This Collection is FAPE’s oldest program, through which some of America’s most celebrated and accomplished artists have contributed prints for display in U.S. embassies. It began in 1989, when Frank Stella donated The Symphony in an edition large enough for a print to be sent to every American embassy, and each year a new artist contributes a new edition.
Our most dynamic international cultural diplomacy work can be seen through our site-specific commissions. During the next several years, a large number of U.S. embassies will be constructed, and the State Department has asked FAPE to commission site-specific works by American artists for many of them.
In 2013, FAPE established a collection of American photography. The Collection was inaugurated with works by artists Tina Barney and William Wegman, and each year a new edition is added.
In 2001, to celebrate the millennium, FAPE assembled the unprecedented GIFT TO THE NATION, comprised of 245 American artworks that have been placed in permanