The Foreign Service Journal, April 2012

54 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / A P R I L 2 0 1 2 A F S A N E W S A nyone who has worked in a U.S. embassy will tell you that the build- ing is much more than a place of work. Through its layeredsenseof purpose, it is a place that communicates American culture, values and ideals. Thus, the art dis- played at an embassy is not simply deco- rative, but ladenwithpotential for cross-cul- tural connections and dialogue. Whenmy husband, Earle I.Mack, and I moved to Helsinki in 2004 for his appointment as the U.S. ambassador to Finland, we brought with us a contempo- raryartcollectionthatIhadcuratedathome in New York City. The focal point of our collection was a 15-foot-long Alex Katz painting of flowers floating against a green background. Needless to say, it dominat- ed the living room. The bold, colorful images in our collectionmade an impres- sion on everyone who saw them. When I chose the collection, we never knew how important it would be to our subsequent diplomatic work. Yet during those initial months when our sur- roundings constituted unfamiliar terrain, we cast a wide net into the community in an effort tomeet as many people as we could. Our art collection was a conver- sation starter. It provoked strong reac- tions and ultimately led to our inclusion in all of Helsinki’s art and cultural events. It also sparked associations with the FinnishAmerican Society and the Finnish AmericanChamber of Commerce, where I was invited to give lectures on contem- porary art. Our acceptance into the arts community helped us greatly to broaden our reachandconnections throughout the country. Joining FAPE Having seen firsthand thedifference art canmake incultural diplomacy, I joinedthe board of the Foundation for Art and Preservation inEmbassies, anorganization that promotes the role that art can play in a diplomatic context. Like many other spouses of ambassadors, I found a family inFAPEandwhat it offeredduringour stay abroad. MyfriendandfellowFAPEBoardmem- ber,VeraBlinken, hada similar experience. When her husband, Donald M. Blinken, became the U.S. ambassador to Hungary in 1994, it was just three years after the last SovietsoldiershadleftBudapestand45years after the start of the Soviet occupation. As Hungary emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, the Blinkens realized that cultur- al diplomacy was an important tool. WhenBudapest’sMuseumof FineArts planned a Titian exhibit, they asked the Blinkens for assistance in securing the loan of a painting from the National Gallery of Art inWashington,D.C. Veramade ithap- pen. Once thepainting took its place in the exhibition,theAmericanembassyorganized a welcoming party for the “American Titian,” bringing together Americans and Hungarians ina convivial, amicable setting. Even a single painting coming from the United States not onlymade a stellar con- tribution to the exhibition but, more importantly, created good will. Our experiences, of course, are part of a larger legacy. Throughout ourhistory, the arts have served as ameaningful and effec- tive way for the United States to assert her diplomaticdexterity. Nowherewas thisbet- ter seen than during the Cold War, when American painters, poets, musicians and authors all helped connect the hearts and mindsof citizens aroundtheworld, by shar- ing a slice of everyday American life. FAPE’sWork I seeFAPE’sworkas away to further the role that art canplay inour country’sdiplo- macy. FromElynZimmerman’s sculpture at the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam, cre- ated from indigenous African granite, to Martin Puryear’s vision for Embassy Beijing, a sweeping stainless steel arch that will standmore than30 feet tall andwill be visible to the public from outside the embassy, FAPE is bringingAmericanart to our embassies throughout the world as a means of communicationanddiplomacy. Such works give people from different nations a glimpse into the collective con- sciousness of our country, while providing an outlet other than politics to connect us all. Art transcends decoration by making a statement about ourselves andour inter- ests. It sparks conversations, becomes a point of commonality and, inmany ways, defines us. To learnmoreabout theFoundationfor Art and Preservation in Embassies, please visit www.fapeglobal.org. Carol Mack is married to the former U.S. ambas- sador to Finland, Earle I. Mack. Prior to relocat- ing to Helsinki she lived in New York City for 24 years, where she raisedher two children. An active participant inAmerican cultural life, Mrs. Mack cur- rently serves on the board of the Foundation of Art and Preservation of Embassies inWashington, D.C., the American Scandinavian Foundation, the NewYork City Ballet and the American Friends of the Paris Opera and Ballet, among others. The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies and artists Martin Puryear and Brice Marden pre- sented new works of art for U.S. embassies to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during FAPE’s 25th Anniversary Dinner on May 19, in the East Building of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Left to right: Earl A. Powell III, Director of the Gallery; Jo Carole Lauder, FAPE Chairman; Martin Puryear, artist; Secretary Clinton; and Brice Marden, artist. Presenting American Culture to the World BY CAROL MACK MARY HILLIARD, NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART