Joshibi University of Art and Design is a private women's art school in Suginami and Sagamihara in Japan. The mission and aims of Joshibi, developing creative minds, encourages students to contribute to local, national and international societies, female independence and evaluation of social status for female through fine art and design, as well as train and educate qualified art tutors and creative artists. Joshibi is the first fine art institution for female students in Japan and is the oldest private art school.
History
Joshibi was founded on October 30, 1900, as Private Women's School of Fine Arts in Hongo-ku ; female students were not admitted to membership of the Tokyo University of the Arts until 1946. Joshibi founding members include Tamako Yokoi and Bunzo Fujita. Fujita served the first principal, and created school's logo "美". PWSFA was officially oped in April 1901 with 60 students at Yumi-cho. PWSFA suffered from financial difficulties six months after the school opened. Yokoi and Fujita petitioned Shidu Sato. Sato's family owned PWSFA in January 1902, Shidu served the second principal. Yokoi died on January 4, 1903, from stomach cancer. Yumi-cho campus burned down in October 1908. Kikuzaka campus was opened at Kikuzaka-cho in July 1909. Joshibi High School of Art and Design was opened in April 1915, Fujita served as the first school principal. PWSFA was renamed Women's School of Fine Arts in 1919. WSFA was accredited by the Ministry of Education as a vocational college in 1929, renamed Women's Academy of Fine Arts. WAFA moved to Suginami in January 1935 due to increasing enrolment. The Ministry of Education introduced a new university education law in 1949; WAFA was renamed Women's College of Fine Arts. The College of Art and Design relocated to Sagamihara in 1990 due to campus expansion. Master's degree programs started in 1994, and Ph.D. programs started in 1996. WCFA was renamed Joshibi University of Art and Design in 2001. Joshibi Art Museum was opened at Sagamihara campus in 2002. The College of Art and Design underwent restructuring into three departments and 13 majors in April 2010.
Academics
The College of Art and Design offers Bachelors of Fine Arts in three departments with 13 majors:
Suginami Campus: Established in 1935, in Wada, Suginami. The Department of Cross-Disciplinary Art and Design, Graduate School of Art and Design, Junior College of Art and Design, Joshibi High School of Art and Design, University Headquarters, Alumnae Association Head Office are on the Suginami Campus.
Sagamihara Campus: Established in 1990, in Asamizo-dai, Sagamihara. The College of Art and Design, Graduate School of Art and Design are on the Sagamihara Campus.
Joshibi Art Museum on the Sagamihara Campus opened in 2001. The museum's collection more than 15,000 works of art include Okubo Fukuko, Kataoka Tamako, Gokura Kazuko, Tada Minami, Migishi Setsuko. The museum has strong relationship with female artists and focusing on their art. The museum had acquired a part of the former Kanebo Collection in 2009. It's one of the largest textile collections in Japan which covers from the ancient to the contemporary textiles from around the world.
Joshibi Galleria nike is an art gallery re-opened in July 2012, on the Suginami Campus. Galleria nike is a working art gallery where public exhibition, research, teaching and learning intersect. The historical hall is the affiliated hall to Galleria nike introducing history of Joshibi and art works. All the collections are open to the public.
Joshibi Art Gallery in Shanghai is an art gallery opened in November 2012 in Shanghai, China as an art project related to the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. The gallery is affiliated to JAM and the first art gallery established by Japanese art university outside Japan. It introduces art works of Joshibi graduates and lecturers, new artists, teaching and learning intersect.
