The Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London: the project to restore the Islamic Gallery housed in the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London was a 2 year effort.
During the refurbishment of the Gallery in London, the contents embarked on a worldwide tour. According to the viewing figures, the exhibition was seen by over 285,000 people worldwide.
During the period September 2004 until April 2006, it visited the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas, the Setagaya Art Museum in Tokyo and the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield before returning to London.
The Gallery was opened in its new home in London at the V&A on 18th July 2006 by HRH The Prince of Wales under the new name of the ‘Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art’ in memory of Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel’s parents who founded the group.
Jameel Gallery Scholars Support has been extended as part of a joint venture with the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts (PSTA) www.psta.org.uk.
The School, based in Shoreditch in London, does important work and aims to further maintain contact with Muslim communities in order to help, in particular,younger people to re-discover their own cultural heritage within modern-day Britain.
Also they establish vocational courses to teach craft skills which are no longer taught in many art colleges. 10 UK based student scholarships are being provided per year, over a period of 5 years at the School. In collaboration with the V&A these scholars will be named “Jameel Gallery Scholars” and will have a close affinity with the V&A. Such a close tie will include an annual dinner and also the opportunity to display the best of their work in the new Jameel Gallery space.
The profile of the Gallery has also been raised with the addition of the Jameel Gallery Prize which will be awarded to the winner of a biennial competition for a new work of art in any medium which is inspired by and respects the Islamic art of the Middle East. More specifically, those entering the competition will be asked to respond to the pieces displayed in the Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art at the V&A: if the V&A feels it is an appropriate acquisition, the winner’s new work might be added to the Museum’s already incomparable collections. The Prize will be awarded over a period of 3 years.