Cultivating Ingenuity Through Adversity: A Message from the Executive Director, Fatima Al-Dosari
Dear Friends of QAIC,
Following the one-year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to reflect on the occasion by sharing my sincerest gratitude for your continued support of the Qatar America Institute for Culture (QAIC). After months of uncertainty that plagued organizations such as ours, my team and I greatly cherish each and every contribution made to us in an effort to overcome such obstacles. Such support has helped us to ensure a more resilient and prosperous future for us and our community.
In response to the heightened disconnect from others due to the pandemic, we at QAIC have taken up the shared responsibility in sustaining platforms for artists and creatives to convene. Through their work, they can help mend cultural gaps and reinvigorate our communities. With that goal in mind, QAIC entered 2021 by exploring universal values in Islam through the art of Sabah Arbilli in the Transcendent Text: Exploring Universal Values Through Islamic Calligraphy exhibition, the first in QAIC’s new location. Arbilli’s pieces will be available to view until May 2021 through private tours in our space or virtually on our website.
Against the backdrop of the previous year, 2021 marks many new beginnings born from the collective necessity to innovate and adapt to rapidly changing times. As a result, QAIC will continue to learn from these lessons and develop new, accessible ways to further one’s appreciation of art, culture, and education through our programming.
Following our decision to restructure some of QAIC’s foundational programs, like the Expressions Art & Culture Talk series, now in solely virtual format, we have been working hard to preserve the quality of QAIC’s offerings and retain our commitment to accessibility – whether oceans away or 6-feet apart.
Our commitment to curating art and culture during the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed us to expand the reach of our mission beyond our traditional scope. As a result, this past February we hosted our first virtual festival, The Art of Athletics, which celebrated the intersection of culture, creativity, and athleticism with the help of several partners joining live from both the U.S. and Qatar. In just one week, QAIC will be digitally publishing the first edition of its A2Q Magazine, a quarterly publication aimed at amplifying creative and academic voices through the lens of our mission.
As for you, dear friends, our hope is that you continue to remain connected to our community of creatives through platforms such as the A2Q Magazine and our upcoming virtual events until we can reconvene within our walls. Until that day, please stay tuned on our website and social media pages for updates and ways to stay connected.
Equipped with a community such as ours, we look forward to a challenging yet rewarding 2021. From the entire team at the Qatar America Institute for Culture, we thank you for continuing this journey with us – whether virtually or in-person – and for all of your support of QAIC and its efforts.
Warmly,
