The Courtyard, an outdoor complex housing a cluster of street-facing restaurants — Semsom, Margherita, Aseel, Kalila and Chocolat — offers a unique rendezvous spot, with a multitude of cuisines for those looking to experience an evening with a unique blend of gastronomical treats and some progressive art.

The Urban Art Show is the first of five exhibitions that will be organized over a period of 10 months in mediums spanning paintings, sculptures, calligraphy, typography, videos, photography and digital art by new emerging artists.

Sundus Batterjee, Project Manager of The Courtyard Urban Art Show said: “The idea of brand management for The Courtyard was introducing art to people, exposing and educating them and bringing something extra to the experience of dining.”

“The Courtyard is a food and beverage destination, which is the first of its kind in Jeddah. What we are trying to do is integrate food with art photography and fashion — anything that creates something new and adds to the lifestyle of Jeddah,” said Mansour Bleik, Head of Operations.

With plans of opening several new restaurants within the end of this year and supporting the talents of new artists specifically by providing them a space to exhibit, The Courtyard is envisioning the creation of a unique lifestyle hub of dining and buzzing art activity.

“We plan to host events here throughout the year. We basically want to encourage Saudi artists and provide them a platform for their work,” said Managing Director Bandar Al-Sulaiman. The concept is to create an experience where people can enjoy food, and at the same time, enjoy art, he added.

So, if you’re out and about town on a gourmet extravaganza with a purse to splurge on some art shopping, the current artworks on display are open for consumer sales and range from SR 5,000 to SR 30,000.

Abdulmajeed Thiban, a self-taught freelance photographer and winner of the “Think, Create, Inspire” competition in the photography category said: “I bought my first professional camera in 2008 and have been photographing ever since. Most of what I do is landscape photography.”

He exhibited three of his photographs at the show and said he has no monetary expectations from his work, as he does it only for pure personal indulgence.

“Most of the artists post their work on the Internet, but I prefer exhibition spaces or galleries,” said Faisal Al Shehri, another photographer who has displayed his photographs in 15 exhibitions in the past. “We’ve witnessed an incredible number of exhibitions lately, which shows that people are becoming more aware of the importance of art and are learning to appreciate it. I love how young artists are becoming more and more involved,” said Soraya Darwish, a blogger and photographer.

She says that young artists have been living in the shadows of older and more experienced artists for a long time and are finally getting their due with the provision of opportunities such as at The Courtyard.

“This is a country where youth are the majority, so I think to truly understand society you must look to the young generation,” she added.

The Urban Art Show will run for six weeks. After that, The Courtyard will host a social responsibility art exhibition during the month of Ramadan where proceeds from sales will go toward charities. Now, that’s some food for thought…

Bon appétit!