Art Jameel opened a new creative space in Jeddah as a venue for collaborations with contemporary and traditional artists, designers and creatives. An intimate and versatile space nestled in the splendor of Al-Balad, Jeddah's historic district, Project Space Art Jameel will combine traditional arts activities with a maker-space and a broader contemporary arts program of workshops, exhibitions, talks and events curated by Art Jameel and its partners. The new venue is a versatile arts programming space in the heart of Al-Balad, part of Art Jameel's collaborative approach to supporting the arts in Jeddah. The new space complements the Jameel House of Traditional Arts IN Jeddah, a center for artisanship, architectural discourse and heritage preservation that Art Jameel established in 2015 in cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and the Arts and with a one-year craft and design program designed and delivered by the Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts. Craft modules from the one-year program, including gypsum-carving and woodworking, will take place in the Project Space each year and constitute its core activity. Located on the ground floor of a contemporary building next to the famous Jamjoom House, and a stone's throw from the Jameel House of Traditional Arts, the Project Space underwent a six-month renovation and fit-out with machinery and equipment for makers and craftspeople. As well as the Project Space and the Jameel House of Traditional Arts, other major Art Jameel activities in Jeddah are the Jeddah Sculpture Museum, and the upcoming Hayy: Creative Hub, opening in 2020. Before opening the Jameel Arts Center in Dubai in 2018, Art Jameel ran a temporary Project Space in Alserkal Avenue in Dubai with a wide-ranging program of arts activities. — SG
