June 2025 Newsletter

JUSTICE HAS TO PREVAIL

The Ultimate Opportunity for Historical Storytellers!

The Grateful American Book Prize is now accepting submissions for its annual award, recognizing exceptional historical fiction and non-fiction books that captivate young readers. The annual book prize is awarded for high quality, 7th to 9th grade level historical fiction, fiction, non-fiction, and biographies about important people—and events—in America’s History.

Key Eligibility Requirements:
• Books published between August 1, 2024 – July 31, 2025
• No self-published books; writing style must appeal to 11-to-15-year-olds
• Historic accuracy is paramount; fictitious stories must be well-researched

Important Details:
• Deadline for entry: July 31, 2025
• Prior editions are not eligible
• Submit your book via our online form

About the Grateful American Book Prize

David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American Foundation was founded on President’s Day 2014, with a mission to restore enthusiasm in American history for kids—and adults. The organization seeks to provide interest, insight, and to increase awareness about the people and events that influenced the founding of the United States. Smith has boundless enthusiasm for American History and a limitless longing to share it with America’s schoolchildren. So, it’s no wonder that the author and publisher co-created the Grateful American Book Prize the following year.

The Grateful American Book Prize was co-founded by David Bruce Smith and Dr. Bruce Cole, the former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in 2015. It is awarded annually to the authors of books for children, ages 11 to 15; they can be works of historical fiction, fiction, non-fiction, and biographies. “We are looking for excellence in writing and storytelling.”

The Prize consists of a $13,000 cash award in commemoration of the 13 original Colonies, and a lifetime membership to The New York Historical. In addition, the winner receives a silver medallion designed by Smith’s mother, the renowned artist, Clarice Smith. The two “Honorable Mentions” get $500 each and the silver medallion.

Learn more about previous Grateful American Book Prize Winners and Honorable Mentions >

May 2025 Newsletter

Madness, Mayhem and Mental Illness, Redux

The Grateful American Book Prize Is Accepting Submissions for 2025

The annual book prize is awarded for high quality, 7th to 9th grade level historical fiction, fiction, non-fiction, and biographies about important people–and events–in America’s History.

The Grateful American Book Prize is accepting submissions for historical fiction, fiction, non-fiction, and biographies for adolescents—ages 11 to 15, and published between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025.

“Over the past several decades schools have gradually de-emphasized history in the classroom; as a result, many students do not know who Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were,” according to David Bruce Smith, Co-founder of the Prize. “It’s been a lingering problem for quite some time and so, at the behest and in collaboration with the late Dr. Bruce Cole, the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, we established the Prize to re-engage young readers and ramp up interest. As Dr. Cole put it, ‘we are a country of historical amnesiacs’ and perhaps historical ‘page turners’ for kids may be just what the doctor ordered.”

The Grateful American Book Prize comes with a $13,000 cash award in commemoration of the 13 original Colonies, a lifetime membership to The New York Historical, and a medallion created by Smith’s mother, the renowned artist, Clarice Smith. Two Honorable Mention recipients receive $500 each, plus the medallion.

Submit your book online via the Grateful American Book Prize Submission Form.

Please note: the deadline to enter is July 31, 2025.

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Media Contact:
Francesca Raimond
Grateful American Book Prize
info@gratefulamericanbookprize.org
703-688-2233

April 2025 Newsletter

Lady In Black

March 2025 Newsletter

February 2025 Newsletter

A Backwards Glance in History

2024 Grateful American Book Prize Winner Views Clarice Smith’s Paintings in Paris Embassy

Stuart H. Brody won the 2024 Grateful American Book Prize for his novel “Humphrey and Me.” The author was honored at an event at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC on October 30, 2024. He was presented with a silver medallion created by the renowned artist, Clarice Smith.

Soon after the event in Washington, Brody had the opportunity to visit the residence of the ambassador to the OECD in Paris where Clarice Smith’s paintings are featured in the “American Art Accelerating Democracy” Exhibition.

The author recollected, “As a recipient of the beautiful medallion accompanying the Grateful American Book Prize award and having the good fortune to be in Paris during the display of her paintings, I was thrilled to make the visit.

I wanted also to especially acknowledge Marine Robidel, a remarkable curator and knowledgeable guide who led us through the collection with unstinting enthusiasm that made the experience exceptionally memorable.”

Submit Your Book for the 2025 Grateful American Book Prize

The annual book prize is awarded for high
quality, 7th to 9^th grade level historical fiction, fiction,
non-fiction, and biographies about important
people–and events–in America’s History.

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ARLINGTON, Va. – January 2, 2025 — The Grateful American Book Prize is accepting submissions for historical fiction, fiction, non-fiction, and biographies for adolescents—ages 11 to 15, and published between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025.

