US First Lady Jill Biden will be in Lisbon on June 5 to open a three-day celebration of the 60th anniversary of the “Art in Embassies” (AIE) program, hosted by the US Embassy, at the Catholic University of Portugal .
The U.S. Embassy will promote the art and artists associated with the “Celebrating Diversity: Democracy and Representation in Contemporary Art” collection, which will be on display at Ambassador Randi Charno Levine’s official residence, as well as the “Democracy Collection”, which will be open to the public at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa from June 6 to July 11.
On June 6 and 7, American artists were represented in both the “Celebrate Diversity” collection and the “Democracy Collection” (Sanford Biggers, Nick Cave; Deborah Kass; Maya Lin; Christopher Myers; Aliza Nisenbaum; Amy Sherald; Dr. Deborah Willis; Hank Willis Thomas), together with Portuguese artists (Leonor Antunes, Vasco Araújo, Ângela Ferreira, Fernanda Fragateiro, Mónica de Miranda and Diana Policarpo), will engage in in-depth debates on the role of art in issues of diversity and equality, and the influence of this art on diplomacy and democracy,” read a statement sent to editorial staff.
“Arts play an important role in diplomacy, highlighting our shared values and challenges and creating a safe space for discussion and debate around some of the most pressing social issues of our time. I wanted the collection to stimulate these conversations. A'” Diversity Collection’ has promoted this important dialogue and will continue to do so,’ said the ambassador, quoted by the note.
Source: DN
