Jordan Times
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
USAID grant to finance
renovation work on mosaic institute
By Taylor Luck
MADABA - Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art and Restoration (MIMAR) students will
soon have a state-of-the-art facility to practise their craft, under a JD57,633
USAID grant.
The renovations are part of a continued makeover of the institute, which is
poised to train some 1,000 mosaic experts within the next five years.
“This grant will allow for some renovation work that will enhance the learning
environment for first year students,” said Fawwaz Khraysheh, Department of
Antiquities director general and MIMAR chairman.
The grant will fund the revamping of workshops, provide newer tools and
protective uniforms for students, create a computer lab and connect the
administration offices to the Internet.
The makeover will also redirect tourist flow through the institute’s main gate,
guiding visitors into the archaeological park along a pathway with information
posts to provide better orientation.
The grant will also finance security services for the school and the heritage
sites.
“This is another step taking the institute to a world-class level and giving
these students all the educational tools they need,” USAID/Jordan Tourism
Development Project (JTDP) project manager Randa Muasher told The Jordan Times.
Future refurbishments will include new technical labs, conference centres and
basic lodging facilities as well as new front offices for management.
The Madaba Mosaics School was initiated in 1992 by the Italian government and
the DoA in an effort to train artists capable of restoring and conserving the
Kingdom’s mosaics.
Due to regulations and a lack of funding, however, the institute was scaled back
to a basic vocational school for high school students.
Between 1994 and 2006, the school, which constituted two modest classrooms and
studios, trained young people in basic mosaic work.
In 2006, following efforts by the DoA and mosaic expert Franciscan Father
Piccirillo, USAID/JTDP offered $1 million, and the Italian government
contributed an additional 800,000 euros to transform the struggling school into
a world-class institute.
With accreditation from Yarmouk and Balqa universities, MIMAR has four
mainstream programmes: A two-year diploma course, a higher diploma in mosaic
restoration and conservation, short professional short courses for Madaba
residents and tourists, and a master class for graduates.
The institute’s first class of 16 students is currently in their second
semester, and will begin internships in the summer, practising what they
learned.