“Over the past several decades schools have gradually de-emphasized history in the classroom; as a result, many students do not know who Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were,” according to David Bruce Smith, Co-founder of the Prize. “It’s been a lingering problem for quite some time and so, at the behest and in collaboration with the late Dr. Bruce Cole, the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, we established the Prize to re-engage young readers and ramp up interest. As Dr. Cole put it, ‘we are a country of historical amnesiacs’ and perhaps historical ‘page turners’ for kids may be just what the doctor ordered.”

The Grateful American Book Prize comes with a $13,000 cash award in commemoration of the 13 original Colonies, a lifetime membership to The New York Historical, and a medallion created by Smith’s mother, the renowned artist, Clarice Smith. Two Honorable Mention recipients receive $500 each, plus the medallion.

For more information and to submit your book via the online form, visit the Grateful American Book Prize website.

Please note: the deadline to enter is July 31, 2025.

Media Contact:
Grateful American Book Prize
info@gratefulamericanbookprize.org
703-688-2233

January 2025 Newsletter

Round Up of Remarkable Women

December 2024 Newsletter

PIECES OF PEACE.

November 2024 Newsletter

Honor. Dishonor. A Pass

Clarice Smith’s Paintings Featured in “American Art Accelerating Democracy” Exhibition at U.S. Embassy Residence in Paris

The U.S. Department of State’s Office of Art in Embassies and U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Sean Patrick Maloney announce the opening of a special exhibition, The Art in Embassies Collections Exhibition: American Art Accelerating Diplomacy, with French and American cultural leaders at the historic Weber House in Paris.

During each four-year presidential cycle, nearly 200 new American ambassadors are appointed to represent the United States around the world. Ambassadors work with Art in Embassies to create custom exhibitions for their residences with loaned or gifted works. “American Art Accelerating Diplomacy” is curated entirely from new special collections lent by U.S. cultural leaders dedicated to advancing art diplomacy. These special Art in Embassies Democracy Collections are large groups of works under long-term blanket loans, allowing renowned American artworks to be immediately available for ambassador residence art exhibitions around the world.

“I see firsthand how the art exhibition in this residence drives conversations, inspires ideas, and sparks connection,” Ambassador Maloney said. “It is humbling, to think this critical program has survived for over sixty years relying on the generosity of lenders and artists who share their talents and artworks to support U.S. cultural diplomacy through these important exhibitions. This exhibition at the Weber House is our way of saying thanks.”

“Democracy is not a spectator sport, and the lenders of these Democracy Collections have jumped in to help tell unique American stories of diversity, immigrant tenacity, and deeply ingrained values of equality,” said Megan Beyer, Director of Art in Embassies. “As you take in this exhibition, the American story is everywhere.”

“American Art Accelerating Democracy,” like all Art in Embassies exhibitions, is only possible because of the generosity of cultural partners. The Wolf Kahn Collection offers works by Kahn, who as a young Jewish boy in Germany escaped by Kindertransport to ultimately reside in the United States; the Gene Davis Estate Collection includes his signature, large-scale classic striped paintings from the sixties and smaller paintings from his pre-stripe era; the Creative Growth Collection features works by artists with developmental disabilities; the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Collection at the University of Oklahoma provides twentieth-century American paintings depicting the American Southwest; and in partnership with the American Academy in Rome, the exhibition features two paintings by Chuck Close, whose work was associated with his neurological, developmental, and physical challenges.

The family of one exhibition artist made this special exhibition possible. David Bruce Smith, President, Grateful American Foundation, the son of artist Clarice Smith, was the first to offer artworks under these special long-term loans. The Clarice Smith Collection consists of works that reflect her life. A painter from Virginia, Smith spent significant time in France and was a devout advocate for cultural diplomacy. Her paintings depict the verdant Provence, stunning Riviera, and life in the Virginia countryside. Like tens of thousands of artists across America, her loaned paintings have helped to keep Art in Embassies alive for over sixty years.

Photographs by Chantal Mistral

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About OECD

The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) is a forum and knowledge hub for data, analysis, and best practices in public policy. OECD works with over 100 countries across the world to build stronger, fairer, and cleaner societies–helping to shape better policies for better lives.

About Art in Embassies 

Envisioned by the Museum of Modern Art in 1953 and formalized by John F. Kennedy a decade later, Art in Embassies is an official visual arts office within the U.S. Department of State. For six decades, Art in Embassies has played a leading role in U.S. public diplomacy through a focused mission on generating cross-cultural dialogue through exhibitions, permanent collections, site-specific commissions, and two-way artist exchanges at more than 200 U.S. embassies, consulates, and partner institutions around the world.

