Massachusetts Federation of Republican Women - Winter 2005 Newsletter

Artist in Residence

Dr. Joan Semedo is an artist, author, and current host of "Art Talks with Joan," which airs on Saturday evenings at 7:30 on Channel 17 in Yarmouth. On May 17, 2004, she was honored by the White House and State Department for her participation in the "Art in Embassy Program" (AIEP). AIEP is a public diplomacy initiative begun in 1964, which currently manages and exhibits more than 3500 original works of art on display in the public rooms of the U.S. Embassy Residencies and diplomatic missions worldwide. Dr. Semedo discusses her involvement in the program and her trip to Washington:

"Recently, I attended the fortieth anniversary of the Art in Embassy Program in Washington, D.C. I shared the excitement of palatial galleries in the White House, as well as the fellowship of common folks, who emitted hope and peace to all involved. We were congratulated by Mrs. Laura Bush at a breakfast at the White House and received by Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife at a reception at the State Department.." (Each artist also received an anniversary book which chronicles the AIEP initiative, listing the art works and the names of the artists involved.)

"Since 1979," she explains, "I have been a participant in the Art in Embassy Program of the U.S. State Department. My work, along with others, communicates the values of the people of the United States...and our travels into foreign countries — where there are racial differences and language differences — help diffuse misunderstandings of cultures."

Dr. Semedo's contributions to AIEP started when she first submitted her art in a proposal to the United Nations in 1979, but art has been her life-long passion. She was an art teacher in the Boston Public School System for thirty years, before retiring to Yarmouth, MA. Her doctorate, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is in education. When asked why she chose education and not fine arts, she smiles and says, "Artists need education," and it's time to "change the image of the artist" as an eccentric. She is the author of "African American Art," which discusses how black artists, as early as the 1800's, impacted the development of American art and artists, including Winslow Homer. She is working on a second book, which will describe the influence of the Caribbean on her own artistic efforts. She has three children, each involved in the arts, and one grandchild. She has been an active member of the Lower Cape Cod Women's Republican Club for the past four years.

For more information on the Art in Embassy Program, visit their website http://aiep.state.gov/.