{"id":639828,"date":"2026-07-22T23:41:40","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T23:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=639828"},"modified":"2026-07-22T23:41:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T23:41:40","slug":"the-most-patriotic-art-show-in-america-lands-in-dc-july-30-and-its-free-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=639828","title":{"rendered":"The most patriotic art show in America lands in DC July 30 \u2014 and it\u2019s free"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 If you\u2019re looking for the most patriotic stop in the nation\u2019s capital this summer, it\u2019s about to open its doors. In celebration of America\u2019s 250th anniversary, the Trump administration is marking the milestone with a major new art exhibition honoring the symbols, ideals, and creative spirit that define the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy<\/span><\/i>\u201d will open July 30 at the Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, D.C., and will run through October 18. The free, public exhibition is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State\u2019s Office of Art in Embassies and the American Arts Conservancy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Erin Scavino, a former \u201cApprentice\u201d contestant tapped by President Trump to direct the Art in Embassies program, is leading the initiative as part of broader efforts to elevate American culture and heritage. \u201cWe thought it was important to show gratitude, express our love for this great nation and honor the great Americans who have served this nation and those who celebrate it through art,\u201d Scavino told Fox News.<\/span><\/p>\n

The exhibition will feature works by more than 30 contemporary American artists exploring themes of patriotism, national identity, diplomacy, military service, and the promise of the American Dream. It ties directly to the founding ideal of self-government by citizens \u2014 and shows how those principles remain vibrant today. Highlighted artists include:<\/span><\/p>\n

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Brendan Murphy<\/b>, celebrated worldwide for his monumental BOONJI Spaceman sculptures and optimistic conceptual works exploring imagination and human potential<\/span><\/p>\n

Romero Britto<\/b>, founder of The Happy Art Movement, who uses bold outlines, saturated color, and graphic pattern to craft his unique, Pop art\u2013inspired flags and American icons \u2014 including his vibrant, joy-filled vision of the Statue of Liberty<\/span><\/p>\n

Brandon Ralph<\/b>, whose photography and sculptural interpretations of the American flag \u2014 crafted in newspaper-based papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9 \u2014 reflect the strength and resilience of the cultures and perspectives that comprise our nation<\/span><\/p>\n

Papay Solomon<\/b>, whose work draws on themes of migration inspired by his own family\u2019s story<\/span><\/p>\n

Kate Wasserbach Moore<\/b>, whose <\/span>America 250 Gown<\/span><\/i> \u2014 a one-of-a-kind haute couture piece adorned with red and white stripes \u2014 channels the spirit of Betsy Ross through the sculptural silhouettes, refined craftsmanship, and modern American occasion dressing that define her practice<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Old Glory itself will be the exhibition\u2019s through-line: in total, 68 American flags will appear across 56 works, reimagined in nearly every medium \u2014 paint, steel, resin, watercolor, collage, couture, and photography. Among the flag works that will be on view:<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cey Adams<\/b> creates multilayered, mixed-media collage flags informed by everyday imagery found in ads, posters, and newspapers \u2014 works that, in the artist\u2019s words, \u201creflect the common thread of American values in us all\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pablo Barba\u2019s<\/b> classically inspired painted figures embody the virtues associated with the colors of the flag: red for valor, white for purity, and blue for justice<\/span><\/p>\n

Scott LoBaido\u2019s<\/b> Forever<\/span><\/i>, a 104 \u00d7 204-inch oil-on-canvas American flag, was painted before a large public audience at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., in commemoration of America\u2019s 250th anniversary<\/span><\/p>\n

Barbara Ernst Prey\u2019s<\/b> watercolors <\/span>Gallantly Streaming<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>God and Country<\/span><\/i> highlight the flag\u2019s visual significance in the wake of the September 11th attacks, while her more recent <\/span>250th<\/span><\/i> sets an American flag within a patriotic wreath<\/span><\/p>\n

Kevin Champeny\u2019s<\/b> large-scale mosaic <\/span>Defended<\/span><\/i>, composed of individually hand-cast resin pieces, will invite viewers to experience the iconic flag both up close and from a distance<\/span><\/p>\n

Nick Moss<\/b>, raised on a rural Michigan farm where he learned welding, fabrication, and machinery repair at an early age, applies those skills to his welded steel American flags<\/span><\/p>\n

Tim Yanke\u2019s<\/b> America 250<\/span><\/i>, part of a series he calls his \u201cYankee Doodles,\u201d was inspired by the flagpole he and his son installed in remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The flag will fly throughout the exhibition\u2019s photography as well. Documentary and fine art photographers Brandon Ralph, Kyler Steele, Ryan Faer, Korina Marie Moore, Terry LaRue, Phil Penman, and Lori Hawkins capture the American flag flown in so many ways \u2014 in celebration and in solemn reflection, in whole or in part, from a flagpole or from a window, suspended from a ceiling or across a monument \u2014 telling a story both unique and varied about our stars and stripes.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show will also include winning artworks from the American Heroes Student Art Contest, a nationwide competition open to students in grades 3\u201312 that invited entries inspired by American heroes. Selected pieces from all 50 states and U.S. territories will be displayed alongside the professional artists.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scavino has stressed the importance of making high-quality art accessible to everyday Americans \u2014 not just coastal elites. \u201cArt has become sort of a gatekeeping situation or something that\u2019s only for the rich or the elite,\u201d she noted. \u201cWe want kids. We want grandparents. We want families\u2026 There is something for everyone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She added that the display will use approachable elements like QR codes so visitors can hear directly from the artists. \u201cYou\u2019re going to see a flag. You\u2019re going to see a sculpture. You\u2019re going to hear Americans tell their stories,\u201d Scavino said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Art in Embassies program has advanced U.S. public diplomacy for over six decades by placing American artwork in diplomatic facilities around the world. Scavino views this D.C. exhibition as an opportunity to bring that mission home. \u201cThrough cultural exchange and the universal language of art, we strengthen understanding of the values and institutions that make America exceptional,\u201d she said. \u201cPatriotism isn\u2019t abstract \u2014 it lives in the stories of service, sacrifice, innovation, and opportunity that define us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Additional highlights will include moving images honoring military service \u2014 from solemn scenes at Arlington National Cemetery to views of the Statue of Liberty rising over New York Harbor.<\/span><\/p>\n

More details and the full list of participating artists are available at <\/span>art.state.gov\/freedom-250<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

This initiative reflects a strong commitment under President Trump to honor America\u2019s history, heroes, and creative legacy in celebration of the nation\u2019s semiquincentennial.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0 WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 If you\u2019re looking for the most patriotic stop in the nation\u2019s capital this summer, it\u2019s about to open its doors. In celebration of America\u2019s 250th anniversary, the Trump administration is marking the milestone with a major new art exhibition honoring the symbols, ideals, and creative spirit that define the United States.… Continue reading The most patriotic art show in America lands in DC July 30 \u2014 and it\u2019s free<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":639811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-639828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economic-empowerment","category-national-security","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=639828"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/639828\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/639811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=639828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=639828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=639828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}