| Notice to the Press Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC March 27, 2001 State Department and Smithsonian Museum Collaborate on U.S. Role in Trilateral Art Exhibition for the Web"Panoramas: The North American Landscape in Art" The governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, will launch on April 3, 2001, the first international art collaboration for the Web. The exhibition "Panoramas: The North American Landscape in Art" celebrates the landscape of North America with artworks that allow a comparison of the cultural histories and perspectives of the three countries. The U.S. Department of State is proud to join the Smithsonian American Art Museum in representing the United States in this trilateral project. A State Department grant of $70,000 to the Smithsonian American Art Museum funded the development of the exhibition’s U.S. content based on the museum’s collections. The launch of the trilateral exhibition will be an OPEN PRESS event: þ Brief Digital Video Conference with Ms. Sheila Copps, Minister of Heritage, Canada; Ms. Sari Bermudez, President, National Council for Culture and the Arts (CONACULTA), Mexico; Mr. Ignacio Toscano, Director General, National Institute of Fine Arts, Mexico; and Ms. R. Susan Wood, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, United States; followed by a virtual exhibition tour and reception. þ Tuesday, April 3, 2001 — 12:30 to 2:00 pm þ Washington Foreign Press Center - U.S. Department of State National Press Building (Suite 800), 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC þ Contact: Catherine Stearns, tel. 202-619-5053 or cstearns@pd.state.gov "Canada, Mexico, and the United States are united first of all by our geography," explained R. Susan Wood, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State. "This unique virtual exhibit enables anyone with access to the Internet to view that geography through dramatic works of art depicting North American landscapes, and — very appropriately on the eve of the Summit of the Americas — it exemplifies the cooperative spirit of our North American Partnership. This exhibit is a splendid example of modern technology at the service of cultural diplomacy and mutual understanding." "This is an exciting collaboration among the three countries that share one continent," said Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence M. Small. "We have much to learn from each other, and the Smithsonian is pleased to take part in this artful exploration of the importance of place and land in all our lives." The exhibition is organized along four themes — the Evolving Landscape, the Mythic Landscape, the Social Landscape, and the Personal Landscape. Each is explored in three mini-exhibitions that examine landscapes in the context of ideas such as Transformation of Landscape, Archetype to Stereotype, Cultural Identity and Poetics. Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze’s mural study for the U.S.Capitol, "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way" (1861), represents the United States on the introductory splash page for the exhibition. Artworks by other well-known American artists include George Catlin’s images of Native Americans in their villages, Thomas Moran’s western landscapes, Winslow Homer’s seascapes, Edward Hopper’s isolated scenes of New England, Grant Wood’s mid-western landscapes, Berenice Abbott’s photographs, William H. Johnson’s scenes of African American life, and Georgia O’Keeffe’s abstractions. More than 100 images from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s permanent collection are available for the online visitor to explore and compare to works by Canadian and Mexican artists. The exhibition is designed for use in distance education, both in classroom settings and by individuals in each country and all text will be available in English, French and Spanish. "The Panoramas exhibition is a superior example of the growing cooperation and understanding among the United States, Canada, and Mexico," said Dr. Helena Kane Finn, Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. "The website gives testimony to the powerful role of art and interactive education in promoting mutual understanding of the similarities and differences among these nations’ citizens. This is modern public diplomacy at its pinnacle." Beginning April 3, the virtual exhibition will be available at www.virtualmuseum.ca/panoramas, and as links from the U.S. Department of State’s website at www.state.gov and the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s website at http://AmericanArt.si.edu. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Cultural Programs Division, carries out a targeted program of cultural activities based on the goals of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961. These activities promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries. They serve to highlight, for selected foreign audiences, the creativity, and dynamism of American society and the contributions that diversity has made to its accomplishments. Cultural programs also underscore the respect that the United States holds for the achievements of other national cultures. These programs are for professional American artists, filmmakers, musicians and other specialists. The program participants enrich their work through exposure to other cultures, while foreign audiences and partners are equally influenced by the freedom of expression that is a hallmark of the arts in the U.S. The participation of U.S. cultural institutions and artists in these program enhances their international profiles and reputation, links them to partner institutions overseas and provides them with access to the Department of State's years of expertise in overseas programming. The website at http://exchanges.state.gov/education/citizens/culture/ offers more information. |
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