We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident (Thomas Jefferson and Nelson Mandela)

Felician Professor’s Artwork Promotes Cultural Diplomacy Around the World!

Two paintings by Felician Professor of Art, Ard Berge, have just completed a two year loan to the Hanoi residence of the United States Ambassador to Vietnam, Ted Osius.

The two paintings, “We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident (Thomas Jefferson and Nelson Mandela)” and “A Warm Welcome to the Igloo, Tsion!”, were selected by the Art in Embassies program to be featured in the living room and dining room respectively of the American Ambassador’s residence where they were seen by visiting dignitaries, journalists, and other guests.

The Art in Embassies program is a public-private partnership within the U.S. Department of State that promotes cultural diplomacy through exhibitions, permanent collections, site-specific commissions, and artist exchanges in U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world.

Ard Berge says of this experience, “It has been an absolute thrill for me knowing that my paintings were on view in Hanoi these past two years.  This fact became real for me when I saw my artwork hanging in the background of Ambassador Osius’s home on the PBS Newshour in 2016.”

Another of Prof. Berge’s paintings “Dreamscapes (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)” is in the permanent collection of the American Embassy in Gabon in Central Africa.

For additional information, please contact Ard Berge.

Article courtesy of Ard Berge.