Fine Arts in Egypt: 100 Years of Creativity مقالة

Held under the auspices of Egypt’s first lady, Suzanne Mubarak, the opening ceremony featured welcome speeches by Farouk Hosni (minister of culture), Abdulla Barakat (president, Helwan University), Mohamed Mek- kawy (dean, Fine Arts), and Aleya Abdel-Hadi (conference organizer). The central venue of the conference was significant; not only are the grounds of the Opera House close to the premises of the fine arts faculty, but the Opera House is also considered the heart of Cairo’s artistic activity and is referred to as Egypt’s national cultural center. Many of the papers, keynote discussions, and symposia revolved around the central theme of the development of fine arts in Egypt and the region over the past century. The rich variety of disciplines, paper topics, research approaches, and participants ensured that the conference celebrated not only the presence of the fine arts faculty as an institution in Egypt, but as an instigator of creative thought and criticism within the country and the region.