Gene Davis, Sherwood Forest, Acrylic on canvas, 69 1/2 × 92in. (176.5 × 233.7cm), Gene Davis Estate Collection, courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Media Note

MEDIA NOTE | OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON | OCTOBER 28, 2024

Washington, D.C. October 29, 2024: The U.S. Department of State’s Office of Art in Embassies and the Smithsonian American Art Museum announce a new collaboration to support art diplomacy. A collection of works by U.S. painter Gene Davis has been placed under a long-term loan, making these paintings readily available for ambassadors heading to posts around the world. The Gene Davis Estate Collection, courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, is part of a new art diplomacy initiative tied to the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“With support from America’s esteemed cultural leaders at the Smithsonian, we are able to help tell the rich story of our nation’s history through artwork and artifacts at our Embassies and Consulates around the world,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.

“The Smithsonian is pleased to loan the Gene Davis paintings in celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary. Art is an effective and powerful way to convey American ideals abroad, which Davis does masterfully,” said the Honorable Franklin D. Raines, Regent of the Smithsonian Institution.

The announcement takes place at the State Department’s Harry S. Truman Building, where a Gene Davis painting will be installed marking this historic collaboration. The Collection includes artworks in various media by Davis, a major figure in the impactful and vibrant abstraction movement that emerged in Washington, D.C., in the 1960s.
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AuthorU.S. Department of State - Art in Embassies