Saudi Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, Namaa Almunawara to Promote Traditional Arts

The agreement aims to enhance cooperation in the fields of supporting traditional arts. SPA
The agreement aims to enhance cooperation in the fields of supporting traditional arts. SPA
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Saudi Royal Institute of Traditional Arts, Namaa Almunawara to Promote Traditional Arts

The agreement aims to enhance cooperation in the fields of supporting traditional arts. SPA
The agreement aims to enhance cooperation in the fields of supporting traditional arts. SPA

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) and Namaa Almunawara have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the institute's headquarters in Riyadh.

The agreement aims to enhance cooperation in the fields of supporting traditional arts, developing the creative economy, and preserving the national cultural heritage, particularly as this year marks The Year of Handicrafts.

Areas of cooperation include developing human capacity through implementing training programs and workshops, providing consulting, and designing and arbitrating specialized programs.

The MoU also supports the handicrafts sector by launching entrepreneurial initiatives, developing craft products, and enabling emerging talents, in addition to organizing local and international events and exhibitions, and developing community initiatives related to traditional arts.



Paris' Orsay Museum Opens up the Wonders of Art Restoration to the Public Gaze

Art restorers work on Gustave Courbet's painting titled "A Burial at Ornans" (Un enterrement a Ornans), created between 1849 and 1850, at the Orsay Museum in Paris on May 7, 2025. (AFP)
Art restorers work on Gustave Courbet's painting titled "A Burial at Ornans" (Un enterrement a Ornans), created between 1849 and 1850, at the Orsay Museum in Paris on May 7, 2025. (AFP)
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Paris' Orsay Museum Opens up the Wonders of Art Restoration to the Public Gaze

Art restorers work on Gustave Courbet's painting titled "A Burial at Ornans" (Un enterrement a Ornans), created between 1849 and 1850, at the Orsay Museum in Paris on May 7, 2025. (AFP)
Art restorers work on Gustave Courbet's painting titled "A Burial at Ornans" (Un enterrement a Ornans), created between 1849 and 1850, at the Orsay Museum in Paris on May 7, 2025. (AFP)

As they painstakingly scrape grime off a monumental painting by French artist Gustave Courbet, the restorers do a remarkable job of ignoring their unusual surroundings: They're watched by crowds of people, many recording on mobile phones.

Paris' Orsay Museum has thrown open to the public a process that often happens behind closed doors.

The cleaning and repairs to "A Burial at Ornans," one of the museum's signature works that Courbet painted between 1849 and 1850, are taking place in a bespoke enclosure with windows for visitors to peer through.

"A great idea," said Jennifer Dasal, a visiting art historian from North Carolina. "If it’s lasting for a while, people can come back and they can watch the restoration over time."

The restoration is expected to take about a year. The painting hasn't had a major overhaul for about 50 years. Layers of varnish that yellowed over time have dulled Courbet's colors. The weight of the huge work has deformed its frame, and its canvas has stitching, folds and tears that need attention.

The museum also plans free guided tours of their work for those who register on its website, with three time slots every Thursday morning from June 5.

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