(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — On September 4, American Ambassador David Hale inaugurated the Art in Embassies exhibit in his residence at the U.S. Embassy. Speaking to a diverse audience that included cultural, political, educational and economic leaders, Ambassador Hale underscored the power of art in strengthening cultural understanding, and highlighted the Embassy’s cultural exchange work.
“In this exhibit we see common themes and revelations in the works of the Lebanese and the Americans. But we also see how the artists themselves can be the bridge of mutual understanding. By having a foot – or paint brush – in both worlds, they become the bridge that we use to understand and accept each other,” Hale said. “Generations of Lebanese immigrants and their children have influenced America. In the art world, two of the most well-known are Nabil Kanso and Sam Maloof.”
The Art in Embassies program encourages cross-cultural dialogue through the visual arts and artist exchanges. The residence currently hosts eleven pieces of art from Lebanese, American, and Lebanese-American artists, and emphasizes bridging culture as its theme.
“(The exhibit) is a metaphor for the bridging of cultures that promote mutual understanding,” Hale said. “And from that understanding comes acceptance, and from acceptance, tolerance. And from tolerance, stability.”
Art in Embassies is a public-private partnership provided by the U.S. Department of State engaging more than 20,000 participants globally, including artists, museums, galleries, universities, and private collectors, and encompasses more than 200 venues in 189 countries. Professional curators and registrars create and ship about 60 exhibitions per year, and since 2000, more than 58 permanent collections have been installed in the Department’s diplomatic facilities throughout the world.