São Paulo – Works of art by women from the world over will have a special place in Amman, the capital of Jordan. The International Center for Women Artists (ICWA), scheduled for inauguration in 2013, will be a museum and a facility for art education projects. The quarters for the center, which is an initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), were donated by the Jordanian king Abdullah II and queen Rania.
According to a statement issued by the Unesco, the mission of the center will be to “promote peace through art by becoming a forum for intercultural dialogue, education and exchange in order to empower women and girls and preserve artistic and cultural traditions.”
The museum will host a permanent collection in Jordan and it will also organize travelling exhibitions worldwide. According to the Unesco, the center will also have a strong presence online, including interactive visits, research sources and conferences with artists in residence. The site will also be a database and a marketplace for the artists’ works.
“It is our duty to help women artists,” said Hedva Ser, one of the masterminds behind the project, according to the Unesco statement. “The museum and educational centre will be a unique gathering place for women artists, not just from the region, but from around the world, making it a place to learn, teach and encourage dialogue and free expression,” she said.
To design the logo for the center, Unesco has launched a contest for graphic designers around the world. The winner will receive a US$ 2,000 prize. Second and third places will get US$ 500 each. Entries will remain open until January 31, 2012.
For further information on the contest, go to: http://www.icwajordan.org/Page_2.html.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
