The Art Gallery, the Academic Museum of New York University Abu Dhabi, has partnered with the prestigious David Webb Jewelery House in New York City to launch the David Webb Fellowship Program.
Tala Nassar, a university graduate, was selected to be the first to join the program
Designed exclusively for New York Abu Dhabi graduates who have knowledge of Arabic as well as a second language. The program seeks to build outstanding capabilities in the field of technical evaluation of the museum sector in the UAE and the Gulf, and attract new Arab talent to work in it.
Tala Nassar will assist the art gallery team in the Art Gallery to integrate exhibitions and public programs into the academic and intellectual life of the university and the art community in Abu Dhabi and beyond.
“We hope that David Web Museum Fellowship will help build a new generation of researchers and curators who will continue to document the history of the Arab world,” said Maya Allison, Executive Director and Art Curator at the University. “With a proven track record of innovation and artistic creativity in the jewelery world, our roots are deep in New York City, where our university was founded, and a strong interest in the Arabian Gulf as a site for constructive dialogue and cultural exchange.”
“Like many works in museums, technical evaluation is an exceptional skill that can be gained through practice and by relying on vocational training in particular,” Allison said.
Born in the Jordanian capital, Amman, Tala Nassar received a bachelor's degree in arts and art history from New York Abu Dhabi this year. During her university studies, she worked as a researcher in the field of technical evaluation with Maya Allison, and conducted research in Arabic for the purpose of organizing a number of exhibitions.
Maya Allison:
“We hope the program will help build a new generation
Of researchers and curators who will continue
Documenting the History of the Arab World.