A magazine created by art teachers, just for art teachers.
Curating the shining moments of an art teacher's life.


"The first record of an art teacher's life unfolding through its layers."

"The Layer" is a magazine that delicately unfolds the layers and colors of the minds of art teachers in Korea, from the questions and hopes they harbor to the concerns they sometimes cannot express.
"The Layer" re-examines the meaning of "teaching" and delicately reveals the multi-layered identity of the art teacher.


This magazine is not simply a practical book containing teaching materials or teaching and learning information.
Rather, it is a curated medium that organizes, through sensuous editing and heartfelt language, the inner knots, artistic sensibilities, sense of mission and doubts as an educator, and moments of relationships and change experienced by individual art teachers at the border between the classroom and life.

The keyword for the first issue is ‘starting line.’

It is a collection of stories from people starting over in their respective positions, from prospective teachers and retired teachers to teachers at the center of the classroom.
The excitement and anxiety of teaching, the self-esteem of a teacher, a story of growth with a single student, the redesign of classroom spaces, the expansion of ideas, and even the juggling of emotional labor and parenting? "The Layer" unfolds, layer by layer, the life of a teacher, a story that defies any single narrative.

The magazine is divided into five sections.

PORTRAIT | People Stories: Intimate accounts of the lives and careers of diverse figures in the art education ecosystem, including art teachers, students, writers, and editors.
ATELIER | SPACE STORIES: Exploring the aesthetics and structure of spaces where art and education reside, such as classrooms, ateliers, and art libraries.
ARCHIVE | Class Stories: Documenting real-world educational experiences and concerns, including the first art class, art curriculum and philosophy, AI use cases, and infographic classes.
ART SPECTRUM | Art Stories: Expand your horizons through art exhibition reviews, aesthetic discourse, art history essays, and curated teacher's books.
SKETCH | Everyday Stories: A lyrical section that intersects the teacher's identity with the individual's daily life.
A record of the daily life of an art teacher, including childcare and hobbies.


《The Layer》 is not simply about 'art education', but functions as a tool for self-reflection that allows teachers to look into their own existence through art.
The design is neat and sensible, and every sentence is refined without being excessive.
While reading this book, readers get a glimpse into the life of a teacher, while also facing their own inner selves.

This magazine, which has pioneered a "teacher-centered narrative" previously unexplored in educational publishing, will provide teachers with empathy and comfort, and readers outside of school with a renewed appreciation for the value of art education.

An art teacher's life is as unseen as the air in the classroom, yet it has a deep and rich texture, like the light that seeps into the margins.

The Layer is a magazine that meticulously curates each and every one of these knots.
I know how precious and beautiful a day is for teachers who discover students' sparkling moments through the language of art.

With this in mind, I created The Layer to record the shining moments in the lives of our teachers.

From the worries and thoughts accumulated in each classroom, to the joys and frustrations born from small lesson ideas, to the thrill of moments when life and art intersect, to the small moments of everyday life imbued with an art teacher's artistic sensibility, "The Layer" delicately records the daily temperature of an art teacher's day.

Here, every art teacher in Korea is an author and a storyteller.
The many layers that make up a teacher's life come together here and shine with special colors.

A warm space of solidarity where we share our experiences as art teachers, empathize with each other, and grow together.
I hope that "The Layer" will be a source of comfort and inspiration for teachers.
---From "The Layer Editor's Note"

Whenever I heard things like, "It must be easy being an art teacher," or "You can just ask the kids to draw, so you don't have to prepare for class," I felt a compulsion to prove my responsibility as an art teacher.
But at some point I realized.
It is not my fellow teachers who prove me, but the students who work with me.
When children enjoy art activities and tell their own stories through their work, the value of an art teacher is proven.
---From "The Trembling of the Starting Line, the Words We Faced Before It: Eunju Kim, 22-Year Art Teacher, Incheon Science and Arts Gifted School"

[Family Table] This class was started by chance thanks to online classes.
When I was first assigned here, it was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and online classes were being held concurrently with in-person classes.
I had to teach a still life class, and since it was online, I asked the kids to each take something out of the fridge to draw.
But then I saw a colorful collection of objects from all over the world gathered together in a grid on the screen.


