Art in Embassies Exhibition

United States Embassy Havana

Published by Art in Embassies U.S. Department of State, 2016

Established in 1963, the U.S. Department of State’s office os Art in Embassies (AIE) plays a vital role in our nation’s public diplomacy through a culturally expansive mission, creating temporary and permanent exhibitions, artist programming, and publications. The Museum of Modern Art first envisioned this global visual arts program a decade earlier. In the 1960s, President John F. Kennedy formalized it, naming the program’s first director. Now, with over 200 venues, AIE curates temporary and permanent exhibitions for the representational spaces of all U.S. chanceries, consulates, and embassy residencies worldwide, selecting and commissioning contemporary art from the U.S. and the host countries. These exhibitions provide international audiences with a sense of the quality, scope, and the diversity of both countries’ art and culture, establishing AIE’s presence in more countries than any other foundation or arts organization.