The Fire Station hosted an ‘Open Studio’ night on Monday, giving the public the chance to meet the 18 artists currently participating in the highly successful Artist in Residence programme.
The event was an opportunity for art enthusiasts to interact and speak with the artists about their work and explore the Fire Station – a hub for the country’s growing art community.
Artists displayed their works, which included a variety of media, such as fine art, sculpture, and photography, among others.
Launched under the patronage of Qatar Museums’ (QM) chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Fire Station offers artists in Qatar the chance to immerse themselves in their work for a period of nine-months.
The residency provides them with individualised studios and the chance to collaborate with fellow creatives and find ways to develop and explore their own techniques. They also meet curators, access all QM exhibitions and are encouraged to join workshops and lectures.
The programme is part of QM’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent in the country and helping Qatar originate art and culture from within by providing platforms where creativity can thrive.
“The Open Studio Night is one of our most popular events because it allows the public to directly interact with the artists and explore their worlds. Such events are not only a testament to the country’s growing art scene but are also a showcase of the incredible work that QM is doing to inspire audiences living in and visiting Qatar,” Fire Station director Khalifa al-Obaidly said.
“With every year, I am incredibly impressed with the works produced by the artists in residence and I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with by the end of the programme next year,” he added.
Participating artists include, Shaikha Jassim al-Hardan (Qatar), Sarah Hassan al-Ansari (Qatar), Mohamed Faraj al-Suwaidi (Qatar), Abdulla Najib al-Kuwari (Qatar), Maryam Masoud al-Ameri (Qatar), Federica Visani (Italy), Nayla al-Mulla (Qatar), Faisal Rashid al-Hajri (Qatar), Lolwa al-Solaiti (Qatar), Sara Ahmad al-Fadaaq (Qatar), Rouda Abdulaziz M A al-Khori (Qatar), 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).
The Fire Station will announce the open call to the Artist in Residence programme in February of 2019. All artists residing in Qatar are welcome to submit their applications through the online submissions page.
