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.
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