Art in Embassies showcases the innovation and cultural prowess of the United States and fosters cross-cultural connections. Each ambassador representing the United States in each nation has their own custom-curated exhibition to support their specific diplomatic agenda.

Stuart H. Brody’s “Humphrey and Me” Wins the 2024 Grateful American Book Prize

ARLINGTON, Va. – Oct. 7, 2024 – “Humphrey and Me” [Santa Monica Press], a novel by Stuart H. Brody, has won the 2024 Grateful American Book Prize, according to co-founder David Bruce Smith.

Andrea Barrett, the National Book Award-winning author of “Ship Fever,” praised Brody’s book—about his relationship with the vice-president—for being ” …a heartfelt account of a crucial period in American history … that sometimes seems lost today,” while Kirkus Reviews, said it illuminated “An important chapter in American History told with clarity and honesty.”

Honorable Mentions will go to Lea Lyon’s “The Double V Campaign: African Americans Fighting for Freedom at Home and Abroad” [Rowman & Littlefield Publishers], a powerful story of fighting for change and equality, —and—to the artfully written-illustrated “Plague-Busters!: Medicine’s Battles with History’s Deadliest Diseases” [Bloomsbury] by Lindsey Fitzharris and Adrian Teal.

Smith believes “if you give a student a good read, he or she will become curious, and—perhaps—start investigating the history of the nation, and grow into a productive, civically-minded citizen.”

An author and an education advocate, Smith co-founded the Grateful American Book Prize in 2015 with the late Dr. Bruce Cole, the longest-serving chair [2001 through 2009] of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The annual book prize comes with $13,000 to commemorate the original 13 Colonies; a lifetime membership to the New-York Historical Society, and a medallion created by Smith’s mother, the renowned artist, Clarice Smith.

It is given for high quality—7th through 9th grade level—historical fiction, non-fiction, and biographies, that depict the events and personalities which have influenced the United States since its founding.

The Honorable Mention recipients receive $500 each, and the medallion.

October 2024 Newsletter

Historical Tempests Through the Ages

September 2024 Newsletter

A Meaningful Return to Character

August 2024 Newsletter

Remembered Elegance.

July 2024 Newsletter

Humility in History

Clarice Smith’s Paintings Featured in Art in Embassies Inaugural “Democracy Collection”

A repository containing 59 of Clarice Smith’s paintings has been chosen for the inaugural “Democracy Collection” for the US State Department’s Art in Embassies (AIE) program. These works will be on an extended loan with the State Department and made available to US Ambassadors for display in their embassies and residences throughout the world.

This important program was created by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 to enhance ‘art’ diplomacy. The purpose of Art in Embassies is to create vital world-wide cross-cultural dialogue and to foster mutual understanding through the visual arts. Clarice Smith was an avid supporter of the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) which reinforces the AIE program. View the Clarice Smith Collection.

For more information about the “Democracy Collection” visit the website.

June 2024 Newsletter

Places.

Kitchen Shelf

May 2024 Newsletter

April 2024 Newsletter

ART

Clarice Smith’s Paintings on Display at University House

University House, the official campus residence for the University of Maryland president and their family, is displaying 12 paintings by renowned artist Clarice Smith. The works on canvas include some of the artist’s favorite subjects and locations including Venice, the South of France, and New York City. Also included are equestrian paintings, florals, and abstracts. There is a self-portrait, plus a portrait of her husband, Robert H. Smith. The artwork will be on view through December 31, 2025.

Clarice Smith was born and educated in Washington, DC. She attended the University of Maryland and received a BA and MFA from George Washington University, where she was also a member of the Art Department faculty from 1980-1987. In 2012, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts by George Washington University to mark her distinguished career in the arts; three years later, she got a doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Maryland.

The University of Maryland President Pines and Mrs. Pines, in partnership with David Bruce Smith, are proud to have several of her works displayed at University House, so that they may be enjoyed by visitors and serve as a reminder of Mrs. Smith’s remarkable contributions.

 

Venice by Clarice Smith on display at University House

Plates by Clarice Smith

 

Croissant by Clarice Smith

 

 

Portrait of Robert H. Smith at His Desk with a Silver Tray and Self Portrait by Clarice Smith

 

 

 

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University House Interior Photos by John Consoli

March 2024 Newsletter

GALLOP AND GRACE AT THE BIG RACE

 

Self Portrait

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Venice

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Allee

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Plates

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Stroll on Fifth Avenue

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Daffodils by a Stream

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Rainy Day Race

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Steeplechase

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Portrait of Robert H. Smith at His Desk with a Silver Tray

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Croissant

Now at University House, University of Maryland. more

Big Race: The Contemporary Vision of Clarice Smith Members Reception

The National Sporting Library and Museum celebrated the opening of Big Race: The Contemporary Vision of Clarice Smith at a members reception on February 10, 2024.

