Artwork Evoking Slovak-American Immigration on Display at Residence

July 29, 2008

A selection of artwork by American artists, including Walter Emerson Baum and Phil Fisher, is on permanent display at the home of Ambassador Vincent Obsitnik and Mrs. Annemarie Obsitnik in Bratislava as part of the ART in Embassies Program. Some of these works, handpicked by Ambassador and Mrs. Obsitnik, were chosen to represent places in the United States such as western Pennsylvania that hold cultural and historical significance as centers of the Slovak immigrant population in America. Other works highlight places of personal importance for Ambassador and Mrs. Obsitnik such as southwest Florida, where the couple has a home in Naples. “As the first Slovak-American Ambassador to Slovakia, I am especially honored to serve in the country of my birth and to share my heritage with our Slovak and American guests,” Ambassador Obsitnik said. “The works of art we have chosen to highlight throughout the residence are a special glimpse into that heritage, and into the connections between our two countries.” The ART in Embassies Program was initiated in 1964 and now exhibits more than 3,500 original works of American art in some 180 U.S. embassy residences and diplomatic missions worldwide, affording guests the opportunity to learn about American history, customs, values, and aspirations through a unique blend of art, diplomacy, and culture.

• Exhibit brochure (PDF)