The Fire Station: Artist in Residence demonstrated yet again that it sits squarely at the heart of Doha’s flourishing art community by last night hosting an open studio event for the public.

Large numbers of people visited to meet the 18 artists resident there, explore and enjoy their art and learn more about how the Fire Station acts as a hub for creative exchange.

Launched under the patronage of Qatar Museums’ Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Fire Station provides the perfect springboard for creativity and has helped large numbers of talented young artists take their passion to the next level.

The Fire Station offers a host of unique opportunities for artists in Qatar during the nine-months that they are resident there. Not only do they move into one of the studios, but they collaborate with fellow creatives and find ways to develop and explore their own technique. They also meet curators, access all Qatar Museums (QM) exhibitions and are encouraged to join lectures.

They benefit from weekly mentoring sessions and meet arts professionals from all over the world, representing Qatar in the international cultural community. By bringing these elements together, the initiative clearly demonstrates QM’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent.

The benefit this provides to the artists was clearly on display during the open studio event, with a wide range of striking works produced across a variety of media including fine art, sculpture, photography and more .

Since it opened its doors, more than  55 artists have benefited from the residency programme.

The programme has proven to be enormously popular, with several hundred applications submitted over the course of the three years.

Khalifa Al Obaidly, Director of the Fire Station: Artist in Residence said:

“The Fire Station not only provides an effective launchpad to develop the careers of many of the Qatar’s most talented artists, but it has developed into a colourful, spirited and dynamic arts centre for the public. Our open studio events are an incredibly important part of that and provide the perfect introduction to the various steps that Qatar Museums is taking to nurture and develop the country’s young creatives.”