Art in Embassies

Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey's Remarks at the Opening of the Art in Embassies Collection, Riga, October 18, 2005

Ambassador and Mr. Bailey

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen,

My husband Irv and I are so pleased to welcome you to our home tonight and to share with you the wonderful works of art we have assembled as part of the Art in Embassies project. Irv deserves all of the credit for selecting with our curator Sarah Tanguy the art we have here tonight, and, in a moment, I will let him talk about the art and why it is important to him.

But, first I would like to tell you a little bit about the Art in Embassies program.

The Art In Embassies Program was established by the United States Department of State over forty years ago and has grown into a global museum that exhibits original works of art by Americans in the public rooms of approximately 180 U.S. diplomatic residences worldwide. These exhibitions include art loaned from galleries, museums, individual artists, and corporate and private collections, and they provide international audiences with a sense of the scope and diversity of U.S. culture.

Painter Kristaps Zariņš, Director of the National Museum of Art Māra Lāce and Director of the Museum of Decorative Arts & Design Alīda Krēsliņa at the opening

The Art In Embassies Program also plays an important role in supporting United States foreign policy. As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said, United States "diplomacy must tell the story of the American people – our commitment to freedom of expression, our embrace of diversity, and our openness to the world. No one tells this story more vividly than America's artists and their works. By sharing our nation's rich culture with people across the globe, American art plays a vital role in American foreign policy by promoting international understanding of American culture and values."

The Art in Embassies Program was created to promote national pride and a sense of distinct cultural identity of America's art and its artist, and I am proud that we have art that represents our home state of Kentucky here now. At this point, I will turn over the podium, to my husband who can tell you a little bit about the works of art we have on display in our home

Thank you for coming and I hope that you enjoy the evening and enjoy the art.