ONNA VILLAGE, OKINAWA — January 10, 2011 — Over 80 emerging student artists and 16 teachers from all 12 DoDEA Pacific high schools will come together here Monday to create unique works of art that “Envision – Explore – Express.”
Students will conduct an in depth exploration of visual arts through drawing, painting, ceramics sculpture, printmaking, digital art and photography.

Drawing courses will emphasize the human form and still-life subjects such as landscapes. Painters will learn advanced techniques in watercolor and acrylics. Students interested in pottery will create 3D ceramic sculptures using clay. Traditional printmaking will also be offered allowing students an opportunity to carve, ink and print their own designs. Other courses include digital art and photography.

Joining the students will be DoDEA art teachers, special guests from the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, and renowned Okinawan artists such as Jorge Itokazu.

In addition to creating original artwork through the various offered courses, every student will participate in a cultural experience by working with local artists to create shisa sculptures. The shisa, or lion dog, is an iconic adornment of rooftops and entryways across Okinawa. The legend of the shisa dates back to Ryukyu Kingdom. Often found in pairs—one with an open mouth to ward off bad spirits and the other with a closed mouth to keep good spirits—the shisa are a treasured symbol of Okinawan culture.

Curators from the Smithsonian Museum of Art will conduct activities to give students a better understanding of art careers in general and becoming a museum curator in particular.

Awards will be presented to exemplary works and each student will have a piece on display at an art gallery style event on Thursday, Jan. 13 at the Kafuu Resort Hotel in Onna Village. The event is free and open to the public.
For further information, including locations and a detailed event schedule, please contact the event co-Director at 080-5015-9091, the DoDEA Pacific Fine Arts Instructional Systems Specialist at 090-1189-8548 or the DoDEA Pacific Activities Coordinator at 080-2700-8554.

About DoDEA Pacific Far East Activities and Athletics:
In addition to Creative Expressions, DoDEA Pacific sponsors 24 other unique Far East athletic and scholastic opportunities throughout the school year. Scholastic events include Far East Journalism, Science and Research Academy, MathematicaFest, LinguaFest, and many more while athletic competition includes tennis, cheerleading, cross country, track and field, football, baseball, wrestling, among others. Far East events also include several art and music offerings such as the Film and Entertainment Arts Festival, Culinary Arts, Honor Music and Jazz Honor Festivals, etc.

Far East events reinforce DoDEA core curriculum by providing students area-wide festivals, symposiums and competitions to showcase their creative, academic and athletic talents. The events are coordinated and managed by the DoDEA Pacific area office with guidance provided by the Far East Activities and Athletic Councils.

About DoDEA Pacific:
DoDEA Pacific provides a comprehensive preK-12 education to the children of military and eligible civilian personnel families serving throughout Asia. The 48 schools in DoDEA Pacific are comprised of more than 24,000 students and 3,100 full-time professional educators and support staff. The schools are geographically organized into four districts: Guam, Japan, Okinawa and South Korea.