RIYADH — Misk Art Institute, an affiliate of the Prince Muhammad Bin Salman Foundation (Misk), has launched the first edition of the Misk Art Grant, an annual program that provides financial and technical support to creative artists from within the Kingdom and outside. As part of its role in supporting the creative sector and promoting creative production, the institute seeks to enable young talented persons to unleash their artistic energies by working along with a select group of mentors and curators to raise the level of creative production among the participants. The institute invited promising artists to offer creative proposals as art groups or individual artists in the fields of visual art, sculpture, photography, and multidisciplinary art. The grant facilitates and provides technical and financial support to the selected applicants. The institute takes the concept of Dwell (Mukooth) as the theme of the first art grant for 2020. The participants can unleash their imagination unrestricted on tools and subjects to present a creative artistic statement that tells the story of the pandemic phase of Saudi lives. These artworks will be available to be displayed on various platforms, both locally and internationally by the Institute. The topic Mukooth referred to the situation resulting from the coronavirus pandemic that forced all to stay indoors and that was a catalyst for many individuals to explore their hidden creative energies. Artists are trying to maintain a creative mindset even if they have no access to their studios and tools. While artists dwell, they have the chance to self-reflect, generate and gather ideas, experiment, innovate and create. The exhibition Mukooth was launched with the launch of Misk Art Week, the flagship annual initiative of the Institute, on Dec. 3 and the exhibition will run through until Feb. 28, 2021. Five Saudi artists, whose works will be picked by the jury, to be the first winners of the Art Grant. These five creative works of art will be displayed by the participants throughout the days of the exhibition at Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Fine Arts Hall, Riyadh. Reem Al-Sultan, CEO of Misk Art Institute, said that what the institute seeks is to create an artistic environment that incubates young creations, capable of enriching the Saudi art scene, by providing a set of tools, programs, and initiatives that support the creative development of artists. The Misk Art Grant program is among the first art events held by the Misk Art Institute as an extension of its important role in supporting male and female artists and enriching the Saudi art scene.
