Since its inception in 1971 the Fundação Edson Queiroz has been realising social, educational and cultural projects in the north-eastern region of Brazil. Set up by industrialist Edson Queiroz and today presided over by his son Airton Queiroz, the foundation is part of the Edson Queiroz Group – a conglomerate with interests in energy distribution, mineral water and soft drinks, paints, household appliances, agriculture, communication and education.
True to its founder's aim to stimulate social and economic change through education, Fundação Edson Queiroz's most prized project is the Universidade de Fortaleza (Unifor). In addition to the university's graduate and postgraduate education programmes with its 25,000 students, Unifor's Cultural Space has been organizing exhibitions of internationally renowned artists such as Miró, Rembrandt, Rubens and Vik Muniz for more than 20 years.