Korea Artists Welfare Foundation and Arts Management Support Center to Host "2026 Arts Job Fair"

September 9-10 at Hongik University Daehakro Art Center

The Korea Artists Welfare Foundation, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Arts Management Support Center will jointly host the "2026 Arts Job Fair" at the 1st and 3rd exhibition halls of Hongik University Daehakro Art Center on September 9-10.

Marking its second year, the "2026 Arts Job Fair" is designed to support sustainable work for artists and expand collaboration opportunities not only within the arts sector but also with various industries and social fields. As with last year, this year's event will bring together artists, individuals wishing to work in the arts, companies, and organizations in one place, where they can seek hiring and collaboration opportunities and network with one another.

This year, the focus will be placed on "collaboration and exploration" to expand artists' areas of activity beyond simple job seeking. In the collaboration and exploration zone, 25 organizations—including companies, startups, social enterprises, and culture and arts groups from a variety of sectors—will hold one-on-one collaboration consultations with artists. There will also be a separate space providing career counseling for those preparing to find employment in the arts sector.

Support will also be strengthened to help connections made between artists and organizations at the fair lead to actual collaborations or employment. After the event, up to 10 teams that successfully establish actual collaborations or hirings will each receive a matching support grant of 500,000 won on a first-come, first-served basis.

Additionally, on the afternoon of the first day, a 120-minute intensive program called "Arts Collaboration Lab" will be held, where artists and organizations team up to develop detailed collaboration plans. One outstanding team, selected by on-site voting, will be awarded a project execution grant of 1 million won, along with extra points when applying for next year's "Artro" program.

A variety of lectures and discussion programs are also scheduled to support the growth and careers of artists. On the first day, Jinyeob Cha, artistic director of the National Contemporary Dance Company, and Daewoo Oh, co-CEO of Neolwihanmunhwaart, will appear in a talk show themed "Turning Art into Work, and Work into Career," sharing real stories from the arts job sector. On the second day, artist Sangho Roh (visual arts) and writer Yunyi Ham (literature) will discuss the experiences and careers they've built through their artistic activities with fellow artists. Visual artist Ingwang Lee will also give a special lecture on "How Artists Can Expand Their Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)."

There will also be counseling programs to support artists with practical concerns. In the "Artist Activity Navigator," ten senior artists and professional mentors will review portfolios and offer one-on-one consultations on direction and sustaining long-term work. In addition, there will be programs offering consultations on contract and copyright issues that may arise in the course of collaboration ("Artist Legal Consultation"), as well as career counseling and cover letter clinics for those preparing to work in the arts field.

Various side events will also be offered for participants' enjoyment, including personal color analysis, collaboration style MBTI tests, and profile photo shoots.

Yongwook Jeong, CEO of the Korea Artists Welfare Foundation, stated, "For artists, jobs are more than just employment opportunities—they are a vital foundation for sustaining artistic activities and discovering new possibilities." He added, "We hope that this second edition of the fair will become a venue where artists and organizations can discover each other's potential and form connections that lead to tangible collaborations and employment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.