Take part in these fun family art and culture events

Qatar Museums invites you to take part in a series of family art and culture events led and inspired by Qatar’s creative community.

Throughout January the diverse programme enables the community to be introduced to all art forms – from hands-on clay carving workshops to pencil drawing, fashion design and creative writing there’s something for everyone.

Museum of Islamic Art (MIA)

MIA Story Time

3 January from 11 am to 12 pm (Arabic and English)

Young children aged 3-5 are invited to a 30-minute interactive story time session, which draws on a variety of creative activities – from sock puppet making to colouring and singing – to bring participants together in a spirit of artistic community and early learning. For more information and to secure your spot, please email librarymia@qm.org.qa

Pencil Drawing with Ismail Azzam

Two-day workshop on Sundays and Mondays, from 4 pm to 6 pm (Arabic)

9 and 10 January; 16 and 17 January; 23 and 24 January

Renowned Iraqi artist Ismail Azzam will teach participants the techniques of shading, light and introducing details to pencil drawings. This advanced-level workshop is open to students with an existing background in portraiture or still life. For more information and to book your spot, please email miaprograms@qm.org.qa  

Basics of Drawing

Two-day workshop on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 pm to 6 pm (Arabic)

11 and 12 January; 18 and 19 January; 25 and 26 January

Let talented Qatari artist, Ali Al Kuwari, take you on a journey into the fundamentals of drawing. The workshop will cover different types of painting, from planning, formation, mixing colours and dragging photos. For more information, please email miaprograms@qm.org.qa

Cyanotype (Blueprint) Inspired by Outdoor

15 January from 10 am to 12 pm (Arabic and English)

Open to youth aged 12 to 15, this art workshop explores the history of cyanotype – a photographic printing process that produces a lovely monochromatic image in shades of blue. Led by Qatari artist, Mashael Al Hejazi, participants will ultimately create their own cyanotypes using plants. For more information and to sign up, please email miaprograms@qm.org.qa

Family Day – Birds, Birds, Birds!

15 January from 12 pm to 4 pm (Arabic and English)

Families can come together for a day in the sun and nature at the MIA Park, while the Museum is closed for refurbishment. Taking inspiration from MIA and the world around us, join us in January to think about birds, their beauty and use in Islamic art, and just how many different species you can see in Qatar. For more information, please email whatsonatmia@qm.org.qa

NMoQ

National Museum of Qatar 

Let’s Discover the Museum Collection

Tuesday, 4 January 4 (Arabic) and Tuesday, 11 January (English) from 10 am to 12 pm & from 4 pm to 6 pm[KN1] 

On occasion of World Braille Day, the Museum’s Learning Team has created a tour that enables visitors with visual impairment to access to the Museum Collection through the guide’s audio commentary and their sense of touch. During the visit, the guide will take participants through the galleries, where they can also find information in Braille about the objects on exhibit. For advance registration, please email toursnmoq@qm.org.qa

Children’s Exploration Journey 

Every Monday in January (English) and every Thursday in January (Arabic) from 4 pm to 5.30 pm

Take your children on an interactive adventure through the museum’s galleries and family exhibits. This guided tour invites children aged six to nine and their families to use their problem-solving skills to broaden their knowledge of Qatar’s environment, heritage, and culture. For more information and for bookings, please email toursnmoq@qm.org.qa

Clay Carving

22 January from 4 pm to 6 pm (Arabic and English)

In this tour and art workshop, participants will learn about petroglyphs, a form of rock art, in Qatar and create their own masterpiece inspired by the petroglyphs in the gallery. Stop by to learn about the different types of clay, the traditional carving tools, and the intricate processes and techniques for creating an artwork in clay. For more information and for bookings, please email programsnmoq@qm.org.qa

Qatar Museums Learning and Outreach 

Between Humans and their Toys – Parents and Kids’ Relationship through Playing 

3 January from 4 pm to 5 pm (Arabic and English)

Starting with a discussion on the differences in toys across generations and how they hold on and reflect our memories, this workshop demonstrates how quality time spent in play can enhance the parent – child relationship. Participants will learn how to design and create toys and modelling techniques to make sculptures using mixed media. To register, please email education@qm.org.qa

Use Your Imagination – Creative Writing Workshop   

4 and 5 January from 10 am to 12 pm (Arabic and English)

Young teenage writers can join a two-day workshop on the basic principles of creative and short story writing, designed to expand their imagination and creativity. The first day introduces the principles of writing a short story via a walk-in gallery conversation, discussing the participants’ perception of the artworks. On the second day, they will create a main character from the exhibition, using different artistic techniques. Inspired by Jeff Koons’ reference to balloons in his sculptures, participants are challenged to use an inflated balloon in their character. To register, please email education@qm.org.qa

Teachers Teaching Teachers

9 to 14 January from 5 pm to 6 pm (English)

Are you an art teacher looking to connect with and learn from other fellow teachers? Local art teachers interested in attending the interactive ‘Teachers Teaching Teachers’ programme are encouraged to complete the registration form at  https://forms.office.com/r/4P9u1DfPt5 by Tuesday, 4 January 2022. For any questions, please contact education@qm.org.qa

Create your Fashion Look Using Flower Petals

12 January from 5 pm to 6 pm (Arabic and English), and online on working days until March 2022

Inspired by the ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams Exhibition’, participants are challenged to think beyond the traditional confines of fashion design. Select your favourite flowers from the garden to create your own fashion piece, from dresses, shoes or bags, using flower petals or leaves. For advance registration, please visit https://forms.office.com/r/5Be5XVg2Ji

Fine Art’s Aesthetic Dimensions and Impact on Pop Art

20 January from 6.30 pm to 8 pm (Arabic)

Kuwait University’s Dr. Musaed Albehairi will share an overview of the aesthetic dimensions in art throughout history. Teachers, university students and youth are invited to question modern art’s impact on culture, the emergence of the Industrial Revolution and kinetic art, and the advent of pop art in the 20th century United States. To register for this Zoom workshop, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qd-mqqDMoE9B6nc-uhPo3hUIVt_VQkLgL

For a full list of forthcoming events and activities, please visit qm.org.qa

About the author

Hails from Wales and loves living in Qatar - 8 years and counting. How did that happen? You'll find her reading, writing about food, talking about food, and thinking about food and swimming (to work off the food).