Fire Station Welcomes New Artists in Residence

Some 19 Qatar-based artists have been selected for the Fire Station: Artist in Residence programme 2018-2019 season, Qatar Museums (QM) has announced. 

Now in its fourth year, the nine-month long residency, spearheaded by QM Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, champions the next generation of artistic talent, providing them with a platform to develop their creativity.

The Artist in Residence programme attracts large number of portfolio submissions from Qatar-based artists.  This year, artists have been selected with disciplines ranging from graphic design and animation to painting and sculpture.  As part of the programme, this year’s intake of residents will benefit from their own dedicated studio space, the opportunity to collaborate and exchange cultural knowledge with each other and and the chance to enhance their creative progression through mentoring and workshops with highly influential artists.

Source: Gulf Times

The new Artists in Residence were welcomed to their new creative hub by the director of the Fire Station, Khalifa al-Obaidly, where they were given an in-depth introduction to the facilities at their disposal.  “We were extremely impressed with the calibre of talent that we received and are delighted to welcome this year’s class of Artists in Residence,” al-Obaidly said.

Over the years we have seen the programme go from strength to strength and look forward to nurturing the next generation of artists that will then tell the story of Qatar to local and international audiences,” he noted. “This programme will be an opportunity for them to push their boundaries and further develop their skills as artists, as well as learn from each other,” al-Obaidly added.

The programme, a highlight of QM’s initiatives, aims to create a new generation of talents that can inspire audiences and drive forward Qatar’s cultural sector. Sitting at the heart of Qatar’s thriving creative community, it acts as a hub for participants, encouraging them to take their artistic skills to the next level.

The full list of the 19 artists participating in the programme this year include Qatari artists Abdulla Najib al-Kuwari, Sarah Hassan  al-Ansari, Mohammed Faraj al-Suwaidi, Shaikha Jassim al-Hardan, Maryam Masoud Alameri, Nayla al-Mulla, Faisal Rashid al-Hajri, Lolwa al-Solaiti, Sara Ahmad al-Fadaaq and Rouda Abdulaziz M A al-Khori.

Federica Visani  (Italy), Hassan Manasra (Jordan), Alaa Bata (Jordan), Jesse Payne (US), Guillaume Claude Felicien Rousere (France), Nourbano Feras al-Hejazi (Saudi Arabia), Sidra Zubairi (Pakistan), Eman Makki (Egypt) and Michael Perrone (US) also made it to the list.