ICYMI: Julie Mehretu Receives US Department of State Medal of Arts Award 2015

ICYMI: Ethio-American artist Julie Mehretu was awarded by The US Department of State for the 2015 Medal of Arts in recognition of her internationally acclaimed work and her impact in promoting cultural diplomacy.

Secretary of State John Kerry awards Medal of Arts to Julie Mehretu. | Courtesy U.S. State Department

One of seven artists which include: Xu Bing, Mark Bradford, Sam Gilliam, Maya Lin, Julie Mehretu, Pedro Reyes, and Kehinde Wiley.

ceremony at Department of State in Washington, D.C., on January 21, 2015. | Courtesy U.S. State Department

 “Julie Mehretu’s acrylic paintings are made with the accumulation of thousands of strokes and numerous layers of paint,” Kerry said. “The effect is a complex, dynamic body of work which we are proud to display at our embassies in Madrid and Julie’s own birthplace of Addis Ababa.” Mehretu also participated in the embassy program’s American Artist Lecture Series in London last year.