Teaching art in the Middle East, your tax dollars at work

The US State Department selected me to serve as an Art Envoy to Doha in Qatar on the Persian Gulf.

Your tax dollars are paying for cultural exchange which I think is important particularly at this moment in American political life.

It was a fascinating experience teaching color theory and painting in Qatar. I taught 5 workshops over 7 days, to several groups of students, about 60 people and a range of ages from adults to primary school students.

I’ve got stories to tell but mostly I’m glad I could be a friendly ambassador for USA, making new international friends while learning about a muslim country. Now I’ve got a bunch of new Facebook friends who live in Qatar.

Thank you for sending me as an ambassador. I learned as much as I taught.