In the presence of professors and fine artists
By: Tarek Abdel Aziz
In a ceremony befitting the occasion, Dr. Yasser Sakr, President of Helwan University, inaugurated the Museum of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the college’s headquarters in Zamalek. The event was held in the presence of Dr. Safia El-Kabbani, Dean of the Faculty, Engineer Mohamed Abu Saada, Head of the National Organization for Urban Harmony, and a large gathering of faculty professors and fine artists. A representative from the Embassy of Kuwait was also among the attendees.
During the ceremony, Dr. Safia El-Kabbani honored the university presidents who contributed to this massive achievement, including Dr. Mahmoud El-Tayeb Nasser, Dr. Mohamed El-Nashar, and Dr. Yasser Sakr. She also honored former deans of the faculty who participated in laying the foundation of this landmark, namely Dr. Yehia Abdo, Dr. Mohamed Makkawy, and Dr. Sayed Qandil, as well as sponsors and prominent figures, including Dr. Ashraf Reda.
The museum was established in the old Graphic Design Department building, which was converted into a museum at a cost of 4 million EGP, funded by Helwan University and supported by businessmen among the college's alumni. The work on this museum took nearly two years. The museum houses works by the most renowned artists from the first generation of the faculty’s graduates, including: (Al-Hussein Fawzi, Abdullah Gohar, Abdel Hadi Al-Gazzar, Hamed Ewais, Hussein El-Gebaly, Hazem Fathallah, Ahmed Nawar, Kamal Amin, Salah Abdel Karim, and Salah Taher). It also features works by faculty professors from different generations and various graduates.
The Story of the Museum's Establishment
Safia El-Kabbani says: "The idea of establishing the museum was not born today; it dates back many years. It began when the late artist Salah Abdel Karim, during his deanship of the faculty, started acquiring artworks from professors across various departments to display them in a small hall within the 'Aboud Pasha' Palace.
Years passed until the ancient palace was threatened following the 1992 earthquake. At that time, the late architect Ahmed Abdo, a professor of architecture at the college, stepped in to save the building and supervised its restoration in 1993. With the beginning of the new millennium, specifically in 2006, architect Mohamed El-Ilhamy proposed the idea of repurposing "Aboud Pasha" Palace to become a Museum of Fine Arts. He suggested restoring the palace based on modern restoration concepts: reviving the palace's historical values without compromising the efficiency of its new contemporary functions.
He also proposed reviving the museum as a cultural center. Subsequently, Yehia Abdo, the Dean of the Faculty at the time, adopted the idea and began preparing for this massive project. In 2008, when Mohamed Makkawy assumed the deanship, he continued the project's implementation procedures, including follow-up and execution. By 2011, the full implementation of the project and the complete restoration of the palace began.