Art Week 2024

The inaugural Painting + Printmaking Art Week promises to be an exceptional experience, offering a vibrant and diverse array of events designed to inspire and educate. Throughout the week, attendees can participate in engaging talks, hands-on workshops, insightful discussions and visit exhibitions. This a chance to delve into various artistic disciplines, explore new techniques and gain valuable feedback from experienced mentors.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Launch + Artist Talk

Join us for the launch of this inaugural Art Week. Lunch and listen to Wafaa Bilal, a renowned artist, who will share more about his journey and career in the arts.

Please register your attendance via this link.

12:30–1:30 p.m.
Atrium, VCUarts Qatar

Monday, November 11, 2024

Studio Visit by Brooke Inman + Wafaa Bilal

Painting + Printmaking (PAPR) students are invited to attend a session with Brooke Inman, a visiting professor from VCUarts Richmond, and New York University faculty and artist Wafaa Bilal as they share their expertise in the arts.

9:30–11:40 a.m.

By invitation only.

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Painting + Printmaking Open Day

Explore the Department of PAPR at our Open Studio Day! 

Step into our studios. Immerse yourself in our inspiring environment. Whether you’re an aspiring artist or simply curious, this is a great chance to discover the art – and heart – of our community!

Observe our students working on their creative projects. Engage with them and learn more about their artistic practices and research. Chat with our friendly faculty who will be on hand to provide information on our curriculum, projects, and future opportunities. 

Please register your attendance via this link.

9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Open Day Art Walk

PAPR invites all Art Foundation students to interact with the PAPR students, explore studio practices, and view current projects. Light lunch will be served for attendees.

12:30–1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Karak Hour: Painting + Printmaking Art Workshops

Don’t miss this Painting + Printmaking (PAPR) Karak Hour open to the VCUarts Qatar community. It’s a rare opportunity to experience the creative process in a relaxed atmosphere. 

The event kicks off with a musical performance by Sol Gaza. Then get creative with the line-up of hands-on activities organized especially for you, including one by Brooke Inman, a visiting professor from VCUarts Richmond. Activities include:

• Print Media workshop – Brooke Inman + Natalia Mejia Murillo + Gul Thakur
• Photo/Video workshop – Rola Khayyat + Peter Welz + Adriana De Soza 
• Drawings/Paintings from Gaza – Michael Perrone + Habeeb Abu-Futtaim + Hana Al Saadi + Salha Al Subaiei

Join us for a time of creativity and learning, and a chance to work closely with renowned experts.

For the VCUarts Qatar community and by invitation only.

12:30–1:30 p.m.
Atrium, VCUarts Qatar

Painting + Printmaking (PAPR) Exhibition Opening & Panel Discussion

• Opening reception of the PAPR Alumni Exhibition, “Mishwar – ‘مشوار'”
  5:30-6 p.m., Saffron Hall, VCUarts Qatar

• “Advice for Young Artists” panel discussion
  6–8 p.m., Atrium, VCUarts Qatar

The evening will kick off with the opening reception of the PAPR Alumni Exhibition, “Mishwar – ‘مشوار’,” celebrating the work of six talented alumni: Aisha Al Abdullah, Habeeb M Abu-Futtaim, Yara Al Fouly, Hana Al Saad, Yousuf Bahzad and Ameena Al Yousef.

The exhibition will remain open to the public at Saffron Hall until November 30.

The “Advice for Young Artists” panel discussion will follow the reception, where esteemed artists and cultural leaders will share their insights on career development for young artists, covering everything from conceptual development to curatorial practices and academic opportunities, particularly within the West Asia and North Africa region. 

Our distinguished panelists include:

• Wafaa Bilal
  Wafaa Bilal is an internationally acclaimed Iraqi-American artist known for his provocative and socially engaged works. He is also an Arts Professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
• Alia Al-Senussi, Ph.D.
  Princess Alia Al-Senussi is Art Basel’s VIP Representative for the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and North Africa. She holds a Ph.D. from SOAS University of London and sits on many committees and boards, including those at Tate Modern, Delfina Foundation, the Guggenheim, and more. She is also a Senior Advisor to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and the Misk Institute.
• Zeina Arida
  Zeina Arida, Director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, is an expert in arts, culture, and heritage in the Arab world, with a focus on photography and contemporary art. As director of the Sursock Museum, she led its reopening after a decade-long renovation, revitalizing it as a cultural landmark through exhibitions, programs, and archives. Following the 2020 Beirut blast, she secured over $2.5 million for the museum’s restoration. Previously, she directed the Arab Image Foundation (1997-2014), where she expanded the photographic collection and launched preservation projects, including a multi-year initiative to protect the region’s photographic heritage.
• Sheikha Reem Al Thani
  Sheikha Reem Al Thani is the Acting Deputy CEO of Exhibitions and Marketing and the Director of Centralized Exhibitions at Qatar Museums (QM). Reem leads a team that services the museums and galleries of QM to bring world-class programming to Qatar and introduce Qatar’s culture and emerging art scene to the world. Reem serves on the board of IN-Q Enterprises and has 11 years of experience in museums and exhibitions. Previously, Reem held several roles in exhibitions, including the Director of Centralized Exhibitions, overseeing the development and implementation of QM’s schedule of local and international exhibitions. Reem graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar with a double major in interior design and fashion design before becoming the first Qatari to earn a master’s degree in adaptive reuse interior architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is also a multidisciplinary designer who works on activating space through a human approach to design.
• Hana Al-Saadi
  Hana Al-Saadi holds an MFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design and received her BFA in painting and printmaking from VCUarts Qatar. Her work has been nationally and internationally exhibited, including Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art; International Studios and Curatorial Program, NYC, USA; Cosmoscow, Moscow; the Saatchi Gallery, London; and the Fire Station, among others. Hana Al-Saadi work explores the use of language, focusing on the feminine body, traditions, materiality, and domestic space, concerning the transitions happening with the development of technology. Through sculpture, painting, and sound, Al-Saadi deals with the paradoxes of the human body and objects, where she usually blurs the lines between them by objectifying the human body and personifying domestic objects.
• Dean Amir Berbić
  Amir Berbić, Dean of VCUarts Qatar, will moderate the panel and provide an academic viewpoint on nurturing artistic talent.

Please register your attendance via this link.

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Workshop led by Alia Al-Senussi exclusively for Painting + Printmaking Seniors and Alumni

Alia Al Senussi will lead an intensive career development workshop for VCUarts Qatar Painting + Printmaking students and alumni, offering insights into navigating the art world. The workshop focuses on professional growth, networking, and building a sustainable career in the arts, equipping students and alumni with strategies to thrive in their artistic and creative endeavors.

9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

By invitation only.