2010 Aspen Cultural Diplomacy Forum - October 4th

Speakers to include Madeleine Albright, Egyptian Amb. Sameh Shoukry, and painter Eric Fischl

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by The Aspen Institute:

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What: The Aspen Institute, The Phillips Collection, and NYU's John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress present the 2010 Aspen Cultural Diplomacy Forum. The Forum will feature key political and cultural leaders now shaping the policies and practices of cultural diplomacy in the public and private sectors. These experts will discuss how the United States might use culture and cultural exchange to communicate with other nations.

When: Monday, October 4 @ 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. EDT

Where: The Phillips Collection – 1600 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC

Who:

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State

Other speakers include:

John Brademas, president emeritus, New York University

Elizabeth Diller, professor of architecture, Princeton University

Eric Fischl, painter and fellow, American Academy of Arts and Science

Senator John Kerry (D-MA), chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Jim Leach, chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities

Congressman James Moran (D-VA), US House of Representatives

Dr. Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran

H.E. Arturo Sarukhan, Mexican Ambassador to U.S.

H.E. Sameh Shoukry, Egyptian Ambassador to U.S.

Moderators include:

Michael Dirda, Joseph Duffey, Dana Gioia, Frank Hodsoll, Philip Kennicott, Dorothy Kosinski, Eric Motley, and Cynthia Schneider.

The John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress's mission is to increase the understanding of Congress-"the People's Branch" of government- its role in making policy; its powers, processes and responsibilities. The Center's bi-partisan work is aimed at scholars, students, current and future public servants and the public. The Center conducts research, teaches and holds public outreach events-such as symposia and conferences-and hosts policy addresses by members of Congress. Our programming aims to explore issues and problems of the legislative branch from new perspectives. As a part of the New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, the Center strives to help the next generation of public service leaders develop a deeper understanding of how and why Congress makes decisions.

The Phillips Collection is one of the world's most distinguished collections of impressionist and modern American and European art. Stressing the continuity between art of the past and present, it offers a strikingly original and experimental approach to modern art by combining works of different nationalities and periods in displays that change frequently. The setting is similarly unconventional, featuring small rooms, a domestic scale, and a personal atmosphere. Artists represented in the collection include Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard, Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Claude Monet, Honore Daumier, Georgia O'Keeffe, Arthur Dove, Mark Rothko, Milton Avery, Jacob Lawrence, and Richard Diebenkorn, among others. The Phillips Collection, America's first museum of modern art, has an active collecting program and regularly organizes acclaimed special exhibitions, many of which travel internationally. The Intersections series features projects by contemporary artists, responding to art and spaces in the museum. The Phillips also produces award-winning education programs for K–12 teachers and students, as well as for adults. The museum's Center for the Study of Modern Art explores new ways of thinking about art and the nature of creativity, through artist visits, seminars, and lectures. Since 1941, the museum has hosted concerts in its wood-paneled Music Room. The Phillips Collection is a private, non-government museum, supported primarily by donations.

The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does this primarily in four ways: seminars, young-leader fellowships around the globe, policy programs, and public conferences and events. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has an international network of partners.

SOURCE The Aspen Institute