WOOK CHOI
wookchoi.com
t: +1 551 574 0533
EDUCATION
1993 Masters of Arts
New York University
New York, NY
1989 Bachelor of Fine Arts
Hong Ik University
Seoul, Korea
TEACHING AWARDS HONORS
2017▪ “Teacher’s Certificates of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2016▪ “Teacher’s Three (3) Certificates of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2015 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2014 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2014 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2013 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2013 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2012 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2012 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2011 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2010 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2009▪ “Teacher Recognition Certificate” awarded by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts: YoungArtsfor ‘encouraging and supporting students who have been recognized for their exceptional artistic achievements in the 2008-09 Arts Recognition and Talent Search® program’
2008 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2008 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2006 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2006 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2004–5 ▪ “Teacher Recognition Certificate” awarded by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts: YoungArts for ‘encouraging and supporting students who have been recognized for their exceptional artistic achievements in the 2004-05 Arts Recognition and Talent Search® program’
2004 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2004 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
2004 ▪ Personal Letter of Recognition from Laura Bush, former First Lady of
the United State of America.
2004▪ Personal Letter of Recognition from Richard P. Mills, President of the University of the State of New York and the New York Commissioner of Education
2004▪ Personal Letter of Recognition from Jerrold Nadler, Member of the United States Congress
2004▪ Certificate of Recognition from Michael Bloomberg, NYC Mayer
2003 ▪ “Teacher’s Certificate of Recognition” awarded by The Alliance for Young Artists for being an ‘outstanding educator whose dedication, commitment, and guidance are represented by student work selected for national honors’ in the 2003 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
1998▪ “Common Ground Recognition Award,” Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
1996▪ “Young Emerging Artist Award,” Korean Electric Power Corporation
Organization, Seoul, Korea
1992 ▪ “2 & 3 Dimensional Opening Drawing Competition Award,”
Fire House Gallery, Garden City, NY
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
1999-Present Founder Director, Oogie Art in Manhattan, New York; Lexington, Massachusetts; Busan, Korea
Develop a college-level art portfolio program that helps our studentswin prestigious award competitions and accepted in to college.
Over the past sixteen years:
●Oogie Art Student art works was on the the Scholastic Art magazine in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017.
●The USA Government, SEVIS Department approved Oogie Art to issue I-20 Student VISAs for Graphic Design and Website Design Program
●Oogie Art was on the New York Times August 22, 2014 for our Mentoring and Internship Program
●College Board approved Oogie Art AP Studio Art Drawing and 2D Design course, allowing our students can earn up to 6 college credits while in their high school yearsat Oogie Art.
●3 of my students has gained admission to Brown + RISD’s 5-year dual program – which selects only 13-15 students from around the world each year
●49 of my students have gained admission to Ivy League Schools including Harvard, UPenn, Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell, Princeton, Brown University, Yale University, including Stanford University and Cooper Union.
●33 of my students have achieved National Recognition
from the Scholastic Art Awards
●10of my students have won YoungArtsNationalAwardsand 2 ofmy students received the presidential awards (only 12 students in the country got accepted our every year)
●7 of my students have been named American Vision Nominees
●20 of my students have gained admission to the Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation Program (only 60 junior students in the country get accepted every year)
●14 of my students gained admission to New Jersey’s Governor’s Art Program
●More than 1,158 of my students have won Gold and Silver Keys from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
●Over $45,000,000 in scholarships have been awarded to my students from the most prestigious art programs in the nation
04/99 Volunteer Art Instructor, Children’s Art Workshop at New York University in New York, New York
02/96-08/97 Color Theory Professor, Chang Shin College in Masan, Korea
12/96 Visiting Lecturer, Yong In University in Yongin, Korea
03/88-12/89 Director, Art Vision Institute in Seoul, Korea
helped more than the students achieve college admission and scholarship success in Korea
02/84-02/88 Art Instructor, Shing Ah Art Institute in Seoul, Korea
helped more than a hundred students achieve college admissions and scholarshipsuccess in Korea
EDUCATION COLUMNIST & CONSULTANT EXPERIENCES
2010–2014Education Columnist for The Korea Times in New York, New York
●For all four publications, I’ve been writing a series of articles that cover everything from The State of Art Education in America Today to Tips for Gaining Admission to Ivy League Schools Through Art. Since May 2009, my articles have been published over 20 times to date.
05/09–2014Education Columnist for Boston Korea published in Boston, MA
05/12 Art Education Consultant at Boston Area Education Fair sponsored by The Boston Korea in Boston, MA
2010Education Columnist for The Epoch Times in New York, NY
09/09–11/09Education Columnist for The Daily Korea in New York, NY
09/09Panel Discussion Leader Art Education Consultant at the 2009 New York Education Fair sponsored by The Daily Korea in New York
09/08-09/10 Art Education Consultant at the 2008, 2009, 2010 New York Education Fair sponsored by The Daily Korea in New York, NY
10/03 Critical Essayist, The 4th Shinsaimdang Art Festival sponsored by the city of GangeunginKorea
03/99 Columnist on The Importance of Art Education for Children for the Buy and Sell Newspaper published in New York, NY
PERSONALLY ORGANIZED GLOBAL ART INITIATIVES
08/14 The Volunteer in Arts Program in Mityana in Ugana, Africa
●Raised fund to build a solar panel and built it on the roof of school library.
