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 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.

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.

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

 

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.

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