 

 

 

Photos by Nancy Milburn Kleck

Clarice Smith: Power and Grace

Clarice Smith: Power and Grace by Clarice Smith, Claudia Pfeiffer, Melanie Leigh Mathewes offers a comprehensive range of the artist’s equestrian subjects. This is the lushly illustrated catalog accompanying an exhibit at the National Sporting Library & Museum that spans over thirty years with almost forty paintings from the early 1980s to the present.

The catalog is available for purchase from the National Sporting Library & Museum.

Clarice Smith:
Power & Grace

February 2024 Newsletter

TRADITION

Remembering Clarice Smith by Claudia Pfeiffer

Claudia Pfeiffer, the Deputy Director and George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator at the National Sporting Library & Museum, recalls her collaborations with artist Clarice Smith in Drawing Covert, the National Sporting Library & Museum’s bi-weekly blog.

“There are people you meet in your life who change you. Clarice Smith was one of those people. …” more

Big Race: The Contemporary Vision of Clarice Smith, a focus gallery is on view through March 31, 2024.

Big Race

Big Race, 2001, the largest painting in the focus gallery is the inspiration for the exhibit Big Race: The Contemporary Vision of Clarice Smith at the National Sporting Library & Museum, Jan 11, 2024 – Mar 31, 2024.

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Melvin and Ryna Cohen and the Funger Foundation, Norma Lee and Morton Funger

Le Vainqueur

Featured in the National Sporting Library & Museum exhibit Big Race: The Contemporary Vision of Clarice Smith, Jan 11, 2024 – Mar 31, 2024

“Big Race: The Contemporary Vision of Clarice Smith” at the National Sporting Library & Museum

The National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) is pleased to announce Big Race: The Contemporary Vision of Clarice Smith, a focus gallery contemplating the impact that Clarice Smith’s (American, 1933–2021) artistic vision had on equine art. On view from January 11, 2024 to January 16, 2026, four compelling paintings by the artist are on loan to complement the three dimensional horse racing screen in the National Sporting Library & Museum’s collection. “I see the horse as a dynamic beautiful form; a combination of power and grace,” noted Smith in 2014.

Gallop, 2009, a 5-panel screen, was donated by the artist after her solo exhibition of over 30 artworks at the NSLM in 2014, Clarice Smith: Power & Grace. It depicts horses neck-and-neck and thundering hooves rushing at the viewer in a halo of vibrant burnt sienna and flying gold and copper metallic dirt. This screen melding Smith’s fine art into a three-dimensional object is the only one she created with this subject matter.

To provide context to the screen, three of the paintings are generously on loan from the artist’s son, David Bruce Smith, the founder and president of The Grateful American Foundation: Le Vainqueur, 1995; Dead Heat, 1999; and Leaving the Gate, 2011. The largest painting in the focus gallery is a 36 1⁄2 x 76 1⁄2-inch oil on canvas from the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). It is titled, simply, Big Race, 2001, and is the inspiration for the exhibit.

These artworks were all selected by George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Deputy Director & Head Curator Claudia Pfeiffer to highlight Smith’s depictions of racing. Pfeiffer interviewed the artist extensively for the 2014 NSLM exhibition and its accompanying catalogue and wrote, “Motivated by a moment and the challenge of exploring new and innovative ways of approaching a composition, she [Smith] returns to her racing scenes with changing perspectives and variations in palette;” Pfeiffer continued, “Choices for jockey silk patterns and colors are usually not literal interpretations but rather the design of a color scheme, and her horses are composites against made-up backgrounds.”

“I paint my life,” Smith often noted. The contemporary artist first became known for her figurative, floral, and landscape subject matter. She began incorporating equine art into her oeuvre in 1983 when she and her husband, Robert H. Smith, purchased Heronwood Farm in Upperville, VA, and a portion of the Upperville Colt and Horse Show grounds, which they maintained for over 30 years. He developed a Thoroughbred breeding program, and they also regularly attended American, British, and French horse sales and races. These experiences led Clarice Smith to incorporate her stylized portrayals of motion and figurative portraiture into equine and equestrian subject matter.

When painting, Smith consciously fused different artistic inspirations into her own unique expression of motion, texture, light, and color—all informed by her classical training. She studied at George Washington University where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in studio art. She became a faculty member in their Art Department in 1980, remaining in that position until 1987.

Smith’s career as a contemporary artist spanned over four decades with exhibitions at numerous museums and galleries including the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska; Museum of Art, Tampa, Florida; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA; the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library; and National Museum of Women in the Arts, Cosmos Club, and the Kreeger Museum, all in Washington, D.C. In 2012, she was awarded an honorary doctorate of fine arts from George Washington University, and in 2015, she received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from University of Maryland, for her achievements.