●Helped my students to design a teaching art programforKindergartento 6thgrade students for the Kasangula Talent School in the district of Mityana, Uganda in Africa.
●Visitedthe Refusein Kampala Capital city.
●Organized collections for used clothing, books and art supplies in New York, hand-delivered them, and donated 1 year scholarship for 10 students.
●Organized a group show to raise the fund for the refugee students in Uganda.
08/16The Volunteer in Arts Program for the Orphanagein
Yangdong, Myanmar
- Helped my students to designaart programand our teachers and students made an art curriculum for 150 children.
- Had a fundraising event in Busan, Korea for a orphanage’s school tuition.
7/15TheLeadership Program through Artin Washington D.C.
●ICAF (International Child Art Festival) heldthe World Children’s Festival-held every 4 years as the “Olympics” of children’s art festival on the National Mall in Washington D.C. from June 30thto July 3rd.
●My students willteach the kids who come from all over the world using their own curriculum and will guide co-creation of a mural painting titled ‘Peace Artists’.
08/14 The Volunteer in Arts Program in Mityana in Ugana, Africa
●Helped my students to design a ground launching art programfor1st to 3rd grade students for the Kasangula Talent School in the district of Mityana, Uganda in Africa.
●Visitedthe Gaba orphanage houseat Bethany children’s village across the Victoria Lake, 40km from Kampala Capital city.
●Organized collections for used clothing, books and art supplies in New York, hand-delivered them, and donated 10 new desks.
●Organized a group show to raise the fund for the tuition scholarships of 5 Kasangula Talent School students.
●Raised fundto build a well project, from start to finish the well in winter of 2015 for the Kasangula Talent School.
●Finished the 2 well projects for the Kasangula Talent Schooland Mityana Village People.
08/13Art & Technology in San Francisco and in Silicon Valley in CA
●Brought my students to major Tech companies and Art and Tech museums in San Francisco, Palo Alto and San Jose to visit top tech companies like Liquid Agency, Speck Design, Wagic and 8 Elements Design Firmto investigate emerging career paths in the arts and the role that art, design and creative thinking play in large established technology-driven companies today.
●Visited and conducted lectures atStanford Art Museum, Intel Museum, The de Young Museum, San Jose Museum of Art and The Tech Museum of Innovation, Stanford University, San Francisco College of Art and UC Berkeley.
07/12The Leadership Program during London Olympic Game 2012
●Helped to organize the 2011 and 2012 IMAF (International Migration Art Festival) event sponsored by Italy’s Ministry of Culture.
●Brought my students to London during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games to assist with the installation of a major art exhibition that featured five artists and five chefs of from around the world at Blackall Studio Gallery in London. The exhibit was held in Milan in May 2012; travelled to New York City in June 2012; and finally shown in London in July 2012.
08/11Art in America
●Selected nine cities of art museums and art collages importance to visit with my students within East cost and Central America.
●Visited and conducted lectures at Washington D.C. (National Gallery of Art, American Art Museum, National Portraits Gallery), Tampa (Tampa Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts), St. Petersburg (Dali Museum), Pittsburg (Carnegie Mellon University, Andy Warhol Museum, Mattress Factory Art Museum), Chicago (Architecture Tour, Museum of Contemporary Art, School of Art Institute of Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago Museum, Millennium Park), Boston, Cambridge (Harvard University, Museum of Fine Art), Providence (Rhode Island School of Design, Brown University), and New Haven (Yale University Campus)
08/10Art in London
●Selected sites of educational and art historical interest in and around London to visit with my students to stimulate in them a heightened critical eye and a broader understanding of contemporary and modern art.
●The program gave students the opportunity to develop ideas for their portfolio pieces in places that have influenced artists for centuries.
●Visited and conducted lectures at the Saatchi Gallery, the Tate Modern, the Royal Academy of Arts, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, London’s Design Museum, the Courtauld Institute Galleries, the Swiss RE Tower, the Gherkin Tower, White Chapel Art Gallery, the South Bank Centre, the Hayward Gallery, and Harrod’s Department Store, Stonehenge, the Roman Bath Museum, and the Thames River.
03/10TheVolunteer in Arts: Teaching Art Painting Murals at the RumahWawasanandVision Home Orphanages in Ipoh, Malaysia
●Brought my students to Ipoh, Malaysia to paint 3 wall murals and to teach art at Malaysian orphanages.
●Renovated the children’s workshop area by redecorating its walls and windows; and repainting its chairs and benches. For a week, we
gave all the children art lessons.
●Organized collections for used clothing, books and art supplies in New York and hand-delivered them to orphans in Malaysia.
●Awarded scholarships for education and laptops to the children of the Vision and RumahWawasan Homes in Malaysia.
