IBQ artist series in its second edition: showcasing local talent

The second edition of the IBQ Artist Series was launched last evening at The Pearl-Qatar, in the presence of senior officials from IBQ and United Development Company (UDC), members of the press and the public. 

The IBQ Artist Series is an annual arts exhibition which supports and nurtures artists and helps raise awareness and exposure of the arts and its productive role in the community. The series is held in association with The Pearl-Qatar. 

The exhibition this year showcases the unique talents of four artists living and working in Qatar - Moudhi Al Hajri and Wadha Al Sulaiti from Qatar, Ismail Azzam from Iraq, and Waseem Al Marzouki from Syria – whose collections exemplified the theme of multiple worlds.  The exhibition will run from the 29^th of November till the 3^rd of December. 

A first in the country, the IBQ Artist Series represents a symbiotic partnership between the finance and the arts, which is a long-established and a highly acclaimed association across the world. The IBQ Artist Series helps to build the necessary exposure for aspiring and established artists and presents them with a platform for cultural and networking opportunities with the community. 

As a leading institution in Qatar, IBQ is pro-actively focused on spearheading and spreading sustainable educational and awareness programmes for the welfare of the community and with a particular interest in young people. The IBQ Artist Series falls in line with the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme and ties in with the country’s aspiration to become the regions arts and culture hub. 

George Nasra, Managing Director of IBQ said: “We’re very proud to see our home-grown initiative in its second successful edition. We, at IBQ, are committed to supporting the Qatari and Arab artists living and working in Qatar and bring them to a wider community and firmly believe that the IBQ Artist Series is a perfect launch pad for artists seeking further recognition. It is a model for development of the existing talent in the country. This initiative aims at raising awareness of the arts, educational and cultural potential of the country.” 

“The IBQ Artist Series builds on other similar activities that the bank is engaged in as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility which prioritizes education.  We are very conscious corporate citizens and we are highly concerned with all aspects of the development of the country be it economical, educational or cultural. This is really based on our role as a partner in the growth of Qatar and we see our role not only as a partner in the economic wellbeing of the nation but also as an active participant to the wellbeing of our society by reaching out to both large organizations and smaller communities through a wide range of activities we do to enrich and assist in the education, cultural and awareness growth of the country.” added Nasra. 

Spokesperson at UDC, master-developer of The Pearl-Qatar, said: “We are very happy to be partners of the IBQ Artist Series for the second year running. This is a brilliant initiative and one which is certainly a great platform for all artists in Qatar. At UDC, we continuously look to bring the best programmes and activities that are in the interest of the community such as arts, culture and music. Our social responsibility towards our people tops our priority charts and our cooperation with IBQ to see this event happening year on year is a clear demonstration of that.”