Dr. Roger Mandle Discusses QMA's Role in Qatar's Growing Rich Cultural Offerings
DOHA, Qatar - The American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar (AmCham Qatar) hosted Dr. Roger Mandle, Chief Offer - Museums for Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), at their Distinguished Speaker Series on 19 January at the Doha Marriott Hotel.
AmCham Qatar members were briefed on QMA's mission and mandate, as well as how QMA develops museums in the 21st century, from principles of planning to incorporating new technologies. Members were introduced to the various museums operating and planned, including the recently opened Museum of Islamic Art Park. The new MIA Park was designed by American firm Pei Partnership Architects and features "7", a dramatic vertical steel sculpture by acclaimed American artist Richard Serra. A visual tour of past, present and future exhibitions was presented, including the upcoming "Gifts of the Sultan" exhibition organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).
Dr. Mandle encouraged AmCham Qatar's members to engage in Qatar's arts and cultural activities. "The most important thing you can do to become involved with [Qatar Museums Authority] is to encourage your employees and your family to use the cultural facilities in Qatar that are already here - not just the museums and exhibitions, but the Film Festival, the Symphony, the theatre groups that are getting started, the lectures that happen for the public," said Dr. Mandle. A new partnership program is also being created to help corporations collaborate with QMA in their support of the arts. Following Dr. Mandle's presentation was a vibrant Question & Answer session with members engaging in discussion.
Details on AmCham Qatar's upcoming events in 2012 can be found at www.amchamqatar.org.
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About Our Guest Speaker, Dr. Roger Mandle
Dr. Roger Mandle comes to Qatar Museums Authority with nearly forty years leading museums and educational institutions. He was educated at Williams College, New York University and Case Western Reserve University, from which he received his Ph. D. in art history. For fifteen years, he was president of Rhode Island School of Design. He was also Deputy Director of the National Gallery of Art, and the Director of The Toledo Museum of Art. He was appointed by two U. S. Presidents to the Council of the National Endowment for the Arts, and has served as head of many cultural and professional organisation boards around the world.
About Qatar Museums Authority
Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) was created in 2005 to combine the resources of all museums in the State of Qatar. QMA is a governmental organization whose purpose is to develop museums and cultural institutions and provide an effective system for collecting, protecting, preserving and interpreting historic sites, monuments and artifacts. Under the leadership of its Chairperson, H.E. Sheikha Al-Mayassa, QMA is transforming the State of Qatar into a cultural capital of the Middle East. The Museum of Islamic Art, inaugurated in 2008, is the authority's flagship project - while the organization won further global acclaim with the December 2010 opening of Mathaf, the Arab Museum of Modern Art. QMA's goal of becoming a "global leader in the world of museums, art and heritage" will be advanced over the coming years by a pipeline of ambitious, world-class projects including the Jean Nouvel-designed National Museum of Qatar.
About American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar
The American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar (AmCham Qatar) is the first legally established foreign Chamber of Commerce in Qatar. The Chamber is a non-profit, non-governmental and non-political organization dedicated to fostering mutual cooperating and understanding between Qatar and the United States through trade, commerce and investment. AmCham Qatar was first launched in Doha in the presence of H.E. Hassan Al Ghanem, Minister of Justice and former U.S. Ambassador Joseph LeBaron in February of 2010. The Chamber is registered as a private organization for public benefit in accordance with the Private Institutions for Public Benefit Law No. 21 of 2006 (the "PIPB Law") of the State of Qatar.
© Press Release 2012
