| Taken Questions Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC August 4, 2004 Question Taken at August 4, 2004 Daily Press Briefing U.S. Participation in 2005 Venice BiennaleQuestion: Is the U.S. committed to participating / providing funding for the 2005 Venice Biennale? Did the U.S. issue a letter regarding participation in the Venice Biennale? What obstacles exist? Has a new RFP been issued seeking a new agency to manage U.S. participation in the Biennale? Answer: The Department of State is committed to the support of U.S. participation in the 2005 Venice Biennale, and is prepared to provide $170,000 in support of it. In May 2004, a grant competition seeking a non-profit cultural organization to manage the official U.S. participation in the 2005 Venice Biennale was advertised in the Federal Register and open to all organizations. A panel reviewed all proposals received, but none met the grant criteria; in keeping with standard practice, organizations whose applications were not accepted were notified by letter. We are now looking for a mechanism to ensure U.S. participation in the 2005 Venice Biennale, despite the obstacles of lack of partners and limited time available to mount the exhibition. This includes an ongoing conversation with the owner of the U.S. pavilion, the Guggenheim Museum. No official offer has been made to any entity about U.S. participation in the 2005 Venice Biennale. There are no plans to re-issue a request for grant proposals. We are looking for a permanent mechanism to ensure U.S. participation in international arts exhibitions, to replace the Fund for U.S. Artists at International Festivals and Exhibitions. In December 2003, partners in this Fund, which include the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pew Charitable Trust, and the Rockefeller Foundation, as well as the Department of State, agreed to disband the partnership as of the end of this year. 2004/865 |
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