Exploring the United Arab Emirates (Part 1, Abu Dhabi)

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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The following blog was originally written by Darren Bradley and published on his website to highlight his time in Abu Dhabi. Darren was a participant in a week long cultural delegation to the UAE, organized by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and Meridian International Center. The delegation consisted of public figures, art collectors and select museum and gallery professionals from around the United States.  So I finally got the chance to visit the United Arab Emirates. I know I have a bit of a reputation for traveling all over the place, so some people may be surprised...

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The Louvre Abu Dhabi: Balancing Art & Architecture

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First view under the dome that most people get when arriving. No, it's not a rendering. Photo ©Darren Bradley

The following blog was originally published on Darren Bradley’s website to highlight the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Darren Bradley was a participant in a week long cultural delegation to the UAE, organized by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and Meridian International Center. The delegation consisted of public figures, art collectors, and select museum and gallery professionals from around the United States. This blog post was written by Darren Bradley.  Architect Jean Nouvel’s latest creation, the National Museum of Qatar, just opened to much fanfare and images of this new project are flooding my instagram feed as I write this....

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Standing with New Zealand

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The national flag was flown at half-staff on Friday outside the Parliament building in Wellington.CreditMarty Melville/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The entire Meridian community is shocked and saddened to learn of the devastation caused by the shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand. Through our international exchange and cultural diplomacy initiatives, Meridian works to advance the freedom of expression and ideas to achieve greater mutual understanding of the world’s diversity of people and cultures, including religion. Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.

Swedish Journalists Share Their Experiences About Being in the U.S During Midterm Elections

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Swedish journalists and members of the Palmetto Council for International Visitors, Jim Byrum and Lisa Ewart, stand outside of the State House in Columbia, South Carolina while on a tour of the city.

The Swedish-U.S Foreign Policy and Media Exchange program, organized for the U.S Embassy in Stockholm by Meridian International Center brought seven central and southern Swedish journalists and editors to the U.S. from November 3-9, 2018, to examine the contemporary landscape of U.S media and political journalism. This program explored the media’s role in navigating and covering today’s political climate, challenges facing traditional media and the future of transatlantic writing. The group of Swedish journalists met with news organizations in Washington, D.C and in Columbia, South Carolina, including Politico, Axios, the Heritage Foundation’ media and communications department, The University of South Carolina’s communications department and COLAToday, among many more. Throughout...

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American Cultural Diplomacy’s Cold War Origins

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American Cultural Diplomacy’s Origins. (Robert Gwathmey – 1946)

During the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union were concerned with showcasing the art of their respective states to the world. Both feared that artist communities had sided with government rivals, and thus explored ways to repress artistic expression with state power. The story of how American artists, philanthropists, activists, and policymakers overcame Cold War fears to create programs like Arts In The Embassies and other early organs of U.S. cultural diplomacy is an understated but vital component of the success of American arts around the world. As the Cold War began, the United States was in...

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