After 38 years of assessing the currents of contemporary Korean art and discovering promising emerging artists, Kumho Museum of Art will close its doors next July.
 
On September 6, the Kumho Cultural Art Foundation, chaired by Seo Jae-hwan, announced, “In order to ensure the sustainable continuation of our support for culture and the arts by focusing and concentrating our business capabilities, we have decided to end our visual arts programs beginning in July 2027.”
 
Established in 1977, the Kumho Cultural Art Foundation opened Kumho Gallery in Gwanhun-dong, Seoul, in 1989 with the aim of contributing to the development of Korea’s art and cultural landscape. In November 1996, marking the gallery’s seventh anniversary, it constructed a new museum building in Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, and relocated and expanded the institution as Kumho Museum of Art.

Since its opening, Kumho Museum of Art has organized and presented a wide range of exhibitions aimed at examining the currents of contemporary art, while also supporting the creative activities of young artists through the Kumho Art Studio in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.
 
Since 2005, the museum has also focused on discovering and supporting promising emerging artists through the annual KUMHO YOUNG ARTIST Competition. To date, 107 artists have participated in the program.
 
The foundation stated that it will ensure the smooth operation of all exhibitions and programs scheduled through the museum’s closure, while making the preservation and management of its collection and archives a top priority.
 
Going forward, the foundation plans to focus its support for the arts on music-related initiatives, including the Kumho Prodigy Concert and the Kumho Instrument Bank.

References

• 금호미술관 (Kumho Museum of Art)
• 중앙일보, 금호미술관 내년 7월 폐관…38년 미술사업 종료, 2026.09.06