[Musashino Art University] Delivering the Experience of Encountering Authentic Art to Children Nationwide. Launching a Crowdfunding Campaign for the 'Tabisuru Musabi Project' Towards Our 100th Anniversary!

We are seeking support from today, July 3, 2026 (Fri), until August 30, 2026 (Sun).

Details here: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/952071/view

Musashino Art University (Location: Kodaira City, Tokyo / President: Yuwa Kabayama) will launch a crowdfunding campaign as part of its 100th-anniversary initiatives, aiming to deliver the power of art and design more broadly to society as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2029.

Through this crowdfunding campaign, the university will lead multiple projects in the areas of education, research, and social collaboration for the future. Among these, our unique initiative connecting communities and art, the 'Tabisuru Musabi Project' (Tabi Musabi), has been a beloved activity by many, and we are now seeking broad support through crowdfunding.

What is the 'Tabisuru Musabi Project'?

It is an extracurricular activity where Musashino Art University students bring their own artworks to elementary and junior high schools and communities nationwide to conduct interactive appreciation sessions, blackboard takeovers, workshops, and public art creation.

It began in 2008, sparked by a request from a junior high school art teacher, who is also an alumnus of our university, to "show students authentic artworks." This led to students bringing their works to schools for appreciation classes.

Since then, Tabi Musabi has gone beyond simply "showing" artworks; it has created spaces for students, children, teachers, and community members to feel, think, and interact together. The emphasis is not on students lecturing, but on feeling, thinking, and conversing with the children in front of the artwork.

Since its inception in 2008, Tabi Musabi has been implemented over 590 times in 25 prefectures and overseas over 17 years, and received the Good Design Award in 2017.

Background of the Project Launch

With a decrease in full-time art teachers, the increasing workload in schools, and the absence of museums in some regions, opportunities for children to encounter authentic artworks and express their feelings are becoming fewer than before.

Tabi Musabi has continued as an activity to deliver students' own artworks and spaces for dialogue to such schools and communities.

However, Tabi Musabi is an activity that relies on the voluntary planning and operation of students. Until now, it has been operated through a combination of student self-funding, university subsidies, and support from local governments and corporations.

In recent years, it has become difficult to secure sufficient and continuous funding.

In particular, student transportation costs are a significant burden, leading some students to give up participating due to financial reasons. Even with good project ideas, it is difficult to sustain and expand them, and we cannot fully respond to all requests from various regions.

We are challenging ourselves with crowdfunding to continue this activity nationwide and deliver it to more children in the future. We sincerely ask for your warm support.

Crowdfunding Project Overview

Title

[Musashino Art University] Authentic Art Experiences Nationwide. 'Tabisuru Musabi Project'

Fundraising Goal

3 million yen

Use of Funds

Subsidies for student transportation and accommodation costs associated with activities nationwide, artwork transportation, material costs, and other project operational expenses.

Fundraising Period

July 3, 2026 (Fri) 10:00 AM – August 30, 2026 (Sun)

Project URL

https://camp-fire.jp/projects/952071/view

Platform

CAMPFIRE

Method

All-in method *A method where all funds raised are received regardless of whether the target amount is met.

Gifts

20 courses available, ranging from 3,000 yen to 500,000 yen.

Includes 'MAU Mini Sketchbook,' 'Online Activity Report Meeting,' 'Thank You Message,' 'Blackboard Jack Supporter,' etc.

Message from the President

President Yuwa Kabayama

We sincerely thank you for your continued warm understanding and support of our university's educational and research activities.

The Tabisuru Musabi Project is a practical field where students visit communities and create new value through dialogue with people. It allows people to feel the power of art up close, while also providing students with an opportunity for significant growth.

We kindly request your support through crowdfunding for this project to deliver the charm and potential of art to more communities.

Your warm cooperation will be a great force in supporting student learning and expanding the circle of creativity nationwide.

About Musashino Art University

Symbol Mark and Concept Word for Musashino Art University's 100th Anniversary Project

Musashino Art University, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2029, has its roots in the "Imperial Art School" founded in 1929. With the educational philosophy of "training artists with broad cultural understanding" and "art education that achieves true human freedom," we have fostered specialists in various fields of design with broad cultural knowledge and humanity, contributing to the creation and development of culture and social contribution.

Our university comprises two faculties, the Faculty of Art and Design and the Faculty of Design and Graduate Studies, with 12 departments covering the breadth of art and design, from painting and sculpture to design, architecture, film, arts and cultural studies, and social innovation. The Graduate School includes the Graduate School of Art and Design and the Graduate School of Design and Graduate Studies. We also have a correspondence course with over 70 years of history. As a leading art and design university in Japan, we have produced over 77,000 graduates who have contributed to society.

The ability to pose questions without a single correct answer, explore them, and express solutions, acquired through creative activities, is precisely what is most needed in today's era. Our graduates are active as specialists in various fields of design, such as artists, designers, architects, and filmmakers. Furthermore, their creativity and communication skills are highly valued, leading many to be employed by leading companies in Japan and around the world, where they play important roles.

Musashino Art University Website

Contact for Inquiries Regarding This Matter

Musashino Art University Collaboration and Co-creation Team

social@musabi.ac.jp