Art in Embassies Budapest 2015

Transcript: Jó napot kívánok! I'm Colleen Bell, Ambassador of the United States of America to Hungary and I am very pleased to have the opportunity to introduce the Art in Embassies program of the U.S. Department of State. Established in 1963, the Department’s office of Art in Embassies promotes cultural exchange by creating temporary and permanent exhibitions in U.S. diplomatic missions around the world. To accomplish this task, Art in Embassies selects and commissions contemporary art from the U.S. and the host countries of our embassies and chanceries. These exhibitions provide international audiences with a sense of the quality, scope, and diversity of both countries’ art and culture. In fact, the Art in Embassies office has a presence in more countries than any other U.S. foundation or arts organization. These specially curated collections allow foreign citizens, many of whom might never travel to the United States, to personally experience the depth and breadth of our artistic heritage and values. As Secretary of State John Kerry notes, “The exhibitions, permanent collections, and artist exchanges connect people from the farthest corners of an international community. Art in Embassies cultivates relationships that transcend boundaries, building trust, mutual respect, and understanding among peoples.” Bringing this collection to life has also been a very personal process. Working with the curators of Art in Embassies, I chose diverse pieces that told stories about modern America and its people, including me. Many of the works reflect my own experiences as a modern American woman. For example, I chose works that articulated a female voice, as well as those that reminded me of my home and the people in California. As Ambassador to Hungary, it has been a great privilege to work with the Art in Embassies office to select and prepare the works of art that make up the Budapest 2015 Art in Embassies exhibition. The curators of the Art in Embassies office and I identified pieces representing the best of American art, and we worked many wonderful artists and galleries along the way. From identifying these pieces to the very careful installation of the collection in the Ambassador’s Residence in Budapest, it has been an intricate and involved process. I especially thank the many artists and their representatives who have participated in this process. Through their generosity and patience, the collection coalesced and came to life. And I have to thank the many people behind the scenes who are responsible for the long journey of the exhibit from all corners of the United States to Hungary. From receiving the art at two in the morning on a tarmac at Budapest airport to finding ingenious ways to install modern art in a vintage building, many dedicated people are responsible for the success of this exhibition. In the spirit of the Art in Embassies and the goal of promoting the exchange of culture and ideas, I hope to share this collection and discuss it with as many Hungarians as possible. The Embassy is looking forward to welcoming visitors to the collection as part of various tours and educational events, and gatherings related to the collection over the coming years, as well as through our online resources. For more information on the Budapest 2015 Art in Embassies collection and the Art in Embassies program in general, please visit the U.S. Embassy’s website and Facebook page. As part of our virtual exhibition of the Budapest 2015 Art in Embassies collection, I invite you to join me in a series of brief, personal introductions to several pieces in the collection.

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