Middle Eastern Women In The Arts Win Big

Artist Sophia Al Maria wins the MCA Chicago Award and curator Christine Tohme is set to receive a UNESCO prize

Sophia Al Maria Wins MCA Chicago Award for Middle Eastern Artists

The inaugural edition of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s $100,000 Dunya Contemporary Art Prize has been awarded to artist Sophia Al Maria. Sponsored by the Shulamit Nazarian Foundation, it will be granted biennially to mid-career artists from the Middle East producing challenging, innovative works, and will involve commissioning a new work to be included in key exhibitions. Al Maria is noted for works around her coined Gulf Futurism concept tackling economic and urban development, and critiquing consumerism and capitalism, in the Middle East.

Christine Tohme To Receive UNESCO Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture

On 15 May at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Christine Tohme will be awarded the prize in recognition of her promotion of Arab culture around the world. The Lebanese curator and cultural organiser, who most recently curated the Sharjah Biennial 13, founded the Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts, Ashkhal Alwan, which supports, facilitates and circulates creative and intellectual efforts broad spectrum across the arts and culture.