Qatar Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park to Open for the Public on Friday

Doha, January 03 (QNA) -Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) announced here on Tuesday that the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park will be open for the public as of next Friday where the QMA organises a host of cultural, educational and recreational activities during the opening ceremony. The QMA said the opening ceremony will be held on the park itself on Friday from 12 AM to 10 PM where the park will be open free for the public as from that time. The MIA Park, a new cultural destination on Doha s Corniche, was opened on December 16, 2011. Located on the grounds of the world-renowned Museum of Islamic Art, the nearly 280,000-square-meter , crescent-shaped park is designed by Pei Partnership Architects of New York and will feature a vertical steel sculpture by internationally acclaimed American artist Richard Serra. The as-yet-untitled sculpture is Richard Serra s first public artwork in the Middle East. "MIA Park will be a dynamic place of learning and exploration for children, families and art enthusiasts, with cultural, educational and recreational activities designed to attract one and all," said QMA Chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. "We are especially proud that this new destination will feature an extraordinary work by Richard Serra, one of the leading sculptors of our time. Like the Museum of Islamic Art itself, Richard Serra s sculpture will serve as a beacon for the arts in Qatar and will further the QMA s mission to encourage global cultural exchange and introduce the Doha community to art from around the world," said HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. It is worth to mention that the sculpture will provide both a public place and a private space for people to gather and experience the narrow, vertical, open column in relation to themselves, the Museum of Islamic Art, the city of Doha, the surrounding sea, and the sky as seen through the opening at the top of the sculpture. MIA Park will include five kilometers (more than three miles) of lighted pedestrian pathways shaded by native palm trees. Visitors will also find paddle boats for rent in a small cove in Doha Bay, as well as a cafe and kiosks offering refreshments. Year-round public activities at MIA Park will include film screenings, sports events, storytelling programs and art workshops. MIA Park will be developed in phases, with additional elements and amenities to be announced in the future. HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani attended the inaugural ceremony of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park on Friday , Dec.16 , 2011.(QNA)