Diplomacy and the Arts, Then and Now

Cultural diplomacy projects—from the State Department’s “Art in Embassies” program to government-sponsored tours by musicians and performers—play a vital role in international relations today. These initiatives continue a long, global history of artistic exchange for diplomatic purposes. Please join us for a public conversation exploring the diplomatic uses of the arts, past and present, from the perspective of diplomats, artists, and researchers.

Featuring:
* Rebekah Ahrendt, Assistant Professor of Music, Yale University
* Shirlette Ammons, Durham-based poet and musician, and past resident artist in the “Next Level” hip-hop diplomacy program
* André Barden (DJ A-Minor), Charlotte-based educator, musician, and DJ, and past resident artist in the “Next Level” hip-hop diplomacy program
* W. Robert Pearson, retired Foreign Service officer, served in several posts including as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey
* Nancy Um, Associate Professor of Art, SUNY-Binghamton
* John Watkins, McKnight Distinguished University Professor of English, University of Minnesota

Sponsored by the Department of Romance Studies and the Program in Medieval and Early Modern Studies Dorothy Ford Wiley fund. This is the kick-off event of the Dorothy Ford Wiley Compact Seminar on Pre-modern Diplomacy and the Arts taking place on February 19