The NSLM’s Chair Dr. Manuel H. Johnson noted of Smith’s racing imagery, “Artists like Clarice Smith remind us that sporting art is a genre neither undertaken nor understood only by sporting enthusiasts, nor is it relegated to the past.”

A Members Reception will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2024, from 5:30–7:30 pm. To join membership at the NSLM to attend, or to RSVP if you are already a member, please contact Development & Events Manager Emily Tye at etye@nationalsporting.org or 540-687-6542 x 26.

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The National Sporting Library & Museum is located in Middleburg, VA, the heart of beautiful horse country. Founded in 1954, the renowned research Library and fine art Museum highlight the rich heritage and tradition of country pursuits. Angling, horsemanship, shooting, steeplechasing, foxhunting, flat racing, polo, coaching, and wildlife are among the subjects one can explore in the organization’s general stacks, rare book holdings, archives, and art collection. The NSLM offers a wide variety of educational programs, exhibitions, and family activities throughout the year, and is open to researchers and the public. There is no admission fee to the Library. The Museum charges $10 for adults, $8 for youths (age 13–18), and $8 for seniors. NSLM members and children age 12 and under are admitted free of charge. Library & Museum hours are Thursday–Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

January 2024 Newsletter

ALL OF THEM ARE GONE

Art in Embassies Wraps up 60th anniversary with Democracy Collections

Art in Embassies (AIE) Director Megan Beyer (right) and Chief Curator Camille Benton (left) announced new art collections at the 60th anniversary celebration dinner of AIE, Sept. 19. The donated collections are under blanket long-term loans and will be available for immediate delivery to chief of mission residences as new U.S. ambassadors head to post. The Clarice Smith Collection is offered by the artist’s son, David Bruce Smith, and the Creative Growth Collection is offered by a non-profit that supports artists with developmental disabilities. These collections, and others like them, will advance art diplomacy at U.S. embassies around the globe. more in State Magazine

 

December 2023 Newsletter

The 2024 Grateful American Book Prize is accepting entries

The 2024 Grateful American Book Prize is now accepting submissions. They should be books of non-fiction, fiction, or biographies suitable for 7^th to 9^th graders, published between August 1, 2023 and July 31, 2024.

“Over the past several decades schools have gradually de-emphasized history in the classroom with the result that kids today do not know who George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were,” according to David Bruce Smith, Co-founder of the Prize. “It’s been a lingering problem for quite some time and so, at the behest and in collaboration with the late Dr. Bruce Cole, the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, we established the Prize as an incentive for authors and publishers to focus on history for young readers. As Dr. Cole put it, ‘we are a country of historical amnesiacs’ and perhaps historical ‘page turners’ for kids may be just what the doctor ordered.”

The Prize comes with a $13,000 cash award in commemoration of the 13 original Colonies, a lifetime membership at the New-York Historical Society, and a medallion created by Smith’s mother, the renowned artist, Clarice Smith.

Honorable Mention recipients receive a cash award of $500 each, and the medallion.

Submit your book via the online submission form.

November 2023 Newsletter

WAR HAS NO CONSCIENCE

Art in Embassies Announces The Clarice Smith Collection

U.S. Department of State – Media Note
October 19, 2023

As the United States approaches its 250th year, the State Department’s Art in Embassies program is working with cultural institutions, artists, families, and galleries to curate art collections that promote U.S. diplomacy.

The first collection, The Clarice Smith Collection, comprises 72 artworks by Washington, D.C.-based artist Clarice Smith. These pieces encompass portraits, landscapes, and still-lifes rendered in oil, pastel, and watercolor. They will immediately become available for exhibit in U.S. embassies and Ambassadors’ residences under long-term loan agreements.

Clarice Smith, a passionate advocate for U.S. diplomacy, supported cultural diplomacy through Art in Embassies’ partner, the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE). Additionally, she collaborated with her son, David Bruce Smith, on a series of engaging biographies introducing young students to leading figures who played pivotal roles in shaping our democracy.

Art in Embassies Director Megan Beyer and Chief Curator Camille Benton announced the Collection during Art in Embassies’ 60th anniversary dinner with ambassadors and cultural leaders at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

The Clarice Smith Collection is made possible by David Bruce Smith’s Grateful American Foundation.

The Office of Art in Embassies, established in 1963, plays a crucial role in U.S. public diplomacy, connecting nations through curated exhibitions. It showcases the innovation and cultural prowess of the United States and fosters cross-cultural connections.

For more information about Art in Embassies, visit art.state.gov. Press inquiries can be sent to Megan Beyer at BeyerMC@state.gov.

