Baltimore Changwon Youth Art Circle (BCYAC) project is an international youth art exchange project between cities of Baltimore and Changwon.

In Baltimore City and Changwon, South Korea, groups of students have been learning about and making art! On May 11, 2023, their artwork is displayed at Baltimore City Hall during a livestreamed event between the two cities.

Participant artists from both cities apply developmental theories to create arts and community-based workshops within the Baltimore Changwon Sister City partnership. Blooming Rainbow was the first project between the two cities in 2022. 2023 is a second-year extension of that project with new community and artist groups.

With the help of our partnerships, the workshops generated by this project serve to promote diversity and equal opportunity in both cities while gathering together artists and students in safe communal art spaces. Mentoring of historically under-served groups is crucial to develop a healthy feeling of self-worth and identity in our communities. Our participating artists seek to develop relationships with students based on mutual respect and affirmation of their self-worth, and maintain high expectations while using culturally responsive teaching practices.

The goal of this project is to establish the potential of growing fruit from small beginnings by illustrating and developing the innate ability of children through visual expression. By joining students with mature artists, it is hoped that the beauty of drawing with simple beginnings enhanced by artists will inspire students to realize their potential based on their own visual expression of their ideas.

Project Partners

• Art Education Department, Towson University
• New Song Academy
• BTU-Partnerships for Greater Baltimore
• Hope of House
• Mindle Community Child Center
• Neulpuren Community Child Center
• Changwon Artists: Chaeyeon Hong, Sumin Lee, Jinsun Na
• BNK Kyongnam Bank
• Baltimore Changwon Sister City Committee
• Changwon City
• Baltimore Office of the Mayor