Congratulations to VCUQatar project ‘The Art Souq’, a plan for developing an artists’ studio complex in Qatar, which has been awarded a $350,000 National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) grant by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

‘The Art Souq’ is a one year project, triggered by VCUQatar’s Painting and Printmaking program, the first fine art program in Qatar. The project will investigate the creation of an arts facility designed to support Qatar’s art and culture sector by providing work space, specialized equipment, and training in specialized skills for artists from Qatar, from the Gulf region, as well as visiting international artists from around the globe. The project is led by Rhys Himsworth, director of Painting and Printmaking; Byrad Yyelland, director of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Johan Granberg, assistant professor of Interior Design at VCUQatar. “The outcome of the research will be a plan for building an artists’ studio complex – a social place, a place of production – that truly embodies the context of Qatar,” says Granberg.