Loewe Foundation And The Tokuma Memorial Cultural Foundation For Animation Announce Three Year Sponsorship
Continuing its mission to support and celebrate craft in its many forms, LOEWE FOUNDATION will sponsor the Tokuma Memorial Cultural Foundation for Animation in a collaboration that gives three years of financial support to maintain the cultural activities at the GHIBLI MUSEUM, MITAKA.
Opened in October 2001 on the southwest side of Inokashira Park, the GHIBLI MUSEUM is both a cultural space and relaxing recreational facility, featuring a park and green areas that underline connection with nature as a main feature of Studio Ghibli. The building itself symbolises the world of Studio Ghibli’s works conceived by Director Hayao Miyazaki and functions as a hub to maintain and share the excellence of animation work. The building’s colourful exterior and interior walls have been given a rounded plaster finish by the hands of many artisans, while the stained glass windows feature Ghibli characters. There is a warmth to the ambiance that comes from a deep appreciation of the work of craftspeople. Hayao Miyazaki wanted to build a museum that would embrace people’s ability ‘to feel’ to the fullest extent: a warmth that is truly human. On permanent display are depictions of how animation films are made, as well as what the creators see and feel when they are creating a film.
Craft is at the heart of LOEWE and Studio Ghibli, both committed to promoting the warmth created through handwork: be it a luxury leather object or animated films composed of tens of thousands of hand-drawn pictures. This shared value has led to an ongoing collaboration that is both natural and mutually enriching.
The funds from LOEWE FOUNDATION will be used to support the museum operations, including the continuation of the museum’s exhibitions and cultural activities. President of LOEWE FOUNDATION Sheila Loewe says, ‘We are very proud to support the Ghibli Museum, one of Japan’s most beloved creative institutions. Studio Ghibli and LOEWE have many shared values, from a longstanding commitment to craft, to an enduring love of nature. We look forward to becoming a part of their story, helping to spread the unique charm of the Ghibli Museum around the world.’ Ghibli Museum’s Managing Director Kazuki Anzai says ‘We are delighted to see LOEWE, a maison with craftsmanship at the core of its identity, and Ghibli Museum, who communicates the warmth of handcraft through animating thousands of drawings, come together.’’
Connecting and collaborating in the name of craft and the handmade, LOEWE FOUNDATION and TOKUMA FOUNDATION foster and promote deeply humanistic values that are a vessel of knowledge and soulfulness much needed in the world of today, and tomorrow.
About Studio Ghibli and Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animated film directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, and has produced twenty-four feature-length films. Most Studio Ghibli films ranked number one at the box office in Japan in the year in which they were released. The Studio’s SPIRITED AWAY (2001), HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE (2004) and PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997) are among Japan’s top 10 grossing films. Studio Ghibli films have garnered numerous awards and critical acclaim from film critics and animation specialists around the world. SPIRITED AWAY was awarded the Golden Bear as the Best Feature Film at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival and won the 2002 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature Film. THE WIND RISES (2013), THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA (2013), WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE (2014) and THE RED TURTLE (2016) have earned the studio four consecutive nominations for the Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature Film. The studio’s latest film, EARWIG AND THE WITCH, was an official selection for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival.
In October 2001, Studio Ghibli created the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka. The museum is an extremely unique building designed by Hayao Miyazaki, where visitors can not only appreciate paintings on display, but also enjoy and experience the space itself, making them feel more enriched when they leave.
About LOEWE FOUNDATION
The LOEWE FOUNDATION was established as a private cultural foundation in 1988 by Enrique Loewe, a fourth-generation member of LOEWE’s founding family. Today, under the direction of his daughter Sheila Loewe, the Foundation continues to promote creativity, organise educational programs and protect cultural heritage in the fields of poetry, dance, photography, design and craft. The Foundation was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts by the Spanish government in 2002.