Dubai Ladies Club launches Funoon.ae

Dubai Ladies Club, a member of Dubai Women Establishment today announced that www.Funoon.ae – an online space dedicated for established and emerging artists from the region – is now live.

Developed and managed by Funoon - the art & culture division of Dubai Ladies Club, Funoon.ae, which means Art in Arabic, is an online space for artists to display their work and network with other artists. It will provide artists with a valuable public platform to share their portfolio of works with other members of the local and international contemporary art world; including collectors, curators, critics and galleries.

Muna Bin Kalli, Executive Director of Dubai Ladies Club said, “We are pleased to introduce and launch www.Funoon.ae today - a pioneering online concept in the region, which will further strengthen the UAE’s position as a hub for the arts and creativity. The website has been developed following several months of research and consultation with artists, arts professionals and the public to find out what they wanted most from the site. Our new website will engage with artists and celebrates the work of arts organisations across the country, as well as giving visitors a unique online arts experience.”

www.Funoon.ae will serve as a social networking forum will allow all registered artists to create their profile, upload images and videos for others to comment on, network with others, and enter competitions, for an annual registration fee of AED 200. Interested participants can follow the instructions on the website to register and make payment online through the safe and secure online payment feature on the site.

Artists will be able to upload up to thirty works and a biography and contact details to a personal page. Other sections, which will be unveiled gradually, will include a forum, live chat, blogs, videos, photography and illustration.

The site will also publish art related grants and funding opportunities in the region. The site is designed to be entertaining and easy to use, whether visitors want to experience art online, discover what’s going on in the arts in their area or find out whether they’re eligible for funding.

Furthermore, the website is one of several new art initiatives launched by Funoon – the art division of Dubai Ladies Club. The newly reinvented art division was established to guide and solidify the role that arts and other cultural resources play in defining and enhancing the social fabric and quality of life of people living in the UAE.

Bin Kalli added, “Funoon at Dubai Ladies Club emerged from the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment, Wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, UAE. As one of the foremost patrons of art in the UAE, and a keen supporter of young emerging artists, Funoon at Dubai Ladies Club reflects her personal belief in the importance of art and culture in community, and the positive ways which artist-driven initiatives, such as Funoon.ae, will help nurture creative talents and foster a creative atmosphere in the community, particularly among the youth.”

Funoon at Dubai Ladies Club will work with local, regional and international foundations to enhance the UAE’s reputation as a cultural destination through programs that educate and expose the public to a rich and diverse range of cultural expressions through a variety of initiatives.

Since its establishment earlier this year, the art division has already initiated several new projects such as the monthly Art Conversations sessions – designed as a casual gathering of conducted every first Tuesday of the month – that offer a grand opportunity for emerging artists living in the UAE to interact with art luminaries from both regional and international backgrounds.

Among others, the art division will also organise and execute the various youth-focused cultural and artistic projects founded by H. H. Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum such as ‘The Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award’ and ‘The Sheikha Manal Art Exchange Program’.

Previously, Dubai Ladies Club, in association with Dubai Women Establishment, has also organised various art exhibitions and project under the Royal Patronage of Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum such as the ‘Pieces for Peace’ CITYarts project and ‘The Reflective Mirror’ art exhibition under the theme of ‘Expression of Womanhood’ at the United Nations Head Quarters, New York; as well as The Nomads Box Project, a moving art space located within a transformed shipping container. 

As an accomplished artist in her own right and truly visionary in her support of the arts, Her Highness Sheikha Manal has received several honours and awards for her consistently sponsorship of youth-focused cultural and artistic endeavours in the UAE. In 2009, she was honoured from CITYArts New York with the ‘Making a Difference through the Arts’ Award. . She was also awarded for her contributions to the arts at the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Patrons of the Arts awards ceremony in 2010 and 2011.