AUD hosted today the prominent Dubai gallerist, Mr. Umer Butt, who discussed his career as Founder and co-Director of the Gallery Grey Noise.
 
Grey Noise is a contemporary art gallery representing a selection of artists, with a focus on work from South Asia, Middle East and Europe. The gallery provides emerging and established artists with a platform for ambitious projects engaged in dialogue with the international art community.[1]
 
Mr. Butt presented to freshmen in the Introduction to Visual Communication course and to senior students in the Gallery Management elective course, who learned about a career that they can potentially pursue with their degrees in Visual Communication. He spoke about the types of activities and responsibilities he has as a gallerist, as well as how he developed his interest in curating and selling art, and the reasons for choosing Dubai as the location of his gallery. He concluded by offering his expectations about the future of Dubai as an art center.
 
This speaker was the fourth off-campus professional to visit classes this term. “This type of event will open our students’ eyes to the broad array of careers that they can pursue using their degree in Visual Communication. With the growth of galleries, art fairs, and museums in the UAE in recent years and going forward there will be a need for knowledgeable professionals in curating, marketing, education, and art sales“ comments Prof. Julia Townsend, Associate Professor of Visual Communication.
 
The Visual Communication Department at AUD offers a choice of four majors: Advertising, Digital Media, Graphic Design, and Studio Art. There is a central "core" to all of these options which ensures students' breadth of knowledge in Visual Communication.

Specifically, Studio Art is an examination of our environment and humanity, combined with a passion for beauty expressed visually. The Studio Art Major offers an interdisciplinary approach to art making. Students study painting, photography, sculpture, and printmaking, with a rigorous final year that entails a self-directed studio project and a written thesis supporting the studio work.
 
Students majoring in Studio Art are eligible to pursue the following positions: Fine Artist, Gallery Owner/Employee, Curator, Creative Director, Illustrator, and Corporate Art Consultant.