Seventeenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

This academic study focuses on the effectiveness of community impact in the design field through the engagement in residencies, workshops, and forums provided by educational institutions such as Misk Art Institute a non-profit cultural organization that empowers local artists through an interconnected ecosystem of support, expertise, and education. The study presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of Misk art residency program. This study focuses on the emerging design market in the Middle East with a special focus on empowering female designers. It is important for female designers to be connected to the field of art and design through community engagement, participating in different exhibitions, conferences, and publications. This research adopted an action research approach to explore one art residency program in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia offered by Misk Art Institute starting on September 2022 and will run for thee months. The program has been running for the past five years supporting early career designers by offering access to funding, mentorship, master classes, workshops, studio spaces, and exposure to audiences through a showcase and publication to support early career artist start their journey. The objective of this study is to understand the perceived community impact of art residency programs on empowering female designers in the field. This study aims to enhance early career development for designers in the Middle East art market, to raise the profile and visibility of art residency programs, and to enlighten designers about the art market opportunities in Saudi Arabia.

Presenters

Renad Al Sekait
Faculty Member, Interior Design Program / Graphic Design Program Coordinator, College of Architecture and Design, Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia

Afsina Abbasi
Assistant Professor, Interior Design, Prince Sultan University, Ar Riya?, Saudi Arabia