A craft workshop promoting Korean arts and culture is taking place at Carleton University.

 

The Mother of Pearl Arts and Crafts Workshop offers Carleton students an opportunity to celebrate the Korean Lunar New Year and explore other aspects of Korean culture beyond the globally popular K-Pop and K-Drama.

 

The event will be held on Friday, Feb. 2, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., in room 330 at St. Patrick’s Building. Organizers say it will bring together students, instructors and cultural ambassadors from the Korean Cultural Centre in downtown Ottawa to promote Korean culture and the country’s unique arts and crafts.  

 

This workshop is designed to introduce students to Korean Lunar New Year, also known as Seollal (설날), which will occur on Feb. 10. This will followed by the pearl arts and crafts activity and a light snack featuring Korean cuisine.

 

New Year’s Eve has already passed for people who follow the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar in the world. However, different cultures, including Korean and China celebrate New Year, using their calendar. 

 

So-young Kang, a Korean language Instructor at Carleton who has been teaching the Korean language since 2016, described pearl arts as one of the good way for non-Koreans to learn about Korean culture.

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“It’s one of the typical gifts to give the Canadian government,” said Kang. “The pearls were taken from the abalone shell, and made only by masters in Korea, not ordinary people. It’s not that you can buy it anywhere.” ​​

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Carleton University is the only school in Ottawa offering Korean language courses from beginner to advanced level, every semester around the year. 

 

According to Kang, the Korean Culture Centre in Ottawa sees the craft shop as an “important component” to promote other aspects of Korean culture and language, beyond K-Pop and K-Drama.

The upcoming workshop is being held only for Carleton students, who are interested in Korean culture, and is a first-come, first-serve event to ensure enough art supplies and food are available for participants. 

 

The same workshop for the general public will be hosted at the Korean Culture Centre in Ottawa, which is located in Suite 101 at 150 Elgin St. – the following Friday, Feb. 9.

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“They consider Carleton Korean language programs a really important segment to promote the Korean culture and language,” said Kang. “That’s why they are willing to come to Carleton and hold an event for Carleton students specifically.”

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Rachel Share, an English student at Carleton who’s taking the Korean language as a minor, said the workshop offers an opportunity to encourage people to appreciate Korean material culture. 

 

“My professor was talking about it in class,” said Share. “I’ve never done anything with Mother of Pearl, but I’ve always thought it was beautiful.”

 

Leya Li, a communications student at Carleton who is also minoring in Korea, said the workshop could be of interest to students of Korean heritage who were born and raised in Canada but want to learn more about their cultural backgrounds.

 

“I think Korean traditional crafts and handicrafts will contribute to the promotion of Korean culture in Ottawa,” said Li. “A country’s traditional crafts are always a topic of interest.”

 

Decorating material will be provided at the event, and students will be instructed to decorate a phone grip and take home the product.

 

Korean snacks and drinks, including vegan options, will be made available to participants.

 

“Just exploring and tasting a lot of different things while you’re at school is important,” said Kang. “You can enlarge your perspectives on the world and another culture.”