I was shocked to learn that although children wear the same uniforms and eat the same lunch at school, they find themselves in completely different cultural environments when they go home.
That fresh shock led to inspiration for the class.
We planned a project class that covers family, culture, immigrant life, and Korean culture, while also providing children with the humanities and social knowledge they need.

… … Above all, I conducted the class with the hope that the students would all enjoy themselves together, eat and share freely, and that ‘the classroom would become a new family community where they could feel connected in an unfamiliar country.’


Through this project, students gained a deeper understanding of diverse cultures and experienced self-expression through art activities, which helped them grow stronger.
---From "Art is Language in the 'Borderless Art Room'"

Restructuring the art room space means more to me than just remodeling the space.
It might sound a bit grandiose, but for me, this experience was a process of putting my educational philosophy into tangible form, starting with the questions, "What kind of art class do I want to teach?" and "What kind of experience do I want my students to have?"


Change always requires a lot of effort.
From design to budget, purchasing, and construction, there were times when I had to make all the decisions on my own.
But what is clear is that when the art room changes, the art class changes, and when the art class changes, the children's attitudes and sensibilities gradually change as well. ... ... I hope that this article will be a small encouragement to teachers all over the country who are struggling to dream of a 'good art room'.
While circumstances and environments may vary, I hope you can imagine a space that would accommodate your art classes.

---From "We Change Space, and Space Changes Us"

The life of art education depends on each and every art teacher.
Unlike other subjects that can be taught simply to meet the entrance exam requirements, art subjects have their own unique mission.
But it's not just an art class problem.
In fact, all education should support the growth of each child before raising test scores.
Each subject must pursue this through its own uniqueness.
Art subjects with autonomy are better positioned to play this educational role.
So, it seems that the position of art teacher is one where ‘three generations can accumulate virtue.’
So I rather see these jokes as a shining badge of honor for art teachers.
Teaching art is something to be proud of.
---From "Thinking about art education, art classes, and art teachers - The special place of art classes"

There is one child who really stands out to me this year.
The child doesn't bring the necessary supplies and says everything negatively, saying things like, "I can't draw," "I have no talent for art," and "I'm just a kid who can't do anything."
But I didn't hate that kid, and I kept looking at him.
One day after class, I asked the child why he only said negative things.
Then the child answered that his father always called him 'a guy who can't do anything'.
It broke my heart to hear that.


This kid gave me a goal for this year.
That's what gives this child the confidence that he can do anything on his own.
So, every hour, I find one good thing about this child and tell him about it.

---From "New School, First Art Class of the New Semester - New Goals at a New School"

Raising children is a continuous process of worrying, choosing, and making decisions.
Of course, even now.
I don't think there is a right answer.
I just think about it and make decisions based on my work, my child's situation, and the given environment, and move forward one step at a time.
In this process, both my life and my child's life seem to be carved out according to each individual's individuality.
These days, I feel a special sense of sadness when I look at students my child's age.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how these countless lives unfold.
To all the mom art teachers across the country, fighting!
---From "Raising My Child by Teaching Children"

Life as an art teacher and a father is always full of new and special experiences.
I watch my children challenge themselves and grow, sometimes as a teacher and sometimes as a father.
My art teacher dad is like a scale holding two heavy weights: "teacher" on the left and "parent" on the right.


I would say my scales are heavily tilted toward parents, as I prioritize sharing joyful experiences through art activities at home.
I wonder how many degrees the scales of the teacher dads reading this are tilted.
… … Everyone’s way of living as an art teacher and parent will be different.
I share art with children in the ways I can, but I'm sure teachers are practicing art at home in their own ways.
I think that diversity is very valuable.
I hope that all art teachers across the country will create meaningful time with their children in their own way, in their own positions.

---From "Art Space Created by Art Teacher Dad and Children"