It was November 5 when I paid a visit to the Onnuri Art Hall of Suwon Youth Center. The auditorium was full of loud applause from the audience. The traditional musical ‘Excellent Adventure’ was planned as part of the support project of afterschool arts and culture education for youth and children under the title, ‘Sangsang School’ arranged by both the Korea Arts and Culture Education Service (KACES) and the Korea Youth Work Agency (KYWA) since 2009. Approximately 130 students from 9 youth centers in Gyeonggi-do have taken part in this musical performance. Are you ready to take a trip to the spot full of the children’s passion? Let’s go!

A dream comes true on top of a poplar

(Mirunamu)

 

The name ‘Mirunamutop Art Edu’ sounds very unique. I would like to know if there is a story related to this name.

Cho_I’ve attended a college in Seoul. On the way to school one day, I saw poplar trees which were hard to find in Jeju Island. I received a good impression while watching the trees opening their arms toward the sky. When I made up my mind to come back to Jeju and create a space for art education, I hoped that this place would be like a poplar tree for children. So I named it ‘Mirunamutop Art Edu’ hoping that the children would be able to enjoy their creation work.

I see. I heard you were planning to visit Chuja Island to run a program in a few days. As far as I know, you’ve been participating in various activities such as your own creation work other than running arts and culture education programs. I wonder what your recent activities are and what it is like when you handle a lot of events at the same time.

Cho_I have been running a children art school program sponsored by Jeju Museum of Art since two years before. It is to provide elementary school students in culturally excluded areas with various hands-on arts education programs three or four times a year. At the same time, I have been involved in art rich project and local arts and culture education project at some of the local community child centers. I’ve been somewhat frustrated because I couldn’t produce any work of my own since I graduated from the college. Luckily, however, I was able to hold my own exhibition last August. About 100 children and I are actively working on our own creation work here.

I remember when I left Seoul for Jeju with deposit of KRW 10 million in my hand for renting a small room four years ago. The space was very small and I only had five or six students during the first two years. Although I had a hard time during this period, my heart didn’t stop burning. I had something I wanted to accomplish. I had confidence. And I was sure that this tough situation was part of the process to achieve my goals. Some called me a workaholic, others were envious of my success, and still others regarded me as a perfectionist. ‘Prepare perfectly and behave actively’ is my motto. I still do not like to choose only one task and work for it. It is because I already know that I will need far more various experiences and my feedback on them in order to reach the future I designed in my head, and that all of these will nourish my future. I try not to hurry. I believe that I will be able to shape my dream forest someday if I slowly walk along the way.

Sharing, its beautiful value

What brought you back to Jeju-do after you graduated from the college in Seoul?

Cho_My parents were not from Jeju, in fact. But I was born and raised here in Jeju-do. Frankly speaking, I don’t have good memories of my school days. I was not familiar with Jeju dialect because my parents didn’t speak it at home. Where I lived was Gujwa-eup Sehwa area and the locals had strong accent which I couldn’t understand. I guess I was a strange kid to the local children. I was very timid at that time. But my art teacher in the middle school taught me passionately and helped me find myself. It was one of the reasons I decided to major in art.

While I poured myself into my graduation exhibitions, my dad passed away in Jeju. As the eldest son in my family, I had to choose whether I come back to my family to be a breadwinner or continue my study. I remembered the last word of my dad, ‘Share what you have with others’. Since I was very interested in art education, first I built my career as an arts educator in Seoul and Busan. Then I came back to my hometown, Jeju.

When I came back to Jeju, I’ve got a chance to be in charge of art education at the local silver center thanks to my friend’s recommendation. It was a special experience to me, which was different from the ordinary art education. While teaching fine art at the silver center, I was able to make an education program for the local child center. I could teach art to the children at the local child center as part of the art rich project. And this year, I could expand it to include youth as well as young children. I think I had a great desire to share my feelings and experiences I had while I received arts and culture education when I was young with youth and young children in my hometown.

Dreaming of the larger ‘Poplar Forest’

I think you have your vision and goals of ‘Mirunamutop Art Edu’. Could you tell me about some of them?

Cho_I felt some things while running the programs in the local child centers. I came to hope that it will be good for the children if they can escape from their own space by themselves. So I wanted to provide them with opportunity to experience cultural activities and communicate one another in various places such as galleries and museums in addition to the local child centers.

People say that it is difficult to step off on the right foot. Four years ago, I was just a young man without any social experience, came to the museum with only a volume of portfolio, waited for a long time in a small room which was not an office, but had a confidence and worked hard for my future. Starting with it, I was able to meet with precious people and it has been going on. I have already drawn what I and the Mirunamutop Art Edu will be like in the future. I am not running toward only one goal. I have been planting the seeds of the poplar tree in different places. As I have mentioned just now, I hope that art education programs in the public institutions including art museums will run more actively than now, and that various arts and culture education will be provided to the youth and young children in the neglected regions.

You must be running toward different goals. Then, what are your personal dreams?

Cho_Above all, I want to have a simple but happy family. I expect my students will also make their family happy if I show them I live a happy life with my wife and children. And I have another wish that a few of my student say that they want to work with me in the future. I hope my students have their own dreams and confidence no matter what they are, and they can create spaces similar to Mirunamutop Art Edu. If they can share their experiences with the next generation and prepare such spaces as Mirunamutop Art Edu, a big ‘Poplar Forest Park’ will be created. These are my dream.

Written & Photographed by Lee Min-gyeong (Correspondent in Jeju)