Looking through the Lens of American History

Join us for a conversation about the role contemporary photography has played in addressing our nation’s history with artists Dawoud Bey and Ming Smith, author Jon Meacham, and moderator Eric Motley, Deputy Director at the National Gallery of Art. The presenters will explore how you can create photographs and construct narratives that speak to history.

Did you know Eric Motley served as Executive Vice President at the Aspen Institute before he was Deputy Director of the National Gallery of Art?

Eric Motley is the Deputy Director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. In this role, Motley is responsible for developing and deploying a national strategy for the museum through civic, cultural, and philanthropic partnerships, in addition to advancing the National Gallery’s mission in tandem with its operating and revenue-generating plans. He oversees congressional relations as well as the museum’s departments of development and membership, communications, special events, visitor experience and evaluation, and content strategy, publishing, and branding.

Prior to joining the National Gallery of Art, Motley served as an Executive Vice President and the Corporate Secretary at the Aspen Institute, responsible for Institutional Advancement and governance. During his tenure at the Aspen Institute, he also served as Vice President and Managing Director of the Henry Crown Fellowship Program. In addition, he served as the Executive Director of the Aspen Institute-Rockefeller Foundation’s Commission to Reform the Federal Appointments Process, an independent, nonpartisan effort to evaluate the Federal government’s vetting and clearance procedures.

Motley’s other notable experiences include Counselor to the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, as well as the Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Visitors, where he administered programs focused on building mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries, in support of U.S. foreign policy goals. Motley began his career at the White House, where he spent over four years working in the Office of Presidential Personnel, eventually serving as a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush. In this role, he managed the appointment process for more than 1,200 presidentially appointed advisory board and commission positions.

Motley has rich governance experience stemming from his service on the boards of numerous, venerated civic and cultural institutions including the Morgan Library and Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, WETA, the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress, and the Washington National Cathedral. He holds a Ph.D. in political philosophy from St. Andrew’s University (Scotland) and a B.A. in political theory and philosophy from Samford University.

The Sharon Percy Rockefeller Panel Series is held each year during FAPE’s Annual Events in Washington, D.C. It recognizes Sharon for her extraordinary commitment to the arts, the National Gallery of Art and FAPE. Agnes Gund is the generous sponsor of this annual talk.