2019 Art Week has ambitions across country

The 2019 Korea Art Week will take place from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9, offering the public a chance to enjoy art programs across the country.

Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and supervised by the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS), this year’s event is the fifth of its kind and the second time it will be supervised by KAMS. “Art in Everyday Life” is the theme.

“This year’s programs will be focused on bringing art for everyone to enjoy across the country,” said Kim Do-il, president of KAMS. “With the goal of helping people understand art better and enrich their lives by experiencing art, this year’s Art Week will focus on extending the Art Travel program to more regions, letting people have a try at creating their own drawings and offering inexpensive artworks for people to buy easily.”

This year, a total of 285 museums, galleries, cafes and schools will take part and offer either discounted entrance fees or special programs during Art Week.

KAMS put their biggest effort into expanding the art tour programs, according to Shim Ji-eon, director of the visual arts division for KAMS, which offer 14 different courses in eight regions: Seoul, northern Gyeonggi, southern Gyeonggi, Daegu, Busan, Gwangju, Daejeon and Cheongju. Art walking tours will take place in four neighborhoods in Seoul (Mapo, Seongsu, Hannam and Mangwon) and Daegu and Busan, with art curators who will introduce the visitors to major art stops. Bus tour programs will make stops at tourist spots as well as art-related locations in regions outside of Seoul.

“We have managed to collaborate with different regional governments to develop art programs,” Shim said.

An online event is allowing people to participate in Art Week in advance and from anywhere, said Shim. A program dubbed the Drawing Festival began in late August and will continue until Sept. 22. Anyone can create their own piece of drawing and upload it on their social media accounts, using the hashtag #KoreaArtWeek_DrawingFestival or send it to KAMS via email at koreaartweek@gmail.com. Winning works will be awarded and displayed on Oct. 2 at the Art Week ceremony held at the Seoul Olympic Museum of Art located in southern Seoul. Veteran artist Lee Guen-yong will put on a live performance at the event.

Numerous art markets sponsored by KAMS will be held, and visitors will be able to purchase artworks under the price of 2 million won ($1,676). Details are available on the Art Week’s official website, artweek.kr.

“Art Week is the biggest art festivity held in Korea,” said president Kim. “It’s not easy for people to understand art unless they experience it firsthand. We hope they will be able to have a broader understanding of what art is.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]