The Department of Painting and Printmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts Qatar, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar, has announced the opening of nominations for the 2024-2025 Fine Art Award for high school students in the country. The competition, titled “God is Beautiful and Loves Beauty”: A Dialogue on the Concept of Beauty in Arab and Islamic Culture, aims to nurture and develop an interest in fine arts among high school students, providing them with an opportunity to explore their creativity and engage with a top art and design school.
Dr. Aissa Deebi, Director of the Department of Painting and Printmaking at VCUarts Qatar, expressed the hope that the introduction of this new award will contribute to opportunities for students to be recognized on a national stage. The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program at the Department of Painting + Printmaking at VCUarts Qatar prepares students to become accomplished and confident artists with independent professional practices in the arts. The program emphasizes experimentation, intellectual inquiry, and collaboration among artists, researchers, educators, and creative professionals.
Students in the BFA program at VCUarts Qatar experiment with a wide range of traditional and contemporary media, including drawing, painting, 3D art, new media, sculpture, installation, photography, film, sound, performance, animation, and printmaking. This diverse skill set enables students to become versatile artists with expertise in various mediums. The Fine Art Award for high school students focuses on exploring the concept of beauty as expressed in nature, Islamic art, ethics, and the pursuit of knowledge, drawing inspiration from the noble hadith: “God is Beautiful and Loves Beauty”.
The competition is now open for entries, with a deadline for submissions set for February 10, 2025. An official announcement of award winners and an exhibition of top works will take place later that month. Those interested in participating can contact the organizers for more information on guidelines at [email protected]
In summary, the Fine Art Award for high school students in Qatar offers an exciting opportunity for young artists to showcase their creativity and engage with the concept of beauty in Arab and Islamic culture. The collaboration between VCUarts Qatar and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education aims to inspire and nurture artistic talent among high school students, providing them with a platform to explore their artistic abilities and potentially be recognized at a national level. With a focus on experimentation, intellectual inquiry, and collaboration, the BFA program at VCUarts Qatar prepares students to become confident and skilled artists with a broad range of expertise in various art mediums.
