It has long been common for companies and public organizations to have websites. But now, as web technologies have become more accessible, many individuals have their own Internet presence. A personal website can be simple, designed with freeware, or it can be extremely sophisticated. Celebrities have personal websites, as do professionals working in numerous fields.
Abeera Atique, the department head of Arts at Dhahran High School (DHS) is an artist with an international following. She has a personal website at www.abeeraatique.com. The website provides details of Atique’s successful career and also allows viewers to experience her artwork and learn about her efforts to support the underprivileged.
Through various avenues such as donating her paintings or holding exhibitions celebrating not only the creative abilities of her students, but also encouraging them to donate the proceeds of their work to charity, Atique raises funds for various worthy causes. Her website publicizes these efforts in the hope that others will find inspiration from them. In addition to helping organize the recent DHS Habitat for Humanity Event, which earned more than SR23,000 in one night for the charity, Atique recently donated a painting to The Arabian Reading Association (TARA). The painting was auctioned at the TARA Conference to fund an education charity.
Atique also uses her website as a motivational tool. At the site she posts photographs of some of her students’ best work with the intention that her online gallery will expose their talent to wider audience.
“I teach my students how to be creative with various materials and techniques,” said Atique, “but I never tell them what the subject of their artwork should be. That I leave to their creativity. I have found that when students have an emotional connection to their art they present us with amazing efforts. Then I use my website to share their work with everyone around the world to show how young talent can be developed in a nurturing, educational environment.”