementary School building, which closed in 1993 after 124 years of history. The Meilin School District has long flourished as a kimono wholesaler, where potters and painters lived and where interest in culture and enthusiasm for education was high.After using the school building as the venue for the Arts Festival Kyoto in 1995, it was positioned as a base for the promotion of arts and culture in Kyoto, and is still used as a place of creation, learning and relaxation for many people today, against the backdrop of its long history.
The present building was renovated in 1931, when the wooden school building was replaced by a then state-of-the-art reinforced concrete structure. The building itself has highlights in terms of its coloring and decoration, such as the reddish cream external walls, the orange of the Spanish-style roof tiles and the greenish-blue of the gutters, and was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2008.
"The Kyoto Art Centre" is a place where you can encounter a wide range of creation, from traditional arts to works by emerging artists and architecture. The library, information corner and café are also available for use, so feel free to drop by.
Address | 546-2, Yamabushiyama-cho, Takoyakushi-sagaru, Muromachi-dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto |
Tel | 075-213-1000 |
Access from the nearest station | ・From JR Kyoto Station, transfer to the Subway Karasuma Line and get off at Shijo Station. 5 minutes walk from Exit 22 or 24. ・Take the Hankyu Kyoto Line to Karasuma Station and get off at Shijo Station. 5 minutes walk from Exit 22 or 24. ・Transfer from Sanjo Station on the Keihan Main Line to the Tozai Subway Line and get off at Karasuma-Oike Station. 10-minute walk from Exit 4. ・Take Kyoto City Bus No. 3, No. 5, No. 201, No. 203, No. 207, etc. and get off at Shijo-Karasuma Station. 5 minutes walk. |
Opening Hours | Gallery/Library/Information Corner 10:00-20:00 Café: 10:00 - 20:00 Production Room / Office: 10:00-22:00 |
Closed | December 28-January 4 *The library may be closed temporarily for facility inspections, etc. *Library is closed on other days. |
Admission | Free (some events charged) |
Facilities | Bicycle parking, elevator, Braille information board wheelchair ramp, wheelchair-accessible restroom, wheelchair rental, diaper changing table |
Note | No parking is available. Please use public transportation. Guide dogs, service dogs, and hearing dogs are allowed to enter the museum. |
Official Website |