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The Community Education Programme at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), in collaboration with Qatar Academy Doha, has concluded a six-week initiative that invited young students to explore sustainability through hands-on creative practice, combining environmental awareness with digital storytelling.Waste to Art ran from January 4 to February 17, engaging 26 QAD students across years four to five. Participants repurposed everyday waste into sculptural figures and then “activated” their creations through stop-motion film, bridging traditional craftsmanship and digital media.“The Community Education Programme at VCUarts Qatar is committed to building a strong and equitable creative community,” said Rasha Alkasab, programme manager at VCUarts Qatar. “By integrating themes such as sustainability into art and design, we equip students with a strong creative foundation while contributing to a multiversity environment that nurtures collaboration and innovation across the Qatar Foundation ecosystem.”Mada Sadek, art teacher at Qatar Academy Doha, highlighted the pedagogical impact: “For the past three years, our students have engaged regularly with VCUarts Qatar. By starting this journey in Grade 3 and continuing through Grade 5, they have developed skills that broaden their horizons. This experience supports the development of the 'whole child,' as these innovative thinking skills transfer into subjects like mathematics and language.”Projects were evaluated based on design quality, conceptual development, sustainability, technical execution, and reflection.First place was awarded to Alesha Gunay for The Sunset Race, a work inspired by a passion for Formula 1 that used old pastels, sandpaper, cardboard, wire, and yarn to capture the energy of the track. Second place went to Yosra Aqel for The Evolution of Amber, an animation created using pinecones, pompoms, and feathers that follows a character named Amber as she overcomes challenges to learn to fly, symbolising resilience and integrity. And third place was awarded to Lynn Alameddine for Monty, constructed from forks, straws, and recycled cardboard. The story follows Monty, a character navigating a disability, serving as an inspiring reminder that anyone can shine regardless of physical challenges.The VCUarts Qatar Community Education Programme offers creative learning opportunities for youth and lifelong learners through workshops and short courses in art and design. Rooted in experimentation, critical thinking, and cultural exchange, the programme fosters artistic growth and community engagement across Qatar. 

Design students in Qatar are entering higher education with unprecedented awareness, global outlook, and a keen sense of cultural responsibility, according to Amir Berbic, the dean of Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts) in Qatar. In a recent interview, he detailed how the profile of today’s design students has evolved, as well as the challenges and responsibilities facing creative education in a rapidly changing world. “Today’s students come in far more aware of the world around them,” Berbic said. “Many have already been making, sharing, and responding to work online, so they arrive with a sense that their ideas can reach outside their own circle, have impact and matter.” “In Qatar, we also see students who are very conscious of place,” he added. “They’re thinking about how global conversations intersect with local culture, and they want their work to be meaningful both here in Qatar but also in a more diverse international context.” The dean stressed that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and new technologies has added pressure to creative education. “There is real pressure to focus on tools and speed rather than thinking and intention,” Berbic stated. “Technology will keep changing, but creative education cannot become a race to keep up with the latest platform.” “Our role is to help students ask better questions, understand context, and make thoughtful choices,” he said. “AI can be powerful, but creativity requires critical judgement and human intention for it to be meaningful.” About balancing artistic freedom with the demand for employability in design education, Berbic said that artistic freedom at VCUarts Qatar is not seen as a trade-off with employability. Encouraging independence, adaptability, and confidence, he noted that the school nurtures the very qualities employers value. At the same time, students are guided in professional expectations, learning to work with clients, collaborate across disciplines, and communicate their ideas effectively. The approach aims not to constrain creativity, but to equip students to carry their unique voices into successful professional careers. Berbic highlighted the institution’s role in shaping cultural identity. “We are part of the cultural ecosystem, not separate from it,” he stressed. “That means creating space for dialogue, experimentation, and reflection, and taking seriously the role design and art play in shaping how a society sees itself.” “In Qatar, that responsibility includes engaging with the nation’s heritage, with the roots and the heart of the country, while also allowing room for new interpretations and perspectives,” Berbic said. Asked how the university encourages critical thinking in a region where global and local influences constantly intersect, the dean said: “Students at VCUarts Qatar are encouraged to engage with complexity and embrace ambiguity instead of rushing to simple solutions.” “They are guided to conduct thorough research, challenge assumptions, and consider the cultural implications of their creative decisions,” he continued. “Because our students move between local and global references every day, critical thinking becomes a practical skill, not an abstract one,” Berbic said. “It’s about learning how to navigate multiple perspectives with care and clarity and then translating that understanding into creative expression that is thoughtful, grounded, and intentional,” he added. Addressing common misconceptions about creative careers, Berbic said creative careers are often seen as unstructured or lacking practical opportunities, but an education in the arts and design provides essential skills that are increasingly important across multiple sectors. He added that the discipline, research, and problem-solving that underpin creative work build a strong, marketable skillset, equipping graduates with abilities that extend far beyond traditional creative industries and are highly sought after in today’s job market. About the kind of creative leaders Qatar need in the next decade, Berbic said: “Qatar needs leaders who are thoughtful, forward-looking yet grounded – people who understand context and responsibility as much as innovation.” “Leaders who can work across cultures, listen carefully, and respond with integrity,” he added. “Creativity in the next decade will be about building meaningful, sustainable futures, problem solving and bridging gaps.” 

