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Now
On my first day at work with the project
to establish the new International
Academy of Art in Palestine, I had no idea what Tayseer Barakat,
the popular Palestinian artist meant when he said 'We will start
this academy and just fly.' I had just stepped into a new and
different world of art this November 2006 that overwhelmed me
with all of the talented artists around me, on the board of directors
and in the office dropping in to check on what's the status of
such a unique and alternative educational project. Fly? I thought
in my mind I surely need a helicopter to fly from my home in
Taybeh to the Ramallah office since the last six years I have
suffered terribly just trying to bring my children to school
every day under the worse conditions I have experienced in Palestine
the last twenty-five years.
I had no idea Tayseer Barakat
meant I will have the honor to fly with the dreams that Palestinian
artists have had for over thirty years in creating a space for
artists to express themselves and to be a reflection of the cultural,
political and social atmosphere of our times and use art as a
powerful tool to promote change. The work involved literally
flying to the printers to create an introductory brochure, a
website and invitations to launch on December 7, 2006 this fascinating
project of establishing an exquisite higher education institution
in Palestine wishing to grant a B.A. degree in fine arts following
the first steps of making an application to the Ministry of Higher
Education for accreditation.
This new academic year held
the goals of accepting and teaching the first art students in
September 2007 with the deadline for Fall applications being
March 15, 2007. We need everything around the academy just to
quickly fly our way including talented students, expert teachers,
money and of course a large building that would eventually house
a larger exhibition hall, studios and state of the art library
currently available at the Aref Al Aref Renowned House, also
known as Gallery 79, behind the Arab Bank El Birieh Branch, Ramallah
entrance.
The individual who has made
a huge difference behind the scenes of this institution-building
project is Henrik Placht of the partner institution, Oslo National
Academy of Arts in Norway, an extraordinary artist himself, who
has worked hard for more than four years to organize, lobby,
curate, network, fundraise and give birth to an alternative form
of peaceful resistance and find an institution that will focus
on offering new images of Palestinians to the local population
and international community. He came to Palestine and met with
many local artists including the leading Palestinian artists
Suleiman Mansour and Nabil Anani with the charming artist Khaled
Hourani, Sameer Salameh, Tayseer Barakat, all helping to initiate
the project to establish the International Academy of Art in
Palestine. Musleih Kananeh, professor of Birzeit University
was also very instrumental in establishing the first contacts
for this capacity building project.
In 2001 and 2002 when Ramallah
was under severe curfews and bombings, there were actually people
on the ground thinking how to fly out of the cycle of violence
and think creatively in alternative peaceful ways to resist the
brutal military occupation aimed at wiping out Palestinians from
the face of their beloved homeland. Academic Art Education by
its nature promotes tolerance and reconciliation through visual
arts. The International Academy of Art Palestine will take a
leading role to maintain the collective Palestinian history and
identity.
I must admit I do have some
people that help me fly with the ideas, objectives and goals
in establishing the International Academy of Art in Palestine
with the prominent Jerusalem lawyer, Mazen Qupty, the chairman
of the board of directors with the very brilliant Reem Fadda,
the director of the Palestinian Association of Contemporary Arts
(PACA) are a huge driving force behind this exceptional project.
I have promised PACA to represent
this prestigious institution with all of the passion I have for
Palestine and symbolically fly to the highest star in the sky
so that one day after much dedication, commitment and perseverance,
the International Academy of Art Palestine will be the new shinning
star of the region seeking to educate the artists of tomorrow
and hopefully finding donors to sustain the project beyond the
initial three years funding generously provided by the Norwegian
Foreign Ministry.
The Norwegian partners have
agreed to provide consultation in helping anchor the curriculum
within an Arab-Middle Eastern society. I have the honor to fly
with the dream of establishing a distinctive educational institution
having a new voice in Palestine and make it a reality starting
with the first students September 2007. Thus when the sparkle
in Tayseer's eyes said 'fly' it really meant the sky is the limit
to the success the International Academy of Art Palestine can
achieve with local and international support.
Maria C. Khoury, project manager, IAAP is a graduate
of Hellenic College, Harvard University & Boston University
with a Doctor of Education degree and returned to Palestine with
her husband Daoud C. Khoury, Mayor of Taybeh, following the Oslo
Agreement to help boost the economy by producing Taybeh Beer.
She has published many articles worldwide about the brutal Israeli
occupation. She can be reached at: director@artacademy.ps
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