Dubai is honouring all regional and international patrons of the arts, who have made financial contributions towards strengthening Dubai’s art scene, with the first ever recognition of its sort in the Arab world.

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the organisation for developing, promoting and preserving culture, heritage and the arts, is currently inviting submissions for the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards, which will honour patrons of art or cultural events in Dubai or a Dubai-affiliated initiative.

The awards were announced during Art Dubai in March 2009 by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to support patrons who have made invaluable contributions to shaping the cultural dynamics of Dubai.

“By extending the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards to patrons from the region and beyond, Dubai is leading a new dynamic to promote the arts,” said Mishaal Al Gergawi, project & events manager of Dubai Culture.

“With this global outreach, we underscore our gratitude to all art patrons who continue to support Dubai’s art scene. Their patronage has helped Dubai build an established platform today to drive the growth of the arts,” added Al Gergawi.

The inaugural awards honour financial contributions or in kind support to visual arts, performing arts, films and literary initiatives in Dubai from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009.

The awards will be conferred in four categories: Distinguished Patrons of the Arts, Patrons of the Arts, Supporters of the Arts, and Friends of the Arts.

Al Gergawi said that the city’s cultural sphere has gained tremendously from the support of patrons not only based in the UAE but also across the GCC region and globally.

“The far-reaching patronage to the disciplines of literature, visual arts, film and performing arts in Dubai highlights the confidence of the patrons in Dubai’s evolution from being a platform for content exhibition to that of content creation,” Al Gergawi said.

The awards will be presented in March at Art Dubai 2010, the leading contemporary art fair in the region, held annually in Dubai. – TradeArabia News Service