Abu Dhabi Music And Arts Foundation Display Emirati Art And Design At Unique Booth Created By Emirati Students At This Year's Abu Dhabi Art

Ahead of the 11th edition Abu Dhabi Festival next year, Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) showcases its on-going commitment to the arts and youth empowerment through the display of artworks by Noor Al Suwaidi, Hamdan Al Shamsi, Dana Al Mazrouei, Farah Al Qasimi, Mohammed Al Messabi, Maryam Al Suweidi, and Sarah Ibrahim at a uniquely designed booth conceptualised by two local Emirati students from the University of Sharjah, as Abu Dhabi takes centre stage this week with the Abu Dhabi Art fair. From nourishment to accomplishment, ADMAF supports the full cycle of artistic maturity, as students move from creative pupil to emerging artist or designer.

Providing a platform to showcase the UAE’s emerging creative talent, The ADMAF Design Award celebrates the creative talent of youth in the fields of design and science. Launched in October, the competition attracted a total of 31 outstanding design concepts from students of Zayed University, Higher Colleges of Technology and the University of Sharjah. This year’s winners - Hanan Al Kaf and Lamya Al Shamsi, students of the College of Fine Arts and Design and Science, University of Sharjah - were given the rare opportunity to see their designs come to life with ADMAF’s booth at the art fair, as they successfully fulfilled the brief by creating a contemporary gallery space that showcases ADMAF’s initiatives in the field of visual arts.

An important responsibility for these young students, the stand is designed to exhibit the contemporary works of Noor Al Suwaidi, Hamdan Al Shamsi, Dana Al Mazrouei, Farah Al Qasimi, Mohammed Al Messabi, Maryam Al Suweidi, and Sarah Ibrahim. These intriguing and original works that capture the diversity of the UAE’s burgeoning art movement will continue at the Ghaf Gallery during this week’s Abu Dhabi Art and until 4 December, with works by Saeed Khalifa, Samira Al Noaimi, Mahmoud Ahmed, May Rashid Al Shamsi, and Afra Al Hamed bringing the walls of the gallery to life.

H.E. Mrs Hoda I. Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, said: “Supporting the transition from creative discovery to artistic maturity, ADMAF aims to instil a societal appetite for creativity by equipping the youth with the tools and skills required to lead a new generation of artists and designers. Whilst giving the UAE’s artists a wider voice through initiatives like The Nationals’ Gallery, and a continued commitment to commissioning new works by the country’s leading artists, like Mohamed Kazem’s recently commissioned piece for next year’s Abu Dhabi Festival.”

ADMAF’s commitment to the visual arts spans awards, resources, initiatives, commissions, and the ADMAF art collection. Accompanying the Design Award, ADMAF has established four other awards that include The Animation and Comic Arts Award, The Creativity Award, The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award as well as The Abu Dhabi Festival Visual Arts Award. Launched recently, the 2014 Abu Dhabi Festival Visual Arts Award shall celebrate the creation of an original artwork inspired by the Festival’s exhibition, which will be displayed as part of Bill Fontana’s ‘Acoustical Visions.’

As the UAE’s foremost independent cultural foundation, delivering world-class programmes of arts education and community arts across the UAE, ADMAF will also be providing tours for students and will be looking after 550 students from various universities and schools such as the New York Institute of Technology and the American University of Sharjah during the Abu Dhabi Art fair.

The ADMAF booth can be found at the Art Communities Area at the Abu Dhabi Art Fair from the 20th to the 23rd of November at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Cultural District. ADMAF will officially award the winners of the Design Award for the booth on the 20th of November at 5pm.

Visit the Ghaf Gallery from 20 November to 4 December where the exhibition of emerging Emirati contemporary art continues. Open daily (except Fridays) 9am – 9pm.

Emirate:  Abu Dhabi

Date: Nov 19, 2013

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