The Art of Fermentation from Korea
- Class
- Ticket Required
CMA Class
An Exploration of Korean Food and Beverages to Nourish the Spirit
Friday, December 18, 2026, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
About The Event
The Art of Fermentation from Korea is a 21+ event.
Join us for a special adult education class in celebration of the exhibition, Ten Kings of Hell: The Afterlife in Medieval Korea. The class is paired with Korean food and beverage tasting, which examines the history and cultural significance of fermented drinks, such as soju, as well as fermented foods, including kimchi. Medieval Koreans in the Goryeo period (918–1392) wished to honor the deceased and provide them comfort in the afterlife, including dishes and other everyday objects in burial. The origins of making soju and kimchi can be traced back to the Goryeo people and they continue to be significant today. The act of fermentation not only aids in preservation and provides added health benefits but it also symbolizes the importance of community, harmony, and the transformation from life into the spiritual world.
This educational and delicious program is held in the museum’s banquet room and is led by Sooa Im McCormick, Korea Foundation Curator of Korean Art, and by certified sommelier, Wes Cowie.
Please note, the menu includes pork, chicken, and seafood. We are not able to offer menu substitutions for this class.
Bottles of soju are available to purchase and take home at the end of class.
For questions, please contact adultprograms@clevelandart.org.
Featured Art
Sponsors
Ten Kings of Hell: The Afterlife in Medieval Korea is organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art in partnership with the National Museum of Korea. This exhibition is made possible by this special relationship and a generous multiyear grant awarded through the museum’s Overseas Korean Galleries Support Program.
Presented by
Principal support is provided by Dr. Conrad C. and Patricia V. Simpfendorfer. Major support is provided by the Malcolm E. Kenney Curatorial Research Fund. Additional support is provided by Gay-Young Cho and Chris Chiu, the Joseph M. and Bonnie N. S. Gardewin Endowment for Korean Art Exhibitions, Ms. Judith Gerson, and Goshen Foods.
All exhibitions at the Cleveland Museum of Art are underwritten by the CMA Fund for Exhibitions. Principal annual support is provided by Michael Frank and the late Pat Snyder, the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation, the John and Jeanette Walton Exhibition Fund, and Margaret and Loyal Wilson. Major annual support is provided by the late Dick Blum and Harriet Warm and the Frankino-Dodero Family Fund for Exhibitions Endowment. Generous annual support is provided by two anonymous donors, Gini and Randy Barbato, Cynthia and Dale Brogan, Dr. Ben and Julia Brouhard, Brenda and Marshall Brown, Gail and Bill Calfee, the Leigh H. Carter family, Dr. William A. Chilcote Jr. and Dr. Barbara S. Kaplan, Mary and Jim Conway, Joseph and Susan Corsaro, Ron and Cheryl Davis, the Jeffery Wallace Ellis Trust in memory of Lloyd H. Ellis Jr., Leigh and Andy Fabens, Florence Kahane Goodman, Martha H. and Steven M. Hale, Janice Hammond and Edward Hemmelgarn, Linda Harper, Robin Heiser, the late Marta and the late Donald M. Jack Jr., the estate of Walter and Jean Kalberer, Robert M. Kaye, Jane and Doug Kern, the late Mrs. Nancy M. Lavelle, Eva and Rudolf Linnebach, William S. Lipscomb, Bill and Joyce Litzler, the Roy Minoff Family Fund, Lu Anne and the late Carl Morrison, Mrs. Peta and the late Dr. Roland Moskowitz, Jeffrey Mostade and Eric Nilson and Varun Shetty, Sarah Nash, Courtney and Michael Novak, Mark and Paula Nylander, Tim O’Brien and Breck Platner, Dr. Nicholas and Anne Ogan, William J. and Katherine T. O’Neill, Henry Ott-Hansen, Frank and Fran Porter, Christine Fae Powell, Peter and Julie Raskind, Michael and Cindy Resch, Marguerite and James Rigby, in memory of Dee Schafer, Betty T. and David M. Schneider, Elizabeth and Tim Sheeler, Saundra K. Stemen, Paula and Eugene Stevens, the Womens Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art, and Claudia Woods and David Osage.
Major support for the Ten Kings of Hell: The Afterlife in Medieval Korea exhibition catalogue is provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.
Additional support is provided by the Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies.
The exhibition symposium is made possible with support from the Dunhuang Foundation and the National Museum of Korea.