UAE | Leisure

Contemporary visual arts centre opens in Sharjah

The three-storey, 1,500-square-metre art centre at Al Qasba to feature shows, cultural events

  • By Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 March 15, 2010
  • Gulf News

Opening of the Maraya Art Centre
  • Shaikh Sultan, Curator of the Maraya Art Centre Sultan Saud, left, and Marwan Al Sarkal, third left, with other dignitaries during the opening of the Maraya Art Centre.
  • Image Credit: Supplied

Sharjah: A promising centre for contemporary visual arts opened in Sharjah when Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the Maraya Art Centre at Al Qasba yesterday.

The three-storey, 1,500-square-metre art centre will host a range of exhibitions, cultural events and educational activities throughout the year.

"This collaboration involved people from a number of different social and academic backgrounds, and the result is a project that all of us take immense pride in sharing with the UAE society," said Marwan Jasem Al Sarkal, Chief Executive of Al Qasba Development Authority, during a press conference.

"The ultimate goal is to nourish young talent and sustain a local platform for established artists to flourish within the region," he said, pointing out that Maraya Centre is set to be one of the country's largest venues for contemporary visual arts. Each of the centre's three levels has a unique theme in tying the pieces together in custom-built exhibition spaces. The first level is known as ‘The Shelter', a multimedia retreat for artists seeking to make an impact on the local scene and collaborate with others.

Ahmad Bin Shabib, one of the Founders of ‘The Shelter', said having a world-class venue like Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah will be a significant connecting point where traditional culture meets with contemporary innovation.

"In the long run, this kind of interaction will add incredible value to Sharjah's cultural development and create a new wave of creative thinking in the country." With a commitment to showcase works by artists from the Arab world, the second floor of Maraya displays a permanent exhibition titled ‘The House of Arab Art".

The top floor of Maraya Art Centre is the Contemporary Art Gallery, showcasing works of winners of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize from 2009. The annual Abraaj Capital Art Prize is considered the only art prize specifically for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia that rewards proposals rather than completed works.

  • Rate this article
  • Average reader rating (2 votes) 5 Stars
Tools

Emailing an article to friend is a simple way to share a news item. Your friend will receive an email with your name and email address as well any personal message you choose to send.

The information you provide on this page will not be used to send unsolicited emails.

This service is not intended to encourage spam, and action may be taken against individuals who maliciously enter personal details of another individual.

Share this article

More from UAE Leisure

  1. Children come face to face with wildlife in Al Ain

  2. Big Apple Circus coming to Abu Dhabi soon

  3. Skit held by Orthodox Christian Youth Movement

  4. Emirati captures beauty of New Zealand

All articles in Leisure

More from UAE

Gulf News
Popular in UAE
Up close and personal
Celebrity

Up close and personal

Send in your questions for Bollywood's elusive star: Aamir Khan

Day in pictures
Gallery

Day in pictures

We select the ten best images from around the world in the past 24 hours

The winners
Picture competition

The winners

Gulf News salutes readers who have an eye for a great picture

Latest news
Community Reports

More from Community Reports

Weather

More from Weather

In step with style
My life

In step with style

For boutique owner Mariya Kassam, design is part of her identity

Next community
Lulu Island

Next community

Lulu Island project in Abu Dhabi will change the definition of island living