One programme is open for all GCC residents.

Qatar Museums is now accepting proposals for public art from all artists in the country and surrounding GCC region as part of its multiple initiatives to support creatives while transforming the country into an open art gallery.

“These annual open calls bring together local artists who not only propose public artworks that will leave a legacy, but they also transform the city, making it come further alive through their art,” Qatar Museums said on Wednesday.

The public art calls include Jedariart, 5/6 initiative, Public Art Annual Intervention, and the Student Initiative Competition.

Commenting on the multiple initiatives, Director of Public Art at Qatar Museums Abdulrahman Al Ishaq said the local entity aims “to create awareness around public art” while enabling artists to express themselves.

“This also paves a way for eligible artists to become part of Qatar’s story and history by immersing themselves in the nation’s cultural and artistic scene through their artworks,” Al Ishaq said.

The Jedariart programme has enabled artists to embellish Qatar’s streets over recent years through murals and street art, which can be spotted on highways and in neighbourhoods.

The initiative is open for all residents, who can apply through Qatar Museums’ website and upload proposed designs and sketches as well as their previous works. 

The Public Art Student Initiative is open for all university students and alumni, individually or as groups, who can submit temporary or permanent public artwork proposals online by 20 April.

If selected, the artists will execute the proposed designs for Qatar Museums’ Public Art department. 

Meanwhile, the Public Art Annual Intervention enables residents in Qatar to propose public art ideas “that improve urban life”, representing the local community. The deadline for the application is 30 May.

Going beyond Qatar’s community, the 5/6 initiative for 2024 is an open call for all GCC creatives to submit artwork that represent the entirety of the region. 

The initiative is named after 5 June, 2017, the day when Qatar was subjected to an illegal air, land and sea blockade by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. The GCC crisis was the worst diplomatic rift the region witnessed.

Qatar Museums is accepting proposals online until 30 April.

“The 5/6 Initiative marks an important event in Qatari history, while also sparking a remarkable sense of community. For this year’s 5/6 Initiative, artists are encouraged to propose projects that explore intangible commonalities in our diverse societies,” Qatar Museums said.