0:01US Ambassador to NATO Victoria Nuland displayed
0:04contemporary American artists in her Brussels residence
0:08It’s an idea developed by the State Department
0:11These artists came to us through the State Department’s Art in Embassies program
0:16which reaches out to American artists around the country and asks them to loan work
0:22to American ambassadors serving overseas
0:25so that we can in these fabulous diplomatic homes
0:30display the diversity and the richness of American culture
0:34and use it as a way to open our hearts and open our country to people around the world
0:39The current exhibit highlights women artists, some of whom were on hand for discussion.
0:46Each ambassador picks a theme for their exhibit, and our theme is 21st century American women artists
0:53I’m the first woman to serve on the North Atlantic council for the United States
1:00so I thought it would be a good theme for me, so all of these artists are women
1:05whose work has been done since 2000 so these are all new works and they’re all relatively young
1:11in their 30s, 40s, or early 50s – and the goal was to have a collection that really displays
1:17the energy and the diversity of American culture
1:21Rain Bedsole is from New Orleans, her work is mixed media on wood.
1:31Marita Dingis only uses discarded materials in her artwork
1:37Rashan Hooshman is an Iranian artist, her work encompasses memories over time
1:43like this red dress covered in gold leaf.
1:45The works are on loan for the duration of the ambassador’s tenure at NATO
1:50in their quiet way these pieces embody diplomacy through freedom of expression
1:56From Brussels, Pam Portland AFNnews