|
First Lady Laura Bush and quiltmaker Ami Simms met at the White House in May.
|
|
Look carefully at the picture above. You may recognize author, lecturer, and quiltmaker Ami Simms of Flint, Michigan. Oh, and the other woman with her is First Lady Laura Bush.
An aid to Mrs. Bush captured the image for Ami during her visit to the White House, an invitation extended to Ami after she loaned her quilt Buttons & Bows to the U.S. State Department's Art in Embassies program. It was selected by Ambassador and Mrs. Richard Roth to hang in their residence in Dakar, Senegal.
Initially Ami received an invitation from the Secretary of State and Mrs. Powell to attend an afternoon reception on May 17 in celebration of the program. As tempting as it was, she says, to meet Colin Powell, she responded that, while honored, she couldn't make it. "I just couldn't justify the expense of flying to Washington, D.C., for a two-hour cocktail party."
Then about ten days later, a hand-addressed envelope arrived, the return address reading simply "The White House." After discovering that she was invited to a morning reception with Laura Bush on the same day, Ami says the trip became inevitable. She grins as she says, "When something this special happens, you pack your bags and go!"
Following her morning at the White House, Ami attended a panel discussion presented by the Art in Embassies Program and the Center for Arts and Culture, one of only three quilters among the group of artists. She listened as panelists shared their thoughts on how art can help in the diplomatic process to initiate conversation and present a more balanced view of American culture.
Ami says that the director of the Art in Embassies program, Ann Johnson, put a big smile on Ami's face with her concluding remarks that evening. After thanking the artists for the works they had loaned to the program, the director encouraged them to "continue painting, and sculpting, and making beautiful quilts."
More details of Ami's trip to Washington, D.C., and more pictures are shown on her website www.amisimms.com.
|
