Islamic artworks by Sharjah community groups to go on museum display

Sharjah Museums Department ties up with Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation to provide workshops and exhibition for students, families and people with disabilities.  

SHARJAH, April 17, 2016:  A wide range of community groups in Sharjah have taken part in a series of workshops to create their own Islamic art masterpieces before seeing their work put on public display.

Islamic Arts Exhibition: Inspiration and Creativity will run from April 18 to May 18 at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. It will feature dozens of artworks created by people with hearing and cognitive disabilities, as well as school and university students.

The exhibition, presented as part of the 13th Abu Dhabi Festival, is an inaugural partnership between Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) and the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF). Under the agreement, ADMAF and The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts – who have been successfully working together since 2009 – have trained SMD’s Education and Interpretation Department specialists how to make creative connections between various academic subjects and the key principles of Islamic Art. The team has passed on this knowledge to community groups in Sharjah through a series of educational art workshops.

The initiative will culminate in this month’s exhibition when proud participants will see their work put on display at Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization.

Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Department, said: “One of Sharjah Museums Department’s main objectives is to create a strong bond between our museums and the wider community.

“Through our new partnership with ADMAF we aim to shed light on artworks created by specific community groups – in this case families, students and people with disabilities. We strongly believe that museums are lifelong learning institutions that can accommodate creative projects and target specific audiences.”

Under the partnership, ADMAF has provided SMD’s education team with its Islamic Arts education resources. This features a comprehensive training programme by the Prince’s School of Traditional Art (PSTA), including staff and resources.

The next phase of the partnership saw the SMD Education and Interpretation Department create a community programme in which they passed on the PSTA expertise via a series of educational workshops to targeted community groups in Sharjah.

The workshops will culminate in a final exhibition of participant’s artwork at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. Islamic Arts Exhibition: Inspiration and Creativity runs from April 18 to May 18 coincides with the Abu Dhabi Festival and is open to the public.

The initiative also features contributions by Sharjah University-College of Fine Art and Design, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, the Manzil Center, and individuals from the community.