ArtBus takes people on unique cultural journey

posted on 15/05/2011: 55 views

Art, and the galleries it was housed in, used to be reserved for the super-elite members of society. However, a stalwart service has changed this perception, literally providing a way for all to access art, culture and history across the UAE.

Kim Moinette is a fine art registrar and collections management specialist, who recently moved back to Dubai after spending the last 10 years working in art museums in the US. She is now an ArtBus regular.

"My first experience with the ArtBus was back in November when they were taking groups to Abu Dhabi Art. I was planning to go to the fair on my own until I read about the ArtBus. I really love to meet new people who are interested in art and thought this would be a great opportunity to network and see some world class art," she told Gulf News.

"The ArtBus appealed to me because of the numerous gallery visits along with the stop to the fair and museum. The cost was minimal at Dh50 — I love those sponsors — and you didn't have to worry about navigating and parking," she said. "They put a lot of thought into the stops and picked a variety of galleries that would appeal to people of all ages," Moinette said.

Mesopotamia's lure

She recently caught the bus to Manarat Al Saadiyat, to attend a lecture and take a private tour of the ‘Splendours of Mesopotamia' exhibition.

"It was informative and interesting. I met some really great people, artists, professors, art consultants, journalists and students who love to experience art. It was a lot of fun," she said.

The Abu Dhabi ArtBus is "always popular" Rachael Brown, Head of Special Projects at thejamjar, said. "It is a fun and relaxed way to attend the world-class exhibitions that are held regularly in Abu Dhabi. Our March routes are particularly popular as they visit Dubai galleries during the busy time of Art Dubai, when both Dubai residents and international visitors to the fair use it to get to grips with Dubai's art scene. It was great to be able to run an ArtBus to the Sharjah Biennial last March in addition to our two Dubai routes," she said.

Service has been in operation since 2007

• The ArtBus has been running since 2007, travelling to key arts fairs and events in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, such as the Sharjah Biennial (biannual); Art Dubai (every March); and Abu Dhabi Art (every November).

• The ArtBus is run by ArtintheCity, which is an umbrella project uniting arts and culture in the UAE. It encompasses a website, listings publication and the ArtBus transport service and is an initiative of thejamjar gallery, based in Al Quoz. – Gulf News

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