UAE schoolchildren's art heads to New York

Dubai: Under the royal patronage of Shaikha Manal Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment (DWE), seven artworks by Emirati school children have been selected to be part of a special Pieces for Peace exhibition to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York City on December 15.

"As one of the foremost patrons of art in the UAE, and a keen supporter of cross cultural artistic initiatives, Shaikha Manal's involvement in this unique and inspiring project reflects her personal belief in the ability of creative expression and the voice of the youth to act as agents of real change," said Mona Al Marri, Vice-President of DWE.

"The participation of the UAE in this project reiterates the nation's leadership and Her Highness' commitment towards peaceful co-existence of which UAE is an exemplary role model on the global stage."

The seven artworks were selected through a nationwide campaign inviting children to submit their creations on their vision of peace.

The December Pieces for Peace exhibition will see the UAE being represented in the exhibition for the first time where each artwork will represent an emirate.

Moreover, among the seven selected pieces is a special artwork created by Shaikha Sulaiman, a student of Dubai Rehabilitation Centre.

Shaikha Manal firmly believes in galvanising schools, and community organisations into developing youth programmes which fosters community participation especially via art.

Generous patronage

Earlier this year, Shaikha Manal received an award from CITYarts for her keen interest and generous patronage of artistic endeavours in the UAE, through youth-focused initiatives such as Shaikha Manal Young Artist Award and the Shaikha Manal Art Exchange Programme.

The Pieces for Peace project is a part of the inspiring CITYarts programme "Young Minds Build Bridges", which uses the creative process to build bridges of cultural understanding between American youth and their peers from around the world.

More than 50 children from different schools and organisations participated in the campaign.

Entries ranged from paintings of beautiful white doves to colourful paintings depicting flags from around the world to show unity and brotherhood.

Apart from the seven selected pieces, all other artworks submitted will be donated to CITYarts to upload onto their website, and will be offered for sale to raise funds for their various projects.