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) has welcomed more than 200 guests to the opening of 'Pulse of Place: Selected Works from the Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection' at the school's The Gallery.Presented as a preview to the inaugural Art Basel Qatar recently held at Doha Design District in Msheireb, the exhibition brought together artists, international visitors, cultural leaders, and dignitaries for an evening celebrating Qatar’s evolving contemporary art landscape.'Pulse of Place' features works by 11 artists and designers — each a VCUarts Qatar alumni and represented in the Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection. The exhibition reflects the dynamic trajectory of Qatari art, from heritage-based traditions to globally engaged contemporary practices, while highlighting the lasting impact of VCUarts Qatar graduates on the nation’s cultural narrative.On view until March 7, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to experience firsthand the artistic voices shaping Qatar’s visual culture today.“This exhibition captures the depth and ambition of Qatar’s contemporary artistic voice. We are especially proud to see the work of our alumni represented so prominently, underscoring the role of education, patronage, and creative research in shaping the country’s cultural landscape,” said Amir Berbic, dean of VCUarts Qatar.“With 'Pulse of Place', the gallery becomes a space where these narratives unfold physically and experientially. We look forward to welcoming visitors to explore the exhibition and engage with the work of our talented alumni,” said Chase Westfall, head of gallery at VCUarts Qatar.The exhibition opening coincided with the official launch of 'Contemporary Art from Qatar: The Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection (Skira Arte, 2026)', a publication documenting three decades of collecting by HE Dr Abdulla bin Ali al-Thani. Together, the book and exhibition offered complementary perspectives — one scholarly and archival, the other spatial and experiential — on the development of Qatar’s contemporary art movement. 

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) hosted the launch of the book ‘Contemporary Art from Qatar: The Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection.'This publication celebrates three decades of dedicated art collection by His Excellency Dr Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali al-Thani, a visionary patron and champion of Qatar’s creative ambitions and vibrant cultural landscape.**media[411911]**The launch ceremony was attended by a large number of people, including His Excellency Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, State Minister and President of Qatar National Library; several dignitaries; faculty, staff and students from VCUarts Qatar and a large number of guests.The book traces the remarkable evolution of Qatari art – from heritage-based traditions and traditional motifs to innovative, globally engaged contemporary practices – offering an insightful narrative on the development of the nation’s artistic identity and rapid transformation.Engaging in a lively conversation with the dean of VCUarts Qatar, Amir Berbic, Sheikh Abdulla said he enjoyed looking at art and visiting museums and galleries for a long time during his studies, which made him collect artworks.“That is when it all started. And mainly it is driven by what I like. It is the first attraction that takes me to a painting or a work that I want to have in my collection. So it is mainly driven by my personal interest,” he noted.Sheikh Abdulla explained: “I cannot hide that some of the work that I enjoyed and collected, are a collection of historical rooms, which I think is important for us here in Qatar. So in a way, that goes with the responsibility of creating a comprehensive collection that reflects on what I am preserving. Some people call me a collector. I look at myself as a protector for this collection, as a custodian for this collection that will move to another generation that they can enjoy in the future.”Sheikh Abdulla said that he will go for the collection of any art piece on different attractions such as the colour of an art work. “Sometimes it's like a memory in your mind that makes you like that work. And, sometimes it is just because it is a historical item and has a historical moment that is important for the country. So I would love to have that as part of my collection,” he added.The book launch is held in conjunction with the official opening of the exhibition 'Pulse of Place': Selected Works from the Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection' at the Gallery at VCUarts Qatar running from January 25 to March 7. This exhibition features works by 11 talented Qatari artists and designers—alumni of VCUarts Qatar—who are also represented in the book, highlighting the enduring impact of local talent nurtured through education and patronage.“With Pulse of Place, we are offering a physical manifestation of the narratives captured in Dr Abdulla’s new publication,” said Chase Westfall, head of gallery at VCUarts Qatar. “This exhibition does more than display the work of 11 extraordinary alumni, it illuminates the tangible role that VCUarts Qatar has played in forging Qatar’s visual culture.” 

The Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) is to present “YA 3ASAL”, a new solo exhibition by British-Sudanese artist and designer Sarah Elawad, on view from August 28 to October 9.In YA 3ASAL, Elawad draws on personal memories and shared cultural practices to explore the deep emotional and symbolic meanings of sweets in Arab and Sudanese traditions of hospitality.The title itself – YA 3ASAL, a common Arabic term of endearment meaning “Hey, honey!” – captures the exhibition’s warm, affectionate tone and its celebration of connection through sensory experience.The inspiration for the exhibition began with a small but powerful moment.As Elawad recounts: “A few months ago, I was at Eid prayer in Washington Square Park in New York when a little girl tapped me on the shoulder and offered me a caramel.“As I bit into it, I was immediately taken back to my childhood – to our family living room full of guests, the smell of bakhoor in the air.”This encounter sparked a deeper reflection on the way food, particularly sweets, can act as vessels of memory and emotion.At the heart of the exhibition is a recognition of how sweetness operates as a cultural language of love, celebration, and care.Elawad notes that in many Arab households, “it’s almost disrespectful to not have something sweet to offer your guests”.“Whether it’s a sugary drink, a baked good, or a piece of chocolate from a box, sweets are a way of showing hospitality, of spreading joy,” she said.For Chase Westfall, the director of Exhibitions and Programmes at VCUarts Qatar and co-curator of the show, Elawad’s work resonates on multiple levels.“Sarah Elawad’s work is visually lush and emotionally resonant,” he said. “She has a remarkable ability to translate personal memory into collective meaning, inviting us to feel, remember, and reflect through the universal language of sweets and care.”In this spirit, YA 3ASAL transforms the gallery into a space of shared memory.Shimmering textiles, brightly coloured walls, glowing television screens, and playful graphic forms nod to the living rooms and parlours where rituals of hospitality unfold.Curated by Dina Alkhateeb, the head of Gallery Chase Westfall and The Gallery’s Associate Curator of Campus Projects, the exhibition is part of The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar’s ongoing mission to present innovative, cross-cultural work that speaks to identity, place, and personal experience.

As we begin the 2025-2026 academic year, I am delighted to welcome all of our students, both returning and new, to Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar. Your presence here marks the start of a new chapter filled with creativity, ambition, and discovery, within one of the most dynamic and diverse educational communities in the region. This past week, we celebrated Convocation, welcoming the incoming class into our community through the Rams Spirit Walk and the presentation of the New Student Stole. These symbols represent our traditions, pride, and sense of belonging. These moments go beyond mere ceremony; they mark the beginning of a journey shaped by inspiration, collaboration, and creativity. Looking ahead, we are excited to continue building on our tradition of academic excellence while further expanding opportunities for leadership, extracurricular engagement, and cross-disciplinary exploration. At VCUarts Qatar, we believe that a student’s journey extends beyond the classroom. It includes engaging in cultural dialogue, participating in community initiatives, and exploring creative practices that transcend boundaries. With more than six academic programmes, including graphic design, interior design, kinetic imaging, painting and printmaking, art history, and our MFA in design, our students have access to a breadth of opportunities to grow as artists, designers, and thinkers. To our new students: my message to you is simple; embrace this chapter of your life with courage and openness. Say “yes” to new experiences, and don’t shy away from challenges. These are the moments that will shape your growth and define your success. I wish each of you a year filled with accomplishments, creativity, and meaningful connections that will enrich your lives and leave a lasting impact on your communities and beyond.