American University of Sharjah hosts The Beauty of Words exhibition

Entitled "The Beauty of Words" the exhibition will be held at the Rotunda of the AUS Main building and will run for a month.

The exhibition will present a selection of some 100 distinctive items of Islamic calligraphy from Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al Thani Museum in Doha, Qatar. H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al Thani, collector and owner of Faisal Bin Qassim Museum will attend the opening ceremony.

AUS Chancellor Dr. Peter Heath expressed his gratitude to H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani on supporting this initiative. "One significant dimension of the university's mission consists in cultivating the fine arts, literature, and sciences within the region. Moreover, this initiative aims to create a regional network, which will help merge academia and the arts in order to empower students and alumni to interact and expose them to distinguished and unique artworks, including those focused on Islamic heritage" said Dr. Heath.

The Chancellor commented that this project had been carried out as a tripartite collaboration between the University's Office of Public Affairs, the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, and the College of Architecture, Art and Design on the theme "Art through University and Community Dialogue", an initiative launched at the AUS Alumni Reunion Dinner last January.

Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Salem Al Qaseer and Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs Nada Mourtada also expressed their appreciation to Sheikh Faisal for his decision in selecting AUS as a venue for this first 'Voyaging Museum' exhibition in the Middle East, which is in line with the University's mission in establishing strong ties with the community.

Sheikha Al Anood Bint Faisal Al Thani, Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum said: "We are especially proud of this initiative, which demonstrates our mission to encourage cultural exchange and promote heritage. AUS is a particularly distinguished partner to work with and we invite the students and the local community to visit the exhibition and get a better understanding of the rich heritage of Islamic calligraphy. We are very glad that we could gather these beautiful and interesting pieces together. Our purpose is to make them accessible to the youth in the region and to those who share the same enthusiasm for Islam's heritage, history and art."

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani is one of Qatar's leading entrepreneurs, regarded as a key player in promoting the heritage and culture of Qatar. Sheikh Faisal pioneered the establishment of a heritage venue, with the objective of reviving public interest and appreciation of local culture. The venue expresses his vision, combining and displaying his private collection of unique coins, books, manuscripts, ceramics, and antique cars. This window to the beauty and splendor of the past of Qatar and the Islamic world has been opened for people from all walks of life to view and experience.

In 2012, Sheikh Faisal received the "Heritage Personality of the Year" title for noteworthy achievements in heritage preservation, organized under the patronage of the League of Arab States.

The "Beauty of Words" exhibition is curated by Dr. Dieter Marcos, Director of the Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al Thani Museum.