Art in Embassies Exhibit Opens in Belgrade

April 28, 2008

Ambassador Munter presents the exhibit with Serbian journalists (FoNet Photo)

On April 15th, Ambassador Cameron Munter and his wife Ms. Marilyn Wyatt opened an exhibition of Contemporary Art by American Women, provided through the Art in Embassies program, in their residence. Ms. Wyatt spoke about American art during the sixties and seventies, the period that the majority of the collection represents, the role of women in art at the time, and the particular artists she selected for this exhibition, including renowned artist Judy Chicago and Mirjana Ugrinov, an American artist of Serbian descent.

The ART in Embassies Program

Established by the United States Department of State in 1964, the ART in Embassies Program is a global museum that exhibits original works of art by U.S. citizens in the public rooms of approximately 180 American diplomatic residences worldwide. These exhibitions, with art loaned from galleries, museums, individual artists, and corporate and private collections, play an important role in our nation's public diplomacy. They provide international audiences with a sense of the quality, scope, and diversity of American art and culture through the accomplishments of some of our most important citizens, our artists.

Artists Becoming Ambassadors

The feminist and civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s marked a sea change in visual art produced by American women. They embraced -- and transformed -- modern styles and developed new methods for making art to address the issues that were most important to them.

Pioneering feminist artist and teacher Judy Chicago uses soft, flowing shapes to allude to female creativity and fertility. May Stevens' striking images reflect upon the bias in favor of male artists that has characterized shaped the history of Western art. In the 1970s, Mary Grigoriadis participated in the Pattern and Decoration movement, which drew inspiration from the complex patterns of Byzantine, Islamic, and Celtic art to challenge the view that decorative art was not as sophisticated as other art forms. Contemporary glass artist Karen LaMonte carries on another feminist tradition -- representing the female body in an affirming way -- through her haunting, highly detailed sculptures of dresses.

Photographer-turned-painter Beverly Hallam expresses her visual acuity and refined painting skills by rendering thrillingly realistic images. Other artists embrace the evocative qualities of abstraction. Serbian-born Mirjana Ugrinov's richly colored paintings often relate to poetry, while Fanny Sanin's hard-edged geometric shapes express both strength and elegance. Grace Hartigan -- one of the leading members of the abstract expressionist movement in the 1950s -- also uses intense color and strong lines to create shape her works, which frequently center on her interest in costuming.

Nancy Graves expresses her passion for anthropology and science by incorporating ceramic shards or pieces of metal into her paintings. The claw-like patterns and earthy colors in Kay Miller's works also seem to relate to the past -- in this case, the history of the American West, where Miller has lived and worked for many years. Other artists use representational imagery to express a more whimsical mood or to depict elements of their personal lives. Jennifer Bartlett's recent work incorporates pop culture references, such as playing cards and Domino tiles. African American artist Aminah Robinson renders drawings and paintings of her beloved ancestors and community members using handmade paper embellished with fabric, beads, shells, and leaves.

Many people and organizations have helped us to realize this exhibition, and we are grateful to them all: U.S. Steel, for its generous financial support; the Museum for Women in the Arts -- particularly Wilhelmina Holladay, Ilene Gutman, Jordana Pomeroy, and Kathryn Wat, for their support and inspiration; and all those who have lent works pieces for display: Judy Chicago, Mary Grigoridis, Karen LaMonte, Aminah Robinson, May Stevens, Mirjana Ugrinov and ACA Galleries; and particularly the U.S. Department of State's ART in Embassies Program which made it all possible.