On December 21st, BTS’ RM and Henry were named the ‘2020 Art Sponsor of the Year’ sponsored by state-run Arts Council Korea (ARKO).
For the year 2020, the Arts Council Korea honored six companies and four individuals with the ‘Arts Sponsor of the Year Awards’, in seven categories including categories depending on the size and nature of the company/public institution, and personal contribution/donation category, according to Yonhap News.
During the pandemic, as the cultural and arts community faced difficulties in continuing with their schedules, the livelihoods of many artists were hugely impacted. In such a time, celebrities and companies took the lead in art sponsorship, to help artists continue making art and promote them to spark people’s interests.
Both RM and Henry were awarded the ‘Arts Sponsor of the Year Awards’ in the personal contribution/donation category, in recognition of their art patronage and their contribution to the culture and arts community during the pandemic.
RM made a generous donation of 100 million won to the National Museum of Contemporary Art in September 2020, helping make and donated out-of-print art books to over 400 nations. This is not the first time BTS’s leader showed interest in art. He is known for having special admiration for art and often shares his art gallery trip pictures through social media.
Back in January 2020, ahead of the release of “Map of the Soul:7”, BTS launched a global exhibition “Connect, BTS”, as an initiative to connect 22 artists around five cities to create artwork that represents the connection between art, music, and people, in their own unique philosophies. With this project, BTS aimed to create a point of connection between visual arts and pop music.
In August 2020, the group also signed up to curator Hans Ulrich Obrist‘s global inclusive arts project ‘infinite’s exhibition’ do it (around the world), where artists, musicians, and designers from around the world were invited to share DIY art instructions that can be easily done at home and be interpret in many ways. The septet penned a heartfelt message in both Korean and English, that conveyed the message of connecting beyond boundaries to create a ‘beautiful’ future together.
Multi-talented singer, Henry’s exceptional contribution was also recognized with the personal contribution/donation category award as an ambassador for ‘Orchestra of Dream‘ that supports young artists. Henry’s significant efforts to further art through his original YouTube series “Henry Together” was also highly acknowledged. In the series, he sets out to discover and collaborate with young musical talents, and provide the prodigies with a platform to showcase their commendable skills. The Chinese-Canadian singer-songwriter, actor and entertainer, is not only a vocalist but can also play multiple instruments including the violin, piano, drums, and guitar, to name a few. He also graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Music Production.
Below you can check out an episode from “Henry Together” where Henry is “shooketh” meeting a 12-year-old piano genius!
Congratulations to RM and Henry!