Qatar to Mark International Museum Day Thursday

Doha, May 13 (QNA) - Under the patronage of HE Chairperson of Board of Trustees - Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani, QMA will celebrate the International Museum Day on Thursday, May 16. The Day will be marked by the global arts community on May 18. QMA will mark the event with a number of initiatives including a public conference next Thursday. This year's theme is Museums (memory + creativity) = social change. Held at the Museum of Islamic Art auditorium, the conference will feature keynote talks from four international museum representatives, including HE the Chairman of National Museums Committee Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani. "Today more than ever, museums are at the heart of cultural, social and economic issues in contemporary societies. The Conference will explore the ways in which Qatar can utilize its museums, the memories they hold, and the creativity they inspire, to chart a course for the future," QMA said in a statement posted on its website. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day in 1977 to encourage public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society. 35 years later, over 32,000 museums from more than 129 countries participate annually. International Museum Day is a special moment for the museum community. On this day, participating museums interpret an issue that concerns all cultural organizations. International Museum Day is also a fantastic opportunity for museum professionals to meet their public. (QNA)