The Association for the Promotion and Exhibition of the Arts in Lebanon (APEAL) has announced the 2016 winning recipients for its APEAL/ Maria Geagea Arida Annual Scholarship Award during a press conference held at Al Dente restaurant in Albergo Hotel.
A jury including APEAL members Nada Khoury, Nada Boulos Assad, Nora Boustany, and Taline Boladian selected Mr. Hicham Faraj, Ms. Ghalas Charara and Ms. Sarah Naim as scholarship recipients for 2016. The candidates were chosen for submitting outstanding applications.
The winners are being admitted to graduate programs at Yale University in Connecticut for a Masters in Graphic Design, at the HEAD Geneva for a Masters of Arts in Critical, Curatorial and Cybermedia Studies and at CalArts University for a Masters of Fine Arts respectively.
“We are thrilled to select students heading into such diverse and inter-disciplinary fields. What they are trying to accomplish in pursuing these eclectic programs speaks to our vision for APEAL’s planned Beirut Museum of Art, BeMA and resonates with the outcomes we are after,” said Ms. Nora Boustany, APEAL board member and member of the scholarship committee.
“BeMA will foster a spirit of inclusion and will serve as a platform that promotes cultural and artistic literacy among all segments of society. The idea is to generate a common language revolving around our humanity and acceptance of one another,” Boustany added,
Thanking APEAL for its generous support, Naim said she considered this an opportunity along her journey “to be an active member in the international artistic community, and reach out to the greater public, especially those who do not have the same kind of exposure to the arts.”
Faraj expressed his excitement about pursuing his masters in graphic design at Yale’s School of Art in the United States. “Over there, I plan to further explore my interest in visual storytelling. I will hopefully benefit from a diverse body of teachers and students who will stimulate me to explore my potential,” he said.
“Having this support and appreciation from this association resonates, like a recognition from home, a push for me to go forward,” said Charara with gratitude.
Each year, APEAL grants scholarships to Lebanese art students and nascent artists accepted in postgraduate programs related to the fields of arts in Lebanon and abroad. This contribution crystallizes its objectives of to fostering art education and elevating the reach and status of the arts in Lebanon.