WASHINGTON — A long time ago, she heard the words of dismissal on television. Now, President Donald Trump has called upon Erin Scavino to lead an office of the state. He has placed her at the helm of the State Department's Art in Embassies program. Her task is to use the canvas and the lens to tell the story of the country as it marks its 250th year. It is a quiet office, born in the days of President John F. Kennedy, but its reach is wide.
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Subscribe Sekarang →The appointment marks a distinct turn from her past in reality television to a major role in the administration's cultural initiatives. In an exclusive interview inside the Art Museum of the Americas, Scavino explained her mission. She said she was hired on the first day of the administration. The president wished to make the performing arts great again at the Kennedy Center, and he sent her to this office to do the same for the visual arts. According to Scavino, the upcoming semiquincentennial is the right moment to bring this diplomatic endeavor to the people at home.
The exhibition is named "Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy." It will open its doors on July 30 at the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington. More than thirty contemporary American artists have brought their works to the galleries. They have made art about service, about coming to the country, and about the flag itself. The exhibition is free to all who wish to see it, and it will remain open until the middle of October.
The rooms contain many different things. There is a large interpretation of the flag by Barbara Ernst Prey called "Gallantly Streaming." The pop artist Romero Britto has painted the Statue of Liberty with bold, bright colors. There is also a high-fashion gown inspired by the flag of Betsy Ross. Scavino had the idea for the dress while searching for her own gown before her February wedding to Dan Scavino at Mar-a-Lago. She called the designer Kate Wasserbach Moore out of the blue, and the result is a garment made of red and white that belongs to the gallery.
Based on the history of the program, the artwork usually travels across the seas to hang in distant embassies. Scavino wanted something different for the anniversary. She wanted a footprint in the United States. The museum agreed, and many artists wanted to join. She believes that art is different from the business of politics. It is a way for people to come together and talk without anger. For many people in small, foreign lands, the embassy is the only piece of America they will ever see, and the art on the wall must speak clearly for the nation.