Image: Akita Museum of Modern Art
Akita Museum of Modern Art has announced the upcoming opening of '隙あらば猫 町田尚子絵本原画展' ('If There’s a Chance, Cat: Naoko Machida Picture-Book Original Art Exhibition'), a special exhibition scheduled to run from August 8 to October 4, 2026. The museum said its fifth- and sixth-floor exhibition rooms remain closed for installation changes ahead of the show, and advance tickets are already on sale.
The exhibition is centered on the work of picture-book artist and painter Naoko Machida, whose drawings are described by the museum as combining bold compositions with delicate brushwork. According to the exhibition page, Machida’s stories bring together fear and humor, beauty and mystery, and her stated motto, '隙あらば猫,' signals how often cats appear in her books as leading characters or memorable supporting figures.
The museum says the show will present around 300 works and materials, including original picture-book illustrations, rough sketches, and other production documents from Machida’s debut work through her latest publications. Among the titles specifically named are 'ネコヅメのよる', 'なまえのないねこ', and 'ねこはるすばん'. The exhibition will also include a new work created especially for this presentation using Akita as a subject.
The exhibition is being organized by the '隙あらば猫 町田尚子絵本原画展実行委員会', identified on the museum page as Akita Museum of Modern Art and AAB Akita Asahi Broadcasting. The page also lists Seigensha Promotion as planning cooperation and names a long list of local and regional media outlets as supporters. The museum itself is located in Yokote, Akita Prefecture, and the exhibition venue is given as the museum’s fifth-floor exhibition room.
The run is set without any closure days during the exhibition period, and visitor hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last admission at 4:30 p.m. Admission is priced at 1,000 yen for adults, 800 yen for high school and university students, and free for junior high school students and younger. Advance and group rates are listed at 800 yen and 600 yen respectively for adults and students, and several discounts are offered, including a repeat-visitor discount and a coupon discount through the AAB app.
The museum is also advertising related programs during the exhibition period. A signing event for Machida is scheduled for August 23, with three sessions and advance application required. An AAB announcer-led picture-book reading session is set for September 6, while curator talks are planned for August 11 and September 27. The museum is also inviting visitors to contribute cat photographs for a display titled '隙あらばウチの猫(こ)！ 我が家の猫自慢 写真展', to be exhibited inside the museum during the run.
