Press Release: Deputy Secretary Blinken To Award the 2017 U.S. Department of State International Medal of Arts Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will present contemporary artists Nick Cave, Jenny Holzer, Wolf Kahn, Imran Qureshi, Pat Steir, and Rachel Whiteread with the U.S. Department of State International Medal of Arts at the biennial ceremony at 4:00 p.m. on January 12th at the Harry S. Truman building in Washington, D.C.
These artists have demonstrated an enduring commitment to the Art in Embassies mission of cultural diplomacy through the visual arts and international cultural exchange, furthering America’s cultural legacy and defining a generation through their artistic excellence. Art in Embassies was initiated by the Museum of Modern Art in 1953 and formalized as part of the Department of State by the Kennedy Administration in 1963. Over 55 years, AIE’s global focus of cultural diplomacy has engaged over 23,000 partnerships with individual and institutional participants in over 200 venues in 189 countries worldwide. The Deputy Secretary’s remarks will be open to the press.
