Unveiling Ceremony for 'Living Together' Disability Art in Shin-Yokohama: Creating Employment through the First Introduction of an Art Lease System [Kanagawa]

Consumers' Co-operative Pal System Kanagawa (Headquarters: Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama; Chairperson: Junko Fujita) held an unveiling ceremony for its first disability art exhibition, 'Pal Art,' on Thursday, March 26, at its Shin-Yokohama headquarters, with approximately 50 participants. The artworks will be rotated every three months through lease agreements, creating opportunities to encounter works by various artists and building continuous relationships with support organizations.

### Interacting with Artists through Rotations
The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Kanagawa Prefectural Welfare, Child, and Future Bureau, artists' support organizations, and officers and staff of Pal System Kanagawa. Yosuke Sakai and Kazuo Asakura from the Recruitment and Training Department introduced the background of 'Pal Art,' which was started with advice from the prefecture as part of activities to realize Pal System Kanagawa's 2030 vision: 'A community where everyone is recognized and lives together.'

'Pal Art' is a system for exhibiting art pieces being introduced for the first time at the Shin-Yokohama headquarters. Future implementations have been decided for the Miyamae, Asao, and Yokohama Kita centers, with the ultimate goal of installing exhibitions in all 13 centers. Artworks will be leased annually from local support organizations and rotated approximately every three months.

The lease fees are funded by disability employment adjustment funds. These are grants provided because Pal System Kanagawa has 21 disabled staff members, exceeding the statutory employment rate. Moving forward, these funds will be used to introduce art to visitors at various offices in the prefecture, creating a mechanism for the further success of people with disabilities.

Adjustment funds will also be used during the rotation of pieces to commission the work to the support organizations contracted at each site. Interviews and exchanges to introduce artists and their works are also planned during these rotations, aiming for a new system where individuals who find it difficult to maintain regular employment at a facility due to the nature of their disabilities can still be active.

### Promoting a Coexistence Society through Cooperation among Administration, Co-ops, and the Community
Chairperson Fujita stated, 'I am happy to create opportunities to encounter art created with such rich sensitivity. The prefecture advocates the "Kanagawa Charter for a Society Living Together," which shares the same values as our 2030 vision. Together with diverse stakeholders such as the administration and community organizations, let us prepare for artists to participate in society with peace of mind, and interact to realize a heart-rich life by being energized by beautiful lines and colors.'

Tomonobu Ono, Manager for Coexistence at the Coexistence Promotion Headquarters Office of the Welfare, Child, and Future Bureau, commented, 'I pay my respects to the creation of employment opportunities for people with disabilities by the Consumers' Co-operative. I recognize some pieces here from the "Kanagawa Tomoiki Art Exhibition" hosted by the prefecture, and I feel their power once again. Today, the 26th, is the monthly anniversary of the incident at Tsukui Yamayuri-en in July 2016. As we approach the 10th anniversary, we must ensure the incident is not forgotten and promote understanding and social participation for people with disabilities.'