he Creative Alliances: Navigating Cultural Diplomacy at the Intersection of Business and the Arts Symposium took place in the auditorium of the Phillips Collection, in Washington, D.C. Organized under the auspices of the Italian Embassy to the United States, the symposium was concurrent with the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.
Chaired by Diplomatic Courier CEO Ana Rold and International Arts and Artists CEO Greg Houston, the symposium aimed to foster visibility and relationship building across sectors to unite business, government, and social sectors for the acknowledgment and celebration of global cultural diplomacy concerning the union between the arts industry. Partners included the BFF Banking Group, Diplomatic Courier, International Arts & Artists, APCO, and the Phillips Collection.
In an opening statement, Juanita Hardy, chair of the IA&A Board of Trustees, introduced the audience to the conversation's theme of the night: to unite business, arts, finance, media, and cultural diplomacy under one intercontinental alliance to appreciate and preserve our shared global heritage in an increasingly fractured world.
“I think this is a really important point when there’s so much discussion about fracture and division,” Hardy said. “There is so much in common that we share.”
The first panel incorporated opening statements from curator, diplomat, and IA&A Trustee Renato Miracco, supplemented by a roundtable discussion including the BMW Foundation’s Grégoire Roos and The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson. The speakers emphasized the important intersection between business and government in bringing resources and protections to preserving shared memories. Additionally, they touched on healing societal divides.
“We don’t have to live in a box,” said Miracco. “We have to be open to learn from each other.”
The panel further highlighted the importance of art collections and museums to companies, society, families, and the succession of cultural traditions to the upcoming youth as they intertwine closely with identity.
Keynote speaker Anne Taylor Brittingham, Phillips Collection deputy director for education and responsible spaces, spoke about the role art museums play in creating a sense of belonging and support for cultural diplomacy. Building on the emerging theme, Brittingham emphasized that art can bring us together.
The final panel participants included Diplomatic Courier CEO Ana Rold, Ambassador Lisa Gable, Ambassador M. Ashraf Haidari, and APCO Founder & Executive Chair Margery Kraus. The conversation focused on private–public sector relations regarding cultural diplomacy and accessibility. Kraus addressed the need for everyone to think of the cultural diplomacy all around them.
As the week’s discussions in Washington focused on polarizing issues around economic indicators, the symposium contributed to the conversation by focusing on diplomacy and shared values. Symposium speakers and participants expressed the essential need to unite sectors in the appreciation and preservation of our global shared heritage—art and culture—to bring people together in this fragmented time.
Watch the symposium recording here.
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Creative Alliances: Navigating cultural diplomacy
The Phillips Collection building in Washington, D.C., where the Creative Alliances symposium was held. Courtesy of APK at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
May 3, 2024
Attendees of the Creative Alliances symposium—chaired by Ana Rold and Greg Houston—explored how to create an intercontinental alliance to preserve our shared global heritage in an increasingly fractured world, write Sequoya Fail and Whitney DeVries.
T
he Creative Alliances: Navigating Cultural Diplomacy at the Intersection of Business and the Arts Symposium took place in the auditorium of the Phillips Collection, in Washington, D.C. Organized under the auspices of the Italian Embassy to the United States, the symposium was concurrent with the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.
Chaired by Diplomatic Courier CEO Ana Rold and International Arts and Artists CEO Greg Houston, the symposium aimed to foster visibility and relationship building across sectors to unite business, government, and social sectors for the acknowledgment and celebration of global cultural diplomacy concerning the union between the arts industry. Partners included the BFF Banking Group, Diplomatic Courier, International Arts & Artists, APCO, and the Phillips Collection.
In an opening statement, Juanita Hardy, chair of the IA&A Board of Trustees, introduced the audience to the conversation's theme of the night: to unite business, arts, finance, media, and cultural diplomacy under one intercontinental alliance to appreciate and preserve our shared global heritage in an increasingly fractured world.
“I think this is a really important point when there’s so much discussion about fracture and division,” Hardy said. “There is so much in common that we share.”
The first panel incorporated opening statements from curator, diplomat, and IA&A Trustee Renato Miracco, supplemented by a roundtable discussion including the BMW Foundation’s Grégoire Roos and The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson. The speakers emphasized the important intersection between business and government in bringing resources and protections to preserving shared memories. Additionally, they touched on healing societal divides.
“We don’t have to live in a box,” said Miracco. “We have to be open to learn from each other.”
The panel further highlighted the importance of art collections and museums to companies, society, families, and the succession of cultural traditions to the upcoming youth as they intertwine closely with identity.
Keynote speaker Anne Taylor Brittingham, Phillips Collection deputy director for education and responsible spaces, spoke about the role art museums play in creating a sense of belonging and support for cultural diplomacy. Building on the emerging theme, Brittingham emphasized that art can bring us together.
The final panel participants included Diplomatic Courier CEO Ana Rold, Ambassador Lisa Gable, Ambassador M. Ashraf Haidari, and APCO Founder & Executive Chair Margery Kraus. The conversation focused on private–public sector relations regarding cultural diplomacy and accessibility. Kraus addressed the need for everyone to think of the cultural diplomacy all around them.
As the week’s discussions in Washington focused on polarizing issues around economic indicators, the symposium contributed to the conversation by focusing on diplomacy and shared values. Symposium speakers and participants expressed the essential need to unite sectors in the appreciation and preservation of our global shared heritage—art and culture—to bring people together in this fragmented time.
Watch the symposium recording here.
