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| Government |
| State Dept on Back Foot over $1 mln Sculpture |
| 2013-12-08 |
| [An Nahar] The U.S. State Department on Friday fended off criticism for commissioning a $1 million sculpture for its London embassy, saying it was "a good use of our limited resources." The piece by Irish-born artist Sean Scully was purchased as part of the department's Art in Embassies program and will be reportedly installed at the new mission due to open in 2017. "This piece was purchased under the market price after considerable negotiation with both the artist and the gallery. This is an important part of our diplomatic presence overseas," deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said. Abstract artist Scully, who became an American citizen in 1983, lives in New York and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize. The Art in Embassies program had "played a leading role in U.S. public diplomacy" for the past 50 years, Harf said. "Where we can promote cross-cultural understanding... we think that's a good use of our limited resources," Harf told journalists. The State Department requested some $2.5 million for the 2013 program which is a public-private partnership involving 20,000 participants including artists, galleries and museums. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #11 "President Obama, we have our eyes on a piece of art by an Irish guy that the Brits will HATE. It's only a mil, can we get it?" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-12-08 14:07 |
| #10 >twice been nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize It will look like a dogs dinner second time around. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2013-12-08 13:28 |
| #9 Baksheesh for the Brits |
| Posted by: regular joe 2013-12-08 12:15 |
| #8 Is this the thing which looks like a pile of crappy suitcases? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2013-12-08 11:41 |
| #7 #4 How did the London embassy get a 1M authorization through the Brit hating WH? Subtle perhaps, but "artist" [Sean Scully] is an Irishman, in long-standing self-imposed exile. I doubt you'll find much of Beatrix Potter's or Dayan's work at the State Department or the White House. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-12-08 11:34 |
| #6 Or provide for some security at an embassy somewhere... |
| Posted by: Steve White 2013-12-08 11:13 |
| #5 Just keep this in mind for the next time Krugman is bloviating about the evil Tea Party cutting food stamps to the poor. $1mm would feed a lot of people. |
| Posted by: Matt 2013-12-08 09:31 |
| #4 How did the London embassy get a 1M authorization through the Brit hating WH? "This piece was purchased under the market price after considerable negotiation with both the artist and the gallery. Another sole source procurement. Can you say - website? |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-12-08 08:36 |
| #3 this is because of the horror of the sequester if not for that, the Dept of State could have afforded a $5M pile of granite blocks instead of this paltry $1M pile |
| Posted by: lord garth 2013-12-08 07:32 |
| #2 More befitting for State might be a mural entitled "Bloody Fingerprints in Benghazi." I doubt Ms. Harf would agree however. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-12-08 04:37 |
| #1 promote cross-cultural understanding. by spending a million dollars on a big Irish rock,( the long pause that follows is because I am looking for a knife ). I want to cut a big slice out of your cross cultural Embassy driven gizzard. |
| Posted by: Spereting Tingle4064 2013-12-08 04:17 |