Korea International School's annual fine arts week

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Sat, September 23, 2017 | 09:09

Education

Korea International School's annual fine arts week

Posted : 2017-07-12 16:38

Updated : 2017-07-12 17:39

By Sarah Se-jung Oh

We are surrounded by inspirations every day, whether on the next page of the book we open or the person just around the corner. These inspirations drive us to pursue our passions, to strive when challenges block our way.

Korea International School (KIS) Pangyo campus students tackled the idea of inspirations as it held its annual Fine Arts Week from April 10 to 13. Focusing on the theme of "inspiration" this year, students were given the opportunity to celebrate the arts.

KIS faculty of various subjects including English, math, physics, and design thinking collaborated to provide activities for students, enabling them to showcase their talents through the arts. Over 500 students participated during the week across elementary, middle, and high school, whether it was engaging in an outdoor clay workshop, drawing courtyard chalk murals, or preparing for an art show.

Throughout the week, there were multiple collaborations among disparate subjects in each of the schools. For elementary students, they focused on the intersections of math and arts by using radial symmetry and tessellations. This interdisciplinary approach to learning interested numerous students because of the creativity that was involved.

Elementary art teacher Mrs. Bycraft said "after discussing things art and math have in common, students learned how beautiful math can be." Likewise, one second grade student expressed her joy for learning as she went out of class saying "this is the best math day ever!"

There were also other activities that were a combination of subjects. For the physics class, students created a kinetic sculpture wherein they applied concepts of simple harmonic motion to creating a pendulum. SoVin Park, an 11th grade student who is taking AP Physics, said she "enjoyed making graphs by tracking motion."

On April 11, the main part of the Fine Arts Week was the Inspiration Art Exhibit Reception in which a collection of artwork from pre- kindergarten to Grade 12 was featured for staff, visitors, families and students. Creating through multiple media, whether through a 3D sculpture or a 2D drawing, they created art that reflected the objects or people who inspired them.

Many students were inspired by current events and media. Stella Park in Grade 10 was inspired by a horrific documentary that featured animal cruelty in South Korea. In an attempt to "show how humans trap the animals and limit their chances of survival," she created a rhino rib and human ribs with clay.

While some were inspired by the news or media, others used this as an opportunity to self-reflect and empathize with one another.

For instance, Cathy Kim in Grade 11 used styrofoam and other materials to create a 3D model of a hermit crab. She claims the hermit crab best represents herself as it has the "duality between shyness and flamboyance." By creating her artwork, Kim was able to show herself through the art.

While the interdisciplinary activities throughout the week enabled students to use their learning across divergent courses, the Inspiration Art Exhibit provided an opportunity for the students to reflect on their lives and about what their motivations and inspirations are.

KIS will continue to build and promote the arts by annually hosting Fine Arts Week. By doing so, students will be able to express themselves through multiple ways, reflecting upon their inspirations and communicating them through art.

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