The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has launched an open call for artists and designers to submit creative designs for the museum’s new mascot to mark its first-year anniversary.

NMoQ selected the dugong, a large marine mammal that has lived in Qatari waters for over 7,500 years, as its mascot. This initiative is part of the programming around the museum’s upcoming exhibition on dugongs set to open next year in collaboration with ExxonMobil Research Qatar.

The Arabian Gulf is home to the second largest population of dugongs in the world, making them significant to Qatar. These mammals are currently on the World Wildlife Fund’s vulnerable list and raising awareness of them links to the museum’s key themes around sustainability and conservation.

The design of the dugong should have a unique concept which symbolises NMoQ’s identity and relates to Qatari culture, in an aesthetic and appealing manner. The deadline for submitting designs is July 1 and independent artists and designers from all age groups and nationalities are welcome to submit their designs; international submissions are also welcome. The prize for the winning design will include major media and press interviews for the artist and coverage featuring the design, recognition by HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM), and Sheikha Amna bint Abdull Aziz bin Jassim al-Thani, director of NMoQ, a free culture pass membership and gift package from the NMoQ Gift Shop.

If an international artist is selected, the prize will also cover a round-trip ticket to Doha. NMoQ was inaugurated on 28 March 2019, and since then welcomed more than 600,000 visitors from all around the world. The museum was also recognised for its eff orts in sustainability by receiving the LEED Gold certification, a first-ever certificate awarded to a national museum. NMoQ remains one of Qatar’s key landmarks that highlights the country’s culture and heritage.

Source : The Gulf Times

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