03/10The Art Leadership Program: Fashion for a Cause Charity Fashion Show Event in New York City
●Secured 8 corporate sponsors including, The Korea Times, Balance Water, BoConcept, DJ Pro Audio, and many more.
●Curated a fashion show that featured the designs of over 20 student-made t-shirt designs modeled by over 50 student volunteers in the show.
●Organized the publishing of an Art Therapy Coloring Book for Kids made by my students. The book was then sold at the event to help raise funds to purchase laptops and create scholarships for the orphans of the RumahWawasan and Vision Homes in Malaysia. After the show, we printed an extra hundred copies of the book in New York and hand-delivered them to the orphanage in Malaysia.
03/09Incheon Woman’s Biennale: Helping Angiola Churchill’s Invitation show in Incheon, Korea
Brought my students to The Incheon Woman’s Biennale Show to help
Angiola Churchill’s installation show and attended many seminars and
forums.
08/09Art in Barcelona, Figueres, Venice
●Selected sites of educational and art historical interest in Spain to visit with my students to stimulate in them a heightened critical eye and a broader understanding of contemporary and modern art and Architecture.
●Visited and conducted lectures at the Fundacion Joan Miro, Musee de Picasso, Dali Museum, Architectural Sites of Antonio Gaudi, the 53rd Venice Biennale (both GiardiniArsenalePavilions), the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, and the Private Artist Studio ofAngiola Churchill.
07/08Art in Paris, GivernyAuvers Sur Oise
●Selected over twenty sites of art historical importance to visit with my students within Paris, depicted by some of the world’s most famous artistsin what have become some of the world’s most important art works.
●Visited and conducted lectures at the Pyramid Glass (made by I.M. Pei), Pont de Carrousel (painted by Bonnard Pierre), Pont Neuf Bridge (installation by Christo), Opera House (prints by Camille Pissarro, Marc Chagall and Henri de Toulouse Lautrec), Notre-Dame Church (painted by Pablo Picasso and Henry Matisse), Concord Plaza (painted by Edgar Degas), Eiffel Tower (painted by George Pierre Seurat and Delaunay), Place de Dublin (painted by Gustave Caillebotte), Rue Ferou (painted by Man Ray), Place Furstenberg (photo-collaged by David Hockney and drew by Salvador Dali), Qui Henri IV (painted by Henry Rousseau), Pompidou Museum, Louvre Museum, Picasso Museum, The Church at Auvers, Van Gogh House Ecuriesd’Auvers Sur Oise (painted by Van Gogh), Monet Garden, and Monet’s Museum (painted by Claude Monet).
03/08The Volunteer in Arts: Building Classrooms Painting Murals in Chiang Mai, Thailand
●Brought my students to work with the RongRien Kong Noo Foundation in Thailand to help them build new walls and to paint murals in a 3-classroom school in the village of Fang, located
200 km north of Chiang Mai.
●Distributed donated clothing, uniforms and school supplies.
07/07Art in Rome, Florence Venice
●Selected sites of educational and art historical interest to visit with my students in Italy to stimulate in them a heightened critical eye and a broader understanding of contemporary and Renaissance art.
●Visited and conducted lectures at Rome-Vatican City, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Piazza San Pietro, Colosseum & Forum, Romanum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Fontana deiFiumi, Scalinata di Spagna, Galleria Naz.d’ArteModerna, The Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Vecchio, Medici Family Palace, Church of Santa Croce, CapellaMedicea, Home of Michelangelo, Academia Museum, Bargello Museum, the 52ndVenice Biennale, St. Mark's Square, Mark’s Basilica, Doges' Palace, La Scala Duomo, and the Private Artist Studio of Angiola Churchill.
ART GALLERIST EXPERIENCE
2007–CurrentDirector of WookLattuada Art Gallery in New York, NY
During the past 13 years:
●Curated over 50 gallery exhibitions and the art fair shows for internationally established artists including, but not limited to, Angiola Churchill, Lucia Pescardor, Roberto Kusterle, a contemporary photographer based in Milan, Italy; Raymundo Sesma, a two-time Venice Biennale inductee; and a show of limited edition prints by Judy Pfaff, a contemporary artist.
2011–2012 Protagonistfor the International Migration Art Festival, sponsored by
Italy’s Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Agriculture, Province of Milan.
2009 Curator atBoConcept in Paramus, NJ
●Exhibition Collaboratedwith BoConcept and selected works by Namjun Paik, Judy Paff, Todd Holoubek, Justin Rhee, and Lucia Pescador.
2004-2005 Director of Crecloo Art Gallery in Jenkintown, PA
●Curated over 6 gallery exhibitions including an important show featuring limited edition Chinese Avant Garde prints by Wang Guang Yi, Yue Min June, and Zhang Xiao Gang.
10/2003USACuratorial Commissioner at The 4th Shinsaimdang Art Festival sponsored by the city of GangeunginKorea
●Invited contemporary artists to exhibit: Ik-joong Kang, Leonard Lehrer, Meghan Boody, LeemourPelli, John Grande and Jai Har.
10/2000 GuestCurator at the Kepco Plaza Gallery in Seoul, Korea