Meridian and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing Open Jazz Photo Exhibit in China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts
Meridian International Center collaborated with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on the opening of a three-week exhibit of rare photographs at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing (the Egg). The exhibit, created by Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C., is called Jam Session: America’s Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the World and features photos of musicians who, as part of a U.S. Department of State initiative, were international “ambassadors of jazz” from the 1950s through the 1970s. The jazz ambassadors exhibit, which has been viewed by millions of people and displayed in more than thirty five countries, demonstrates the richness of American cultural heritage and serves as a powerful public diplomacy tool.
The exhibit opening on May 7, 2012 followed the U.S. Department of State’s 2012 Consultations on People to People Exchanges (CPE), an initiative to broaden and deepen U.S.-China relations across a broad spectrum of areas including culture, women, sports, education, science and technology. Meridian International Center is one of four partners selected by the U.S. Department of State to represent the U.S. as part of the CPE’s Culture Pillar.
More information and photos from the exhibit can be viewed here: www.meridian.org/jazzambassadors.
In 2011, Meridian International Center and Mme. Zhao Shaohua, Vice Minister of Culture for the People’s Republic of China, signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding between Meridian and the China International Culture Association. Subsequently, Meridian launched the American-Chinese Cultural Initiative to promote high-level connections between American and Chinese businesses, non-profit organizations, and government entities in support of shared cultural projects. The jazz ambassadors exhibition opening launched ACCI in China.
