Yuno Bounds
Graduate Student at the University of Florida.
Master of Arts in Art Education program.
Works for the University of Florida can be found here. Works for UF.
Teaching Philosophy and Artist’s Statement
Art is a key to opening the hidden doors within us. It is a lifelong journey of learning and growth.
I’m from Okinawa, Japan.
I am from Okinawa, Japan, and I spent eight years working as an education technician for the Children, Youth, and Teen Program on a U.S. Marine Corps base in Okinawa. My role was to create a safe and enjoyable educational environment for children, which included developing lesson plans, organizing field trips, and training new staff members. While my responsibilities were aimed at supporting the holistic development of the children, I focused especially on art projects, including organizing cultural exchanges with local schools.
The children I worked with came from a wide variety of backgrounds and family structures. For many American military families, Okinawa was a foreign environment, and adjusting to life there posed challenges for their children. Understanding diversity and learning to accept differences were key components of our program. By integrating art into cultural learning, we created a fun, engaging way to explore and appreciate various cultures. Exchange events allowed the children to connect with local culture and make friends in the community, helping them feel more at home in their new environment.
For many children, their military parents were frequently deployed, which meant saying goodbye to family members or friends who were leaving the base. I wanted to create a safe space for children to express their emotions freely, without fear of judgment. Art offers a unique way for children to express feelings that are difficult to articulate in words. We created art to send to deployed parents, and the children used art as a way to process their emotions. Art, I believe, is a lifelong learning tool—it can be a source of personal enrichment, healing, self-expression, self-acceptance, connection, and more.
To me, teaching art isn’t just about imparting technical skills. Rather than focusing on step-by-step instructions for creating specific objects, I prefer to guide children in discovering how they can use art in a meaningful way—whether for personal fulfillment or to make an impact on others. I believe it’s important for students to find their own meaning, purpose, and reasons behind their creations. The technical skills required for their personal expression will vary, and I am committed to being resourceful in meeting each child’s individual needs. I look forward to learning alongside my students, helping them find their own answers, and being there to support them.
Currently, my personal passion in art is focused on expressing the issue of ocean pollution and its impact on ecosystems. Growing up on a small island surrounded by water, I was always acutely aware of the pollution in our oceans. Although I may be just one person, I believe that if my art can inspire even one person to think more deeply about ocean pollution and the precious lives within our ecosystems, it will have been worth it.