Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City, from 19 - 24 January 2008
Dubai - Canvas Education, in association with Christie's, announces the launch of a new education initiative aimed at art-lovers across the Middle East. Starting with a series of one-day seminars to take place in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City in January 2008, the programme will give enthusiasts and established art collectors knowledge and insight, delivered by internationally renowned experts. This unique initiative is a response to the enormous appetite and passion for art and culture in the region, and comes at a time when the field of contemporary Middle Eastern art is commanding the record-breaking multi-million dollar prices, and international attention, that it has long deserved.
Canvas Education is a subsidiary of Mixed Media Publishing; the company behind Canvas, the premier magazine for art and culture from the Middle East and Arab world. In association with the international auction house Christie's, Canvas Education will launch an exciting programme of intensive one-day seminars, which will kick off in Dubai on 19 January 2008 before moving to Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.
Ali Khadra, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Mixed Media Publishing said, "Canvas Education in association with Christie's will raise awareness and appreciation of art across the region. We hope that it will build a body of informed collectors for the regional art market."
"Christie's and Canvas Education are united by a common goal to organize and support activities which increase awareness and understanding of art," said Michael Jeha, Managing Director of Christie's, Middle East. "We are delighted to be able to help harness and nurture the considerable passion for art and culture in the region."
The seminars will be delivered by internationally-renowned experts including Philip Hoffman, Ray Waterhouse, Rose Issa, Saleh Barakat and Christie's David Warren. "These experts have the academic acumen and the first-hand experience to help participants achieve a better understanding of art and jewellery," said Ali Khadra.
The three-day programme will include day-long seminars on a variety of topics:
Smart Collecting is tailor-made to provide practical tips about the aesthetic and financial aspects of art. It will explore the mechanisms of the art market, the value of art, insurance, transport, and conservation.
Contemporary & Modern Middle Eastern Art is specially designed to examine the key movements of Middle Eastern art from the 1950s to the present day across the Levant, the Gulf and Iran. This is the first time that the subject will be offered as an intensive one-day course.
Understanding Jewellery & Watches will explore the top ten jewellers in the world and cover a number of aspects including the evolution of value, design and fashion.
Confirmed dates include:
Dubai 19-21 January 2008
Abu Dhabi 20-22 January 2008
Kuwait City 22-24 January 2008
Future events are planned for Amman/Beirut/Cairo/Damascus/Doha/Jeddah/Manama/Muscat/Riyadh
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About Canvas Education
Canvas Education is a new department at Mixed Media Publishing. Canvas Education is proud to have the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage and Sorouh as its main sponsors in association with A. Lange & Söhne, Christie's, Credit Suisse and Van Cleef & Arpels. Canvas Education participants will have the chance to benefit from the expertise of specialists from A. Lange & Söhne, Christie's, Credit Suisse and Van Cleef & Arpels during selected seminars. For further information, please visit www.canvasonline.com.
About Christie's (Middle East)
Christie's commitment to the Middle East is unrivalled. Christie's is the first international auction house to have established a permanent presence in the Gulf region when the company opened a representative office in Dubai in April 2005. To date the firm has staged three sale series in Dubai, with a fourth series to take place in the spring of 2008. Christie's has also held four international public art exhibitions and numerous charity auctions throughout the region raising over $15 million for worthy causes. For further information, please visit www.christies.com.
About Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH)
The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) is the institution in charge of looking after, conserving and promoting the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi.
ADACH's strategy identified the main critical issues affecting the sustainability and development of Abu Dhabi's culture and heritage and emphasized vital goals across several disciplines such as education, media, the promotion of literature and the arts, the encouragement of artistic creativity, safeguarding cultural assets, the development of museums, the promotion of archaeological research, the planning of historic urban quarters, the management of cultural landscapes, the conservation and promotion of the intangible heritage, and the development of cultural tourism.
About Sorouh
Sorouh Real Estate PJSC, one of the UAE's leading real estate developers was established on June 26, 2005. Sorouh's signature project is Shams Abu Dhabi, a AED 25Bn landmark development on Reem Island. Other world class master-planned projects include The Gate District, a cluster of 8 towers at the entrance to Shams Abu Dhabi, Golf Gardens overlooking the Abu Dhabi Golf course, Saraya, located on the prestigious Abu Dhabi Corniche and Al-Ghadeer, an oasis of easy living on the border between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
For more information contact:
Mixed Media Publishing
PO Box 500487,
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +9714 367 1693
Fax: +971 4 367 2645
Email: seminars@mixed-media.com,
Website: www.canvasonline.com/education.htm
© Press Release 2008
