Exhibition Overview
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Shimane Art Museum, Iwami, this exhibition is organized under the theme of the “Iwami Art Museum” itself. Opened in 2005—after the wave of museum construction that began around 1980 had subsided—the Iwami Art Museum is a relatively new prefectural art museum.
As the second prefectural art museum in Shimane Prefecture, it has developed a distinctive collection based on acquisition policies that differ from those of the Shimane Art Museum. These policies focus on works by artists connected to Mori Ōgai, art related to the Iwami region, and fashion, resulting in a unique and characteristic collection.
Through approximately 80 carefully selected works from the museum’s collection, as well as archival materials that trace the history leading up to its opening, this exhibition looks back on the 20-year journey of the Iwami Art Museum as a regional public art museum established later than many of its counterparts.
Exhibition Highlights
Highlights ① From Paintings and Sculpture to Fashion:A Comprehensive Showcase of the Museum’s Collection
he museum’s collection spans an exceptionally wide range of genres, from painting and sculpture to fashion works. Organized into chapters based on the museum’s three acquisition policies, this exhibition aims to present works from as many genres as possible. Visitors are thus offered a rare opportunity to view the rich diversity of the Iwami Art Museum’s collection all at once.
Highlights ② A Rare Opportunity to See Numerous Works by World‑Renowned Designers
Rare works by renowned designers who have created famous brands that continue to lead the world of fashion today will be brought together in one place. Highlights include Evening Dress by Gabrielle Chanel, Dress by Jeanne Lanvin, and “18th‑Century Style” Evening Dress by Vivienne Westwood.
Highlights ③ Large‑Scale Model of Grandtoit
A new model of Grandtoit, specially loaned for this exhibition, is on display. The model was created for the exhibition “Architect Hiroshi Naito: Red Demon and Blue Demon’s Out‑of‑the‑Ring Battle in Shibuya,” held at Shibuya Stream Hall.
Exhibition Structure
Chapter 1: The Birth of the Iwami Art Museum
The Iwami Art Museum’s collection, which now comprises approximately 3,000 works, began in fiscal year 1999. This chapter introduces four works acquired at the outset of the museum’s collecting activities: Black Obi by Saburōsuke Okada, Woman in a Blue Dress by Tsuguharu Fujita, Portrait of a Woman by Seiji Tōgō, and The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove and the Four White‑Haired Elders of Mount Shang by Miyabi Takayama Dōzan Okano.
Chapter 2: Mori Ōgai and His Circle
Mori Ōgai, who was born in Tsuwano, pursued his career as a novelist and a military physician while also contributing to the establishment of various systems related to the arts. In this chapter, works collected in accordance with the museum’s acquisition policy of “artworks by artists associated with Mori Ōgai” are presented, together with an introduction to the relationships between these artists and Ōgai.
Chapter 3: Preserving the Treasures of Iwami
One of the reasons the establishment of the Iwami Art Museum was called for was the concern that objects and works associated with the Iwami region were being lost beyond the region, due to the absence of a prefectural institution dedicated to the preservation and study of cultural properties and works of art. Through collections related to Iwami that have been acquired in accordance with the museum’s acquisition policy of “Art of Iwami,” this chapter reexamines the history of the Iwami region.
Chapter 4: Bringing Fashion into the Museum
This chapter presents works from the museum’s collection classified under its “Fashion” acquisition policy, and offers an overview of how the Iwami Art Museum has approached and collected fashion as a subject of art.
Chapter 5: Toward the Future of Iwami
By presenting works acquired in recent years—particularly those brought into the collection through the museum’s exhibition activities—together with the circumstances of their acquisition, this chapter examines the current position of the Iwami Art Museum as a center for artistic and cultural activity that creates and disseminates new forms of art and culture in collaboration with the local community in western Shimane Prefecture.
*All works reproduced are from the collection of the Shimane Art Museum, Iwami.
Exhibition Period / Closed Days / Admission
Exhibition Period: Dec 20, 2025 – Feb 23, 2026
Opening Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Last admission 5:30 p.m.)
Closed: Tuesdays; December 28, 2025 – January 3, 2026
Venue: Gallery D
Admission fee
Adults 800(650) yen, University Student 500(400) yen, Free for High School Student and younger
*Prices in parentheses indicate group discounts (available to 20 or more people).
* International visitors are eligible for a 50-percent discount when presenting a valid passport or residence card.
*You can also view the concurrent collection exhibition
Advance tickets now on sale
Shimachike tickets available here ⇒ “Shimachike”
A free Shimachike Members Web account is required to complete your application.
Related programs of the exhibition
Gallery Talk: Exhibition Overview Presented by a Museum Curator
Date & Time: December 20, 2025 (Sat.) and February 21, 2026 (Sun.), 2:00–3:00 p.m.
Venue: In front of the entrance to Gallery D
No registration required. Free admission with a valid exhibition ticket or museum passport.
Museum Passport Members Exclusive Program
As a thank-you to Museum Passport members who attend this exhibition, we will present an original item produced for previous special exhibitions.
*Available while supplies last.
For the Press
Press Release
Press Release→（PDF）
Special Exhibition Flyer
★Flyer→Flyer Front Flyer Back
Exhibition Catalog & Related Merchandise
We will let you know as soon as it’s ready.
[Organizer] [Special Cooperation][Support]
[Organizers]
Iwami Art Museum, Cultural Foundation of Shimane Prefecture, Nihonkai Telecasting Co., Ltd.,
[Special Cooperation]
Naito Architects & Associates
[Support]
Council for Engaging with Arts and Culture