Student art exhibition at Mathaf
Arab Museum Modern Art
DOHA, June 10: The annual and much anticipated Mathaf Student Art Competition and Exhibition (SAC&E) is celebrating the completion of its fourth season with a student art exhibition at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. More than 120 students from four schools across the country took part in the competition for a chance to showcase their artworks at the museum.
Presented by Qatar Museums under the leadership of its Chairperson, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the exhibition, titled Urban Lights, presents a selection of 20 unique artworks that will be on show until July 10 2017.
Commenting on the project, Maral J. Bedoyan, Deputy Director of Learning and Outreach, said: “We are very proud of the success of this competition, which is an original Mathaf educational programme that supports QM’s commitment for art education and creativity.
Through this initiative, we aim to nurture talent and engage children from a young age to teach them to appreciate art.
Involving an artist mentor in the project expanded the creative process for both art teachers and the students, reinforcing the Museum’s mission to connect art historical narratives to daily life, and art education to creative learning.”
She added: “We are truly happy with the results from the students who took part in the competition this year, including The American School of Doha, Doha College, Iqra English School for Boys and Lycee Bonaparte Doha. We congratulate them and their teachers for being an integral part of the exhibition and we thank them for collaborating with the Mathaf Education team.”
This year’s competition, titled ‘Urban Lights’, invited students to imagine their future city. The theme was designed to urge students to think of their surroundings and the city they consider home, in addition to exploring the idea of light in art and architecture.
During the competition, students were encouraged to push their boundaries by experimenting with and exploring new tools and materials. The theme gave students numerous possibilities that allowed them to create their proposed future ‘city’. They were guided to experiment with a multidisciplinary approach, including installations, light sculptures, and more.
To further enrich this year’s programme, the Mathaf Education team collaborated with artist, Rima Kaddissi, who shared her expertise and mentored the art teachers and students through their creative process. Kaddissi’s role involved leading one-on-one sessions with the participants and helping them develop new techniques.
SAC&E encourages students aged between 6 to 18, along with teachers and parents, to explore modern and contemporary art by experiencing Mathaf’s permanent collection.
This initiative comes as part of Mathaf’s commitment to teach art history, increase knowledge of the museums’ collection and advocate for art education and creative learning. Mathaf’s yearlong educational programmes are designed to stimulate creativity, inquiry and an appreciation of modern and contemporary art in the region.