Clubwise - December 21, 2002

Every week, we bring you the latest on the UAE's clubs, associations and groups. We choose one each time and profile it, highlighting its purpose and activities. We also bring you bits of news from other such groups. So that you know what is happening when, where and why.

This week: The Emirates Fine Arts Society

The unification of the emirates in 1971 led to an increase in schools and colleges in the UAE. Many scholars and artists who had left their homeland in search of further education, returned. Many of the artists who had studied fine arts in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait and Britain wanted to set up a conglomeration of some sort in the UAE where ideas could be exchanged, new techniques learned, and art as a medium of expression could be made more popular. The Emirates Fine Arts Society is a product of this era.

Membership with the society are of two types: active membership - this one is open to the national youth, and affiliate membership - open to expatriates who wish to affiliate themselves with the Society, whether they reside in the UAE or not.

"Spreading the love for art among children and adults alike by training them is our primary objective. We teach them different forms of art like drawing and colouring, using both water colours and oil, drawing with lead and coal, block printing, clay modelling, sculpturing, pottery, calligraphy, graphics and photography. In fact, we go right down to the basics of each of these so that the students get a comprehensive idea about that art," said Karima Mohammed Al Showely, co-ordinator of the Society. "While most of these classes are held in summer, during the rest of the year we hold exhibitions and workshops for our members.

"We have regular exhibitions by our members who are also encouraged and sponsored to participate in national as well as international exhibitions. The Society considers it vital to encourage all our members to have their solo shows, for which we provide space," informed the coordinator. "Supporting local artists by offering them moral and promotional support, in addition to defending the rights of our affiliate members is our other strong point," she stressed.

"On invitation, we deliver educational lectures, especially in Fine Arts with demonstration of artistic techniques, samples and slides," she revealed. "Like, for the Dubai Summer Surprises this year, highly interactive art workshops for children were conducted in different Dubai Libraries for a week as part of the Art Environs organised by the Dubai Public Libraries of the Dubai Municipality."

"The personal and continuous support from His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has been one of the main reasons behind the success of this Society," remarked Karima. Al Tashkeel, the annual magazine brought out by the Society, is a forum for expression and exploration of art and its experimentations, both by artists and researchers of art.