View The Clarice Smith Collection

Clarice Smith’s Paintings Chosen for the Art in Embassies Inaugural “Democracy Collection”

A repository containing 72 of Clarice Smith’s paintings has been chosen for the Clarice Smith Collection, the inaugural “Democracy Collection” for the US Department of State’s Office of Art in Embassies (AIE). These paintings will be on long-term loan with the State Department to be made available to US Ambassadors for display in their embassies and residences throughout the world. This important office is celebrating its 60th year in existence and was created by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The purpose of Art in Embassies is to create vital world-wide cross-cultural dialogue and to foster mutual understanding through the visual arts. Clarice Smith was an avid supporter of the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE) which reinforces the AIE mission.

The Clarice Smith Collection and the long-term loan were announced by Megan Beyer, the director of the office, and Camille Benton, the chief curator, on September 19, 2023, at the Art in Embassies dinner celebration at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

For more information visit the  “Democracy Collection” website.

Video >>

“Mattie and the Machine”
by Lynn Ng Quezon Wins 2023 Grateful American Book Prize

WASHINGTON, DC, October 3, 2023 — Mattie and the Machine [Santa Monica Press], a debut novel by Lynn Ng Quezon, has been selected to receive the 2023 Grateful American Book Prize, according to co-founder David Bruce Smith.

The Santa Monica Press called it “a fictionalized yet historically accurate account of Margaret E. Knight’s fight to obtain recognition as a 19th century female inventor,” while The Kirkus Reviews described it as “an intriguing story about a little-known woman…one of the first women inventors in the post-Civil War era,” and Marissa Meyer of the New York Times said it was “a surprisingly twisty tale, full of betrayal, romance, grit, friendships, machinery, and a protagonist you can’t help rooting for!”

Sheila Turnage’s Island of Spies, a riveting World War II spy mystery, and Sara Latta’s biography, I Could Not Do Otherwise: The Remarkable Life of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker–an early female physician/spy–will receive “Honorable Mentions.”

Smith, also an author, and an education advocate, founded the Grateful American Book Prize with the late Dr. Bruce Cole, the longest-serving chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities [2001 to 2009].

It comes with $13,000 in commemoration of the 13 Colonies; a lifetime membership at the New-York Historical Society, and a medallion created by Smith’s mother, the renowned artist, Clarice Smith.

The ”Honorable Mention” recipients get $500 each, and the medallion.

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The Grateful American Book Prize is awarded each year to high quality, 7th to 9th grade-level, historical fiction, and non-fiction, about the events and personalities that have shaped the United States since its founding.

October 2023 Newsletter

CRONKITE’S COURAGE

September 2023 Newsletter

SHOOT THE MOON

August 2023 Newsletter

JUSTICE ALWAYS TRIUMPHS

July 2023 Newsletter

A LOOK TO LIBERTY

June 2023 Newsletter

PRELUDE TO PROGRESS

Suffragettes

Suffragettes, a triptych stained glass mural by artist Clarice Smith, at The New York Historical.

 

 

May 2023 Newsletter

Submit Your Book for the 2023 Grateful American Book Prize

The 2023 Grateful American Book Prize is now accepting submissions. They should be works of non-fiction, fiction, or biographies suitable for 7th to 9th graders, published between August 1, 2022, and July 31, 2023.

“Over the past several decades schools have gradually de-emphasized history in the classroom with the result that kids today do not know who George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were,” according to David Bruce Smith, Co-founder of the Prize. “It’s been a lingering problem for quite some time and so, at the behest and in collaboration with the late Dr. Bruce Cole, the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, we established the Prize as an incentive for authors and publishers to focus on history for young readers. As Dr. Cole put it, ‘we are a country of historical amnesiacs’ and perhaps historical ‘page turners’ for kids may be just what the doctor ordered.”

The Prize comes with $13,000 in commemoration of the 13 original Colonies, a lifetime membership at the New-York Historical Society, and a medallion created by Smith’s mother, the renowned artist, Clarice Smith. Honorable Mention recipients receive $500 each, and the medallion.

Submit your book via the online submission form.

April 2023 Newsletter

LOVELY LADIES

Self-Portrait
à la Ingres

David

Michael

Stacy

DC History Center Interview with Artist Clarice Smith by Jane F. Levey

During 2020 the DC History Center was privileged to conduct oral history interviews with Mrs. Smith and David Bruce Smith to capture her story of growing up in Washington. Although she lived in Virginia later in life, she always considered herself a Washingtonian. “If someone asks me where I’m from, I say Washington” she said. “I think it’s a perfect place to live.

Read the full interview on DC History Center’s website  >

 

 

 

Grateful Americans: An Interview with David Bruce Smith

HUMANITIES – The Magazine for the National Endowment for the Humanities
Spring 2020, Volume 41, Number 2

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HUMANITIES: What is the mission of the Grateful American Foundation and why is it called that?

