'Bus=Museum, Classroom=Performance Hall'... Siheung-si Cultural Arts Education Visiting Schools

Expanding Beyond Museums and Performance Halls
Bringing Arts Directly Into Schools

On the 18th, when the new school term was in full swing, Wolgot Elementary School in Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do was bustling with excitement. Students poured out of their classrooms and gathered around a large bus parked on the playground. The bus, decorated with illustrations, bore a sign that read "Siheung-si Visiting Mobile Art Museum." This bus is the "Art Canvas (ART-CAN-BUS)," created by the city to provide citizens with diverse cultural and artistic experiences.

Siheung City's 'Art Canvas' appeared on the playground of Wolgot Elementary School in Siheung. It visits elementary schools in the district to provide children with various art experiences. Provided by Siheung City

Mobile Art Museum on Wheels Provides Special Art Experiences to 45,000 People

Siheung-si is gaining attention for its special cultural and artistic programs operated for students. Moving beyond offering cultural and artistic opportunities at fixed locations such as museums or performance halls, the city is actively implementing policies that bring these experiences directly into schools.

A representative example is the traveling art museum "Art Canvas." Launched in 2017 with the special exhibition "Urban Observation Diary," Art Canvas visits elementary schools in the district to showcase the artistic worlds created by artists. The city initiated this project to expand the cultural and artistic base for children and to open new avenues for talented local artists.

Over the past seven years, 38,878 students from 217 schools and 6,255 citizens in Siheung have experienced Art Canvas. Last year, educational programs were conducted for 4,774 students across 27 schools. In addition to schools, Art Canvas was presented to 1,212 people through local festivals and Children's Day events. The exhibition featured three new media artists?Lee Inam, Park Sanghwa, and Lee Namgeun?and three painters?Bae Kyungsook, Park Sunyoung, and Yoon Heekyung?under the theme "Relating to Everyday Life."

Students are listening to the artist's explanation and appreciating new media artworks at Siheung City's 'Art Canvas.' Photo by Siheung City

This year, under the theme "Relating to Everyday Life in Time," the original three new media artists and three painters?Kim Daejung, Shin Woongcheol, and Jung Eungyeong?will present 11 works that reinterpret moments of everyday life amid changing life journeys. The Art Canvas event held at Wolgot Elementary School was the first of the year. After viewing the artworks on the bus, students also participated in an art experience using kits in their classrooms. The city plans to operate Art Canvas not only in elementary schools but also at events such as Children's Day, the Turtle Island Spring Festa Festival, and the Siheung Gaetgol Festival.

Siheung City Choir’s 'School Tour Concert' Visits Classrooms

Siheung City Choir and Raon Chamber Orchestra are holding a concert at a school gymnasium in Siheung City. Photo by Siheung City

The city is also utilizing classrooms as concert venues. The "School Tour Concert" offers students the chance to experience masterpieces from music textbooks performed by a string quartet and the choir’s magnificent harmonies.

Last year, the Siheung City Choir and Raon Chamber Orchestra performed for 3,961 students across 11 schools. The performances were tailored to suit the levels of students from elementary to high school. Satisfaction was high: in a survey conducted with 498 students from Sanhyeon Elementary School, Janggok Middle School, and Janggok High School, 425 responded that they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied."

This year, the city plans to diversify the genres of performances, including film music, and enhance students’ understanding of the pieces by adding explanations. The concerts will officially begin on May 28 at Dochang Elementary School.