Gwangju Art Street

(Image: utour.gwangju.go.kr)

The Art Street in Gwangju and the Insadong of Seoul are representatives in a handful of art streets in South Korea.  The area has about 90 traditional cafes, galleries, antiques stores, small theaters, drawing rooms and Chinese art supply stores. The place around Geumnamno Street, Dong-gu (East district), Gwangju Metropolitan City, has been designated as the Street of Art since 1980s. The street has about 23 picture galleries in total.

Antique shops in the Street of Art are as many as art galleries, such as Dongdawon, Goryeodang, Hongseogak, Maksabal, Gojeonbang, Jeongilpum, and Deoksanbang, in total about ten. There are five calligraphy brush stores which sell Korean paper, calligraphy brushes, ink-sticks and ink stones. One old book store has collected works and collections of family trees.

The reason why the Street of Art retains such vital power is that the past, the present and the future are made very alive. If some want to listen to LP record music that gives the feeling of being in a crowd of people, they can do so at the Sound of Music located on the other side of the Chungang elementary school back gate. There are many stores which sell products related to folk and culture in the Street of Art.

Address: Gung-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City