Art exists everywhere
By Ji Ga-yeon
Borrowing the words of Terry Barret, "Any single work of art can engender multiple meanings. No single meaning is the right meaning ― even the artist's intended meaning." The endless possibility of art ― transcending cultures, languages, societies, and people ― continues to attract me to art.
Reaching beyond the merely aesthetic in my own artistic pursuits as an artist of color and in my experiences as an educator and an aspiring art administrator serves as a window into the world around me. For me, art is like the air we breathe; it is everywhere and in everything we do.
When I came back home (Chungju) after a year of working in New York, COVID-19 arrived and I canceled all travel and internship plans. Then I quickly changed gears to find art-related opportunities in Chungju to best utilize my previous experiences as an artist, entrepreneur, and educator and to contribute to the local community.
Then I landed on an opportunity to direct a community mural and garden project at the Chungju Youth Shelter. This non-profit organization provides shelter for homeless teenage girls. The community mural and garden project was launched to transform a dark and abandoned front yard into a place for self-reflection, rest, and new memories for the shelter community. One of the shelter members said, "We may be slower than others.
Through the guidance and support of the shelter, we are able to learn, grow, and prepare for the future at our own pace. Each one of us is just like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly when we break out from within." Inspired by mutual conversations with the community members, I designed the murals and painted the walls along with the members and volunteers.
The members noted how bright and welcoming the garden has become and how much it has positively influenced the community. This experience illustrates where art transformed itself to extend beyond the canvas; it became a tool for conversation, a shelter, and a memory.
After completion of the community mural project, I sought out other projects. Realizing the lack of art-related opportunities for young artists and college students in Chungju, I opened the doors of an art pop-up store and cafe to provide a place for growth and experience for local aspiring artists for three months.
The “Seoninjang” or Cactus offers opportunities for young artists to not only exhibit and sell their work but also to hold art classes and to communicate with their audience. Moreover, on average, for most galleries, sales commission averages about 40 percent to 50 percent.
However, at Seoninjang, 70 percent of the art sales go to the artist, and 10 percent is donated to the Chungju Youth Shelter. In the process of curating and directing the exhibition “Gonggam, Gonggam” (Rapport), I learned various perspectives on what art means to these young Korean artists.
My ultimate goal is to foster a forum that extends beyond conventional boundaries and invites everyone to think creatively, absorb freely, and empower themselves through art. The two projects I directed in a small community of Chungju have consolidated my passion for art, accessibility and communication.
I will continue to explore interdisciplinary forums for eroding the walls of conventional art traditions through a Master of Education in Learning Sciences and Technologies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Born in Chungju, South Korea, the writer worked as an art administrator at the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and the Museum of Modern Art in New York after graduating from the University of Michigan.