Q Life Magazine Q Magazine (US) May 2016 | Page 23

Art in Qatar | Much-Deserved Recognition Sheikha Al Mayassa was named the most influential person in art on ArtReview’s Power 100 in 2013 and prominently appears on the TIME 100 and Forbes’ the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women lists. In 2015, the Sheikha was awarded the StellaRE prize, established by Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo of the Italian contemporary art foundation bearing her name. “Art is very powerful because it has no boundaries and you don’t need to belong to any country or religion or social class. It brings people from all walks of life together to talk about an idea.” or social class. It brings people from all walks of life together to talk about an idea.” In addition to her work on cultural initiatives, H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa is the Chairperson for Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), a philanthropic non-governmental organization aiming to improve primary and secondary education in Asia. She is also the Chairperson of the Doha Film Institute, empowering people though film and new media, educational workshops, and grassroots festivals. “Art has always been [Qatar’s] culture and part of our identity.” She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Literature from Duke University in the United States in 2005. While at Duke, she served as Vice President of the International Association, Vice President of Hiwar (an organization to promote political dialogue), and a delegate to the Model United Nations. During her 2003–2004 school year, she studied at the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris. She also studied post-graduate public administration at Columbia University. 23