Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts), located in Richmond, Virginia, is comprised of sixteen programs and more than 3,000 students. It began as one night class taught by Theresa Pollak in the fall of 1928. VCUarts graduates have made an impact on nearly every area of the arts and design in America. They have been awarded Guggenheim Fellowships, MacArthur “Genius” Awards (3 in just the last 5 years), Academy Awards, Joan Mitchell Awards in the Visual Arts, Pollock-Krasner Awards and many more. VCUarts is once again ranked the #1 public university school of arts and design in the country by U.S. News & World Report (2009). VCUarts has the highest ranking ever achieved by a public university school of arts and design and is the only public university to consistently rise in the rankings.
VCUQatar was established in 1998 with support and funding from the Qatar Foundation. A branch campus of VCUarts, it is located in Education City, Doha, where it offers an international student body the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, Fashion Design or Interior Design through a comprehensive four-year curriculum. VCUQatar is the only fully accredited design program in the Middle East, with accreditation from The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and the Ministry of Education in Qatar.
The Qatar Foundation was established in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, as a vehicle to convert the country’s current, but temporary, mineral wealth into durable human capital. It is achieving this goal through a network of centers and partnerships that are dedicated to excellence in their respective specializations and that are growing together into a powerful force for social change. Central to this mission is a determination to defend and develop Qatar’s unique heritage and culture. Through its threefold mission of education, scientific research and community development, it is helping build a sustainable society where the sharing and creation of knowledge will enhance quality of life for all. The Qatar Foundation’s flagship project is Education City, a 1,000-hectare campus on the edge of Doha where most of its member institutions are located. The Foundation is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, wife of the Emir.
The Qatar Museums Authority was created in December 2005 to combine the resources of all museums and strategically develop and grow museums in the State of Qatar. This governmental organization is leading the efforts to build future museums and cultural institutions along with an effective national system for collecting, protecting, preserving and interpreting historic sites, monuments and artifacts.
The Museum of Islamic Art was opened to the public in December 2008 in Doha, Qatar and was designed by the Pritzker Prize-laureate I. M. Pei who found his inspiration in the ablutions fountain of the 9th-Century Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Tulun in Cairo, Egypt.
The museum rises from the sea and is connected to the shore by a pedestrian bridge. it is composed of a 5-story main building and a 2-story education center connected by a central courtyard. The collection is exhibited on two floors and includes manuscripts, ceramics, metal, glass, ivory, textiles, wood and precious stones dating from the 7th Century to the 19th Century.
