Bassam Freiha Art Foundation expands support for Emirati artists and students to brush up on skills

Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, which marked its second anniversary in March, has announced new scholarships, educational partnerships and student-led programmes aimed at supporting the next generation of Emirati creatives.

Among the initiatives is a year-long collaboration with the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University, which will culminate in Seeing Ourselves, a student-led exhibition opening in June.

The foundation has also granted a scholarship supporting Emirati artist Noor Al Suwaidi’s master of fine arts studies. For Al Suwaidi, 45, whose career spans curating, cultural policy and institution-building, the scholarship represents both a personal milestone and a broader sign of how the UAE’s art ecosystem has evolved.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’m very honoured to be able to have this time that every artist needs, to go back into the studio, return to the books, research and build myself to become even stronger,” she tells The National.

Al Suwaidi previously worked on projects including the bid for Expo 2020 Dubai and the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, and co-curated an exhibition that toured the US in partnership with the UAE Embassy. She says the opportunity to return to academia comes at a moment when artistic practices are rapidly changing.

“Every artist, no matter where they are in their career, needs to be aware of AI, coding and all of these new elements,” she says. “There is now a space in between where both are meeting, and it becomes about how you can still have your unique fingerprint within that.”

Although she describes herself as “a traditionalist” who prefers painting, printmaking and building sculptures by hand, Al Suwaidi has increasingly incorporated digital tools into her work, including using 3D printing for a recent sculptural commission in AlUla’s Maraya.

On returning from Saudi to the UAE, Al Suwaidi hopes to move further into education by teaching at universities while continuing her artistic practice. “I’m happy that the foundation has faith in my career, my practice and my dedication,” she says.

The foundation’s educational ambitions extend beyond established artists. Its collaboration with Zayed University brought together students from photography, graphic design and visual arts programmes, who worked across every stage of exhibition-making, from installation and exhibition design to branding and curatorial development.

“It turned out to be something a little bit bigger,” says Tala Hammoud Atrouni, assistant professor at the university and a practising artist. “We were able to include about 50 students to be part of that programme, working on different aspects of what happens in an exhibition behind the scenes before people see it on the walls.”

The resulting exhibition, Seeing Ourselves, opens on June 11 and positions Emirati students as image-makers documenting their own experiences of the UAE through architecture, portraiture and landscape photography. The exhibition was conceived as a response to the foundation’s Orientalist collection, shifting authorship towards contemporary Emirati perspectives.

Atrouni says the programme reflects a wider transformation taking place across the UAE’s arts sector, where younger Emiratis are increasingly entering not only artistic fields, but also curatorial and institutional roles.

“For a long time, art in general, not only in the UAE but across the region, was something parents would not encourage their children to be involved in,” she says. “It’s very nice to see how this is changing in the UAE.”

Atrouni notes that many students are now pursuing postgraduate degrees and looking towards long-term careers within the arts ecosystem. “This young generation, they lead this industry,” she says. “Luckily, the government is supporting that initiative by opening opportunities and calls for them.”

Beyond university partnerships, the foundation also announced the continuation of its educational collaboration with the Department of Education and Knowledge inAbu Dhabi, which introduces high school students to careers in curatorial practice, gallery management, photography and architecture. More than 170 students from Abu Dhabi charter schools have participated so far.

The initiatives build on Bassam Freiha’s broader efforts since opening in Saadiyat Cultural District in 2024, including free public workshops, lectures and its Family Studio programme developed with FiA – Institute for Inclusion.

Atrouni says the wider impact can already be seen among the students she teaches. “My generation had to push for it. I’m so happy to see my students getting to where I wanted to be as a young emerging artist.”