Kyoto Kinugasa Art Residence for Community (KKARC), a non-profit international art residency program run by NPO ANWEAL GALLERY, welcomes artists, writers, curators, researchers, and educators worldwide. The KKARC program is founded on the principles of personal exploration, professional development, co-living, and collaboration. Located in the Kinugasa district of Kyoto, a city where the spirit of thousand years of tradition, culture, and abundant nature has remained firmly intact, the KKARC program focuses on projects exploring the interplay of history, nature, and urban environment with the local craftspeople and artisans, as well as the local residents in this quiet and picturesque atmosphere.

The Kinugasa district covers the southern foot of Kinugasa mountain and is surrounded by the UNESCO world heritage sites such as Kinkaku-ji temple, Ryoan-ji temple, and Ninna-ji temple. Cited in classical waka poetry from the Heian period, the Kinugasa neighborhood was known as a village of artists, especially Nihonga (Japanese-style) painters. This atmosphere has lent inspiration and passion to local artists and craftspeople. The Kinugasa area has also developed as a site for educational research institutions led by Ritsumeikan University. Taking in old and new diverse perspectives, the KKARC program supports the resident artist to develop projects by enabling meaningful connections in this environment.