DAVID BRUCE SMITH: The purpose of the foundation is to restore enthusiasm about American history for kids—and adults.

Patriotism is a very dominant piece of the Smith family DNA. My father always referred to himself as a “grateful American”—that’s a sentiment. I decided to name the foundation after him—that is a noun. And my son, who is in the military, he is the verb.

HUMANITIES: In addition to publishing books, the foundation celebrates books by giving out awards. How did it come about and what are some of the books that have received the Grateful American Book Prize?

SMITH: In December of 2014, my friend Bruce Cole, a former chairman of NEH, suggested I create a book prize. He believed it would propel the foundation. I thought it was a great idea, so, with some help, I found a prize coordinator and decided to concentrate on seventh- to ninth-grade fiction, historical fiction, and nonfiction. I picked this niche because those are tough years for just about everybody, but I believe the benefits of reading can be akin to having a “paper psychiatrist.”

Here is a list of the prize winners: 2015: Kathy Cannon Wiechman’s Like a River: A Civil War Novel; 2016: Chris Stevenson’s The Drum of Destiny; 2017: Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures (young readers’ edition); 2018: L. M. Elliott’s Suspect Red; 2019: Sonia Sotomayor’s The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor (young readers’ edition of My Beloved World). Seven judges, including myself, select the prizewinner, and the two honorable mentions.

HUMANITIES: Let’s talk about your latest book, Abigail & John. It’s a children’s book about the founding father John Adams and his wife, Abigail, but in the title Abigail comes first. Why?

SMITH: If you go to Mount Vernon or Montpelier, the signage says, “George Washington’s Mount Vernon” and “James Madison’s Montpelier,” respectively. After a while, it occurred to me that little girls were being excluded from the narrative. If that changed, they would experience these places as something more than old houses that were once occupied by men who are now dead; with a modernized context, girls might feel more engaged, and—over time—historical literacy could rise.

I gave Abigail top billing in Abigail & John because, without her, the prickly John Adams probably would not have made it to the White House. She was his confidante, savvy political adviser, beloved friend, and wife.

The next book in this series will be Dolley & James, which, of course, is about the Madisons.

HUMANITIES: Who illustrated Abigail & John?

SMITH: My mother, Clarice Smith. She has illustrated almost all my work.

HUMANITIES: Speaking of your mother, you once published a book about her paintings. It was called Afternoon Tea with Mom. Aside from the fact that she is an accomplished artist, what inspired you to create a book about your mom?

SMITH: My mother has always been my favorite artist, but, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized why: Her work is warm, impressionistic, and reflective. I’ve often said she is the Meryl Streep of artists, because each painting is distinctive and seamlessly great.

Afternoon Tea with Mom was written and produced in absolute secrecy. It was a surprise fifty-fifth birthday present.

HUMANITIES: It’s not the only instance of you creating a book about a member of your family. Around 1985, you helped your grandfather with a well-written memoir called Building My Life. Who was your grandfather, and what was that book about?

SMITH: My grandfather, Charles E. Smith, immigrated from Russia to Brooklyn, New York, in 1911. By the time he was 25, in 1926, he was a successful, small-time builder of homes and strip centers.

In 1929, he lost his money, struggled in various ventures for more than a decade, and came to Washington in 1942 for better employment opportunities. His first project—56 homes in District Heights—failed, but he found work as a construction superintendent, until he started the Charles E. Smith companies in 1946.

When he retired in 1967, Charles E. Smith was the largest and most successful real estate enterprise in the area. My father and uncle took over, and Papa Charlie devoted his remaining 28 years to philanthropy.

HUMANITIES: Your father’s name, Robert H. Smith, is well known in Washington, not only because of his work in real estate but also because of his philanthropy, which earned him a National Humanities Medal in 2008 among other distinctions. What are some of the better-known philanthropic projects he supported?

SMITH: My father believed if you were lucky enough to have the resources, then you should give back. Always a lover of history—particularly the Founding Fathers—he and my mother were donors to Founding Fathers’ homes and educational institutions such as the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, the University of Maryland, George Washington University, and Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

He was also president of the National Gallery of Art from 1993 to 2003 and chairman of the board of governors at Hebrew University from 1981 to 1985.

HUMANITIES: Among many other real estate ventures, he developed Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia, which has gained a lot of attention since it was chosen as the sight of Amazon’s Northern Virginia campus. What makes it an unusual place?

SMITH: Crystal City is about to become a super mecca, but sixty years ago, mixed-use projects of its size and scope didn’t exist.

When my father constructed the first building—a luxury apartment called Crystal House I—he didn’t have a master plan. “Crystal” became a city because he recognized opportunities; he was ambitious, and he garnered the confidence of his investors.

