Today, we invited Mr. Bokunen Naka, a famous print artist from Okinawa, to Amicus. He gave a special woodblock print lesson to our Grade 4 students.

The connection between Mr. Naka and Amicus goes back many decades. It started when Ms. Bolton, who teaches woodblock printing at Amicus, was still a junior high school student. At that time, she visited an exhibition of Mr. Naka’s prints.

Ms. Bolton was deeply moved by the exhibition. She began to dream that, one day, when she became a teacher, she would like to make woodblock prints together with her students.

That dream came true at Amicus. For the past 12 years, Ms. Bolton has continued teaching woodblock printing to Amicus students while receiving guidance from Mr. Naka. Today’s special lesson was a very meaningful moment, made possible by this long and wonderful connection.

I also had the opportunity to listen to Mr. Naka’s talk. During the talk, I realized that I had forgotten my notebook. I thought about going back to my office to get it. However, I felt that I should not miss even one moment of his talk, so I stayed until the end. His words had such power to draw people in.

There was also a question-and-answer time with the students.

One student asked, “Why did you start making woodblock prints?”

Mr. Naka answered, “Because it is so much fun.”

From this simple answer, we could feel his pure joy in creating things and his deep passion for artistic expression.

Another student asked, “Do you ever make mistakes?”

Mr. Naka answered, “Sometimes, something that you think is a mistake may not be a mistake when the work is finished.”

This was a very important message for the children. It taught them not to be afraid of making mistakes. It also taught them that even when something does not go as planned, it may lead to a new discovery.

The woodblock print project that the students are working on is very special. Each child makes a small print, about 30 centimeters high and 20 centimeters wide. Then, about 60 of these small prints are put together to make one large artwork.

When the students are making their own small prints, they may not be able to imagine the final big artwork. However, when all the prints are combined, they become one powerful and beautiful piece.

Mr. Naka praised the students warmly and told them how interesting and wonderful this kind of artwork is. The children seemed surprised and happy to know that their own work would become part of one big artwork.

The students asked many questions, one after another. Mr. Naka answered each question with a gentle smile. Through his words and attitude, we could feel not only the power of his art, but also his warm personality.

One of our school’s important goals this year is to nurture students’ emotional and artistic sensitivity. When children are moved by something beautiful, feel the joy of expressing themselves, and learn from the thoughts and lives of others, their hearts grow richer.

Through Mr. Naka’s artwork and talk, I believe the children received something very special in their hearts.

Today’s lesson was not just a woodblock print lesson. It was a warm and meaningful learning experience. A dream was passed from one person to another. That dream became a learning opportunity for our children. Each child’s small work will become part of one big artwork.

This was truly a beautiful example of learning at Amicus.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Bokunen Naka, and also to Mr. Bolton, who has carefully nurtured this wonderful learning experience for many years.

Ken Oshiro, Headmaster