Doha, Qatar: Art is incorporated into student experience at Qatar Foundation (QF) and it varies from the artwork on the walls of Education City universities to architecture of the buildings.
At QF art complements academic learning and enhances the overall educational experience, according to Community Arts Lead, Ameera M. Al Aji.
“When students at Qatar Foundation partner universities experience various art offerings available to them around Education City, it helps to create well-rounded and culturally aware individuals who are better equipped to think critically, communicate effectively, and navigate a complex and diverse world,” said Ameera.
Education City is home to permanent public art exhibitions such as Seero fi al ardh and Mathaf Museum; also there are 45 hand-chosen art pieces located at Education City campuses Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), and Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar.
CMU-Q established a Public Art Committee in 2008 before the building opened. Comprising faculty, students, and staff, the committee sought artwork to enhance the educational experience and building design. Members explored local galleries and connected with global artists to select pieces for the building’s walls.
“The committee believed that art at CMU-Q should reflect Carnegie Mellon University’s position as a leader in education for the arts and creative research and interesting and challenging pieces should expand this educational mission,” said Kara Nesimiuk, Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations at CMU-Q and a founding member of the CMU-Q Public Art Committee.
“The committee sought out different perspectives by keeping all meetings open to the CMU-Q community so community members could learn about the piece and offer comment.”
One of the first pieces installed after the building opened in 2008 is a mural by Doug Cooper, Sarah Cooper, and Nina Gorger. Titled ‘Between Memory, Desert, and Sea’, it depicts the people, history, and traditions of Qatar as well as touchpoint locations on the Pittsburgh campus.
The CMU-Q art collection includes artists from around the world, reflecting the international diversity of this community. Qatari-based pieces included Ali Hassan’s ‘Views From My Country’, a striking mural of colours inspired by the sea and sun, as well as ‘Watercolours 1 and 2’. Salman Al Malik’s Blues Wake, Nostalgia’s Span 29 was inspired by daily life in Doha, employing vibrant colors and free form technique.
“More than fifteen years later, the public art collection in the CMU-Q building has become part of the Education City landscape,” said Nesimiuk.
“We regularly host tours of the building for Qatar Foundation guests and Education City community members. Every day, students walk by the art pieces, they study next to them, and they contemplate them during quiet moments.
“Being part of this committee has been a highlight of my time at CMU-Q, and I continue to love the pieces. When members of the Public Art Committee return to CMU-Q, they tell me how pleased they are that the collection still inspires our students and community as we hoped it would.”
At GU-Q, students, faculty, administration, and staff often assemble to socialise in the Atrium, which is home to the most notable art installation at its campus - a graffitied piece of the Berlin Wall.
Associate Professor of History M Reza Pirbhai says that the art installation reflects subjects of course taught at GU-Q on modern politics, economics, history, and the humanities.