In those days, Crystal City was a wasteland, but my father believed people would cross the bridge to live there; it was near the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, National Airport, and Washington, D.C.

Always the confident visionary, my father anticipated success, but he could never have imagined Amazon fever.

HUMANITIES: Your family has been in real estate and construction since your grandfather came to the United States. And I notice that you spent a couple of decades working in the family firm but then decided to change professions, becoming a writer, an editor, and a publisher. Why? What drew you to publishing and what were you looking to accomplish?

SMITH: The company went from private to public in 2002—a new dynamic I didn’t like, but, to be fair, I decided to try.

A year later, I resigned. I told myself I had experience writing books and reviews—plus 13 years as the editor in chief of a magazine I had founded. Still, my mind demanded to know, “Now, what?”

It took awhile to figure that out.

HUMANITIES: I think a lot of people wish that someone in their family would take the time to do what you have done for your family and record a lot of the family stories, documenting not only their accomplishments but what they were like. What advice do you have for the kitchen table historian?

SMITH: Think of the subject’s history as “his—story”; that way, it’s easier to break down a life into smaller, interesting pieces. Have a few questions in mind, as a guide, and let the conversation go. Remember to record it and enjoy the experience. It can be shaped later.

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This article is available for unedited republication, free of charge, using the following credit: “Originally published as “Grateful Americans” in the Spring 2020 issue of Humanities magazine, a publication of the National Endowment for the Humanities.”

Illustrating a Historical Partnership: Abigail and John Adams

February 25, 2020

In 2014, author David Bruce Smith established The Grateful American Foundation to restore enthusiasm about American history for children—as well as adults—via videos and podcasts. The multimedia offerings have grown to include a book series, which includes the inaugural title Abigail & John, a look into the life and partnership of one of the country’s foundational couples. In the centennial year of women’s suffrage, the book shines a spotlight on the life and influence of Abigail Adams.

In an interview with National Museum of Women in the Arts, Smith discussed the genesis of the book and his creative partnership with his mother, renowned painter Clarice Smith, who created the book’s illustrations.

Why did you want to tell the story of Abigail and John Adams?

  I wanted to write a series of books about presidential and historical couples whose marriages were partnerships. Many women have been diminished through the decades, despite their durable contributions to American history. Abigail Adams, recognized as one of the most educated First Ladies, was also her husband’s politically savvy partner; without her, John Adams would—probably—never have ascended to the White House.

In 1776, while John Adams was in Philadelphia helping to draft the Declaration of Independence, he received a letter from Abigail advising him “to remember the ladies.” Adams considered his wife’s words; it wasn’t the right time to act, but the fact that he reflected on—and respected—her request, proves their marriage was warm, loving, and equal.

A re-examination of Abigail’s life is timely. One hundred years ago, the 19th amendment to the Constitution was ratified, and women got the right to vote. No doubt, the country is now more enlightened—partially because of her.

Why did you choose to work in the children’s book genre?

Actually, I didn’t choose it—the genre “found” me. In 2009, I went to a history conference in Richmond and met the executive director of the John Marshall Foundation. I was offered a commission to write a children’s book about Marshall, with the intent of raising his profile among young people. I told them I had never written for a young audience, but they had read some of my books and were convinced I was qualified, despite my misgivings.

I agreed to the project only if my mother consented to be the illustrator. American Hero: John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States, was published in 2013, with my favorite collaborator.

Can you describe your collaborative process with your mother?

My mother and I have been working together for so many years that it’s no longer a “process.” While I am in the midst of the early drafts, she makes preliminary sketches of the cover and some of the events which have to be included in the story. As my drafts near the finishing point, she fills in with the remaining illustrations, knowing that a book designed for young children requires a picture to accompany almost every idea. When we’re finished, the art and the story pages are laid out to make sure all of the pieces are understandable, cohesive, at the proper grade level. Then, to the editor.

 

What do you hope young readers will take from this story?

The Adamses lived many stories, which intertwined: for example, Abigail raising the children alone on a farm, while John ascended in politics; their individual sacrifices to help create a democracy; surviving the death of their daughter, Susanna; Abigail, choosing to inoculate herself and the children with a smallpox vaccine that could have killed all of them; John and Abigail pushing and preparing their son, John Quincy, for an un-requested life in politics—and the presidency.

Usually, a children’s book biography is idealistic, with the following trajectory: subject is born; excels in school; succeeds in his/her career quickly; becomes famous; dies a hero. My mother and I wanted to construct Abigail & John differently, so that a young person would learn that everyone—famous or not—has difficulties in life. I think we succeeded, because we explained hardships with age-appropriate language.

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Abigail & John is available for purchase in NMWA’s Museum Shop.