Katara Art Centre (KAC) will launch the Community Supported Art Programme (CSA), a new initiative in Doha and the first of its kind in the region, this month. It will open on April 29 at the KAC gallery and continue to be displayed to the public until May 6. |
KAC artistic director and curator Mayssa Fattouh said, “We have a unique position between artists and collectors. By facilitating an active relationship between them, we aim to cultivate an active and ultimately sustainable cultural community in Doha.”
The CSA provides a platform for both emerging and established artists to present their work in a format that allows direct access to potential collectors of their work and to a wider audience. The idea behind the CSA is to create an accessible platform where collectors will have an opportunity to engage with the artists and their work, and support them directly. The programme works through the purchase of “shares”, entitling each “shareholder” to take home an artwork from the exhibition.
The revenue of each “share” goes directly to supporting the artist to produce the work. Inspired by similar projects in the United States, community-supported initiatives have appeared as a way to connect cultural producers with their audience through a tested market concept that encourages face-to-face connections and community-building.
Fifteen Doha-based artists have been confirmed for the exhibition - from well-known and established artists to emerging artists and first-time exhibitors. The art includes a wide variety of limited-edition photography and prints in a number of varied styles, covering a range of subject matter, with the majority of work being produced specifically for the CSA.
In bringing together both established and emerging artists through this initiative, contributing collectors and others will be able to examine the diversity of artists based in Doha and in styles and subject matter. This interaction between collectors and artists outside the traditional gallery setting allows collectors to communicate directly with the artists on their work, direction and vision. Artists will also benefit through this interaction with collectors determining their motivation, taste and interest in collecting work from Qatar-based artists.
The 15 artists participating in the CSA are Alanoud Alhajry, Ben Barbour, Christto Sanz, Andrew Weir, Erika Bloomfeld, Faraj Daham, Jaber al-Azmeh, Khalid Albaih, Khalifa al-Obaidly, Maher Attar, Maria Stabio, Mariana Heilman, Mohamed Abou El Naga, Rhys Himsworth and Zachary Lewis Stensen.
The CSA programme also includes an educational component, ‘Portfolio Workshop’, which will be held on May 5. Designed for young and student artists, the workshop aims to share important skills in presenting their work to galleries and the public by preparing portfolios and writing artist statements.