FOREST GLOW 0 US STATE DEPARTMENT ART IN EMBASSIES PROGRAM

Forest Glow, 2017

Susan was recently invited to participate in the Art in Embassies (AIE) program and her work will be displayed at the US Ambassadorial Residence in New Zealand.  AIE, formalized by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, uses the visual arts to achieve the US State Department’s goals of promoting public diplomacy through cross-cultural dialogue.  AIE has over 20,000 participants globally, including artists, curators, galleries, museums, private collectors, and universities.  

Mark Gilbert, the US Ambassador to New Zealand, selected Susan’s Forest Glow for the Ambassadorial Residence’s collection.  Mark and Nancy Gilbert collect Susan’s paintings. Completed in 2007, Forest Glow is part of Susan’s collection of surrealistic and abstract tree paintings inspired by the Wasatch Mountains surrounding Park City.  The muted green and vivid purple hues of Forest Glow represent springtime, the arrival of color and the rebirth of nature.  Ambassador Gilbert explains his reasoning for choosing Forest Glow: “It is the perfect fit for the Ambassadorial Residence – it provides a connection between American abstract landscape art and the lush New Zealand scenery.”

Forest Glow on display in the library at the Ambassadorial Residence

Susan is greatly honored and humbled to join the prestigious artists represented in the US State Department’s art collection.  When Ambassador Gilbert’s tour ends, Susan’s artwork will remain in the AIE database, available for other diplomats to hang in their homes.  Susan’s work is not limited to one group of people or one location; it crosses national and international borders and spurs conversations about art and culture.

 While Susan’s work is currently hanging on the library wall of the Ambassador’s home, the official opening of the artwork at the Residence is June 21, 2015.