Friends of Aomori

Looking for teacher to travel to Japan

Friends of Aomori – the non-profit organization that supports the Maine, USA-Aomori, Japan Sister State Relationship – is seeking a K-12 arts educator as a partner for an exhibition and teacher exchange with Japan.

The Teacher delegate selected should have a specialty in printmaking and will travel to to Aomori, Japan for a week in November. The prefecture will pay airfare and Friends of Aomori is providing a $500 stipend and help with housing, etc. Preliminary deadline, August 26. PRELIMINARY APPLICATION!

Friends of Aomori is a nonprofit organization consisting of many dedicated members striving to improve the relationship between the State of Maine and Aomori Prefecture, Japan.  Friends of Aomori’s goals are to:

• Coordinate incoming and outgoing delegations between Maine and Aomori;
• Coordinate artistic and cultural exchanges between Maine and Aomori;
• Provide support to schools in Maine that operate educational exchange programs with Aomori;
• Educate the public about the sister-state relationship;
• Raise funds to support the sister-state activities.

The Teacher/delegate selected will participate in coordinating the 2019 Children’s Print Exchange between Maine and Aomori when they return.

Friends of Aomori is an all-volunteer non-profit that supports the Sister State relationship between Maine and Aomori, Japan. The relationship between Maine and Aomori has been in place for 20 years, but the fascinating connection between the two states goes back to a shipwreck in 1889. Read more about the connection.

The ideal candidate is a dedicated, active, certified K-12 art teacher with a focus in printmaking. The teacher will represent Friends of Aomori and the State of Maine in Japan from November 12th – 16th 2018 to observe art classes, printmaking workshops, and the Aomori Rotary Club as part of an ongoing children’s arts exchange between Maine and Aomori. Upon returning to Maine, the teacher will partner with Friends of Aomori on the production of children’s prints to be exhibited in Japan in April 2019.

The Friends send 10 prints by Maine printmakers to Japan for their civic festival every October and they send 10 prints to Maine by Aomori printmakers. These are exhibited around Maine in the spring and summer. (They have begun touring their collection around Aomori as well following the October event.)The exchange is entering year four. So there is a matched set of 20 prints in Maine and Aomori. This this year all 60 prints will hopefully be exhibited at Maine Orono. Thanks to Jeff Badger for making this happen.

The work in the online exhibits have been inspired by Japan and made by Maine Artisans.

The Aomori Print Gallery is located online in a David Clough gallery space.

The Maine Artist Gallery is located online in a David Clough gallery space as well.