Qatar Museums (QM) has announced that almost 400 children have visited the Picasso-Giacometti exhibition in less than one month after opening, as part of the organisation’s continued focus and commitment on educating society, particularly the younger generation, about the arts, heritage and creativity.
In addition, Qatar Museums has trained more than 75 teachers in 12 three-hour long workshops since opening, allowing teachers to conduct self-guided tours of the exhibition for students, run workshops and equip teachers with materials to have post-visit discussions with students.
Picasso-Giacometti opened to the public on 22 February and will run until 21 May at the Fire Station’s Garage Gallery. The blockbuster exhibition is dedicated to two of the most important artists of the twentieth century, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966).
The exhibition, which is a collaboration between Qatar Museums, under the patronage of its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Musée national Picasso-Paris and the Fondation Giacometti, is the first to show these artists together in the Middle East. The show brings together more than 120 works, covering paintings, sculptures, sketches, photographs and interviews with the artists and explores, for the first time, the previously unknown relationship between the two artists, who, despite an age gap of twenty years, shared many key moments during their distinguished careers.
Since opening, the following schools have visited, or are scheduled to visit the Picasso-Giacometti show:
- Al Nahdah Primary Independent Girls School
- Al Israa Primary Independent Girls School
- Ahmad Bin Hanbal Independent Boys Secondary School
- The Moroccan International School
- Arab International Academy
- Amna Bint Wahab Independent Preparatory School
- Ali Bin Abdullah Independent School
- Abu Hanifa Independent Elementary School for Boys
- Ashahaniya Girls Preparatory Secondary
- Nasser Bin Abdulla Al-Attiya Independent Secondary School for Boys
- Jassim Bin Hamad Independent Secondary School for Boys
- Lycée Franco-Qatarien Voltaire
- Al-Kiranah Primary Preparatory School for Girls
- Safiyya Bint Abdalmotalab Primary Independent Girls School
- Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar
- SEK International School
- Doha English Speaking School
- Qatar Academy Al-Wakrah
- Lycée Français Bonaparte – Doha
- Al-Bayan Primary 2 School for Girls
- Middle East International School
- Al-Wakrah Elementary Independent Girls School
- International School of London
- Al Manar International School
School trips can be organised independently, or with Qatar Museums educators, who offer guided tours and related workshops during the week, including hands on workshops, where students can create their own art based on the show. Teachers are also invited to visit the show independently with their classes.
Other programmes
In addition to the Picasso-Giacometti educational activities, Qatar Museums offers a wide selection of educational programmes and dynamic activities across the country all year around that aim to strengthen family bonds, develop creativity, build confidence and improve communication skills.
This includes educational activities associated with QM’s latest exhibitions – Imperial Threads, Motifs and Artisans from Turkey, Iran and India, on show until 4 November at the Museum of Islamic Art, which showcases the connection between three major dynasties that marked the start of the early modern period in Islamic art – the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires and JR – Répertoire, on show at QM Gallery in Katara until 31 May 2017, which features some of the key series that have made JR, the celebrated French artist, famous around the world.
Upcoming exhibitions
In addition, Qatar Museums is gearing up to bring two new exhibitions to Doha this summer that will also offer a fantastic educational programme. This includes the Fire Station’s ‘End of Residency’ Exhibition, opening in June 2017, which will display the works of artists taking part in this year’s Artists in Residence programme, and ‘Skate Girls of Kabul’, an exhibition which will tell the extraordinary story of Afghan girls who took up skateboarding, opening on 15 June.
Finally, as part of the Qatar Germany 2017 Year of Culture, a range of educational activities will be on offer in conjunction with the opening of two exhibitions this Autumn. Volkswagen AG is presenting an exhibition on German design from 1950 to the present and future. Porsche automobile icons, as well as classic furniture and object designs will tell the success story of German design art and provide an outlook for the future, in cooperation with the Vitra Design Museum. In addition, Deutsche Bank will show masterpieces from its collection that provide an informative overview of the development of German art – and thus also of the history of the country – from the 1960s up to the present day. The first-rate selection of classics ranges from Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter and Sigmar Polke to current artists including Neo Rauch, Katharina Grosse and Annette Kelm.
For more information on QM’s educational activities and to organise a school tour, visit Qatar Museums website or email [email protected]