FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Meridian International Center is proud to present America: An Unfinished Portrait, an exhibition by sculptor Zachary Oxman. The exhibition is part of Meridian’s Diplomacy at 250 series, a year-long slate of programming marking the United States’ 250th anniversary and highlighting the global partnerships that have helped shape our nation.
America: An Unfinished Portrait invites audiences to consider the nation’s history not as a fixed narrative, but as a living, evolving story shaped by perspective, memory, and time. Over the past decade, Oxman has developed an innovative visual language that merges diverse materials, technology, and optics to reframe portraits of figures central to the American story — from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to Eleanor Roosevelt and the Statue of Liberty. These works blur the boundaries between painting and sculpture, prompting viewers to move, engage, and reflect — an artistic parallel to the active engagement that sustains democratic dialogue.
“My work has long been driven by a curiosity about how we make meaning — about ourselves, and about the stories we inherit,” says Oxman. “These portraits arise from that curiosity. Through enduring figures woven into the American story, they invite viewers to consider how understanding takes shape through encounter and return. In that sense, the portrait is never entirely complete.”
About Diplomacy250 Series
As an official National Resource Partner of the America250 Commission, Meridian International Center will commemorate America’s 250th anniversary by highlighting the global relationships that have shaped the United States since its founding.
For more than six decades, Meridian has served as a trusted hub for diplomacy and cultural exchange in Washington, D.C. In 2026, we will mark the Semiquincentennial of the United States by convening embassies, international leaders, and American changemakers to showcase how partnerships across borders have defined—and continue to strengthen—our security, prosperity, and global leadership.
About Zachary Oxman
Zachary Oxman is a Washington, D.C.–based sculptor and third-generation Washingtonian whose work explores perception, materiality, and human experience. His sculptures span public, private, and diplomatic contexts, appearing in civic spaces, cultural institutions, and international settings. His work has been presented internationally through official diplomatic exchanges, with sculptures given as gifts to heads of state and global leaders. For more information, visit www.zacharyoxman.com.
About Meridian International Center
Meridian is a nonpartisan center for diplomacy founded in 1960 and headquartered on a historic campus in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to empower the next era of leaders to advance diplomacy for a better future. Our programs strengthen American leadership by accelerating collaboration on shared challenges, increasing economic competitiveness, and building geopolitical resilience. We equip leaders from business, science and technology, cities and states, culture and sports with the insights, networks, and resources to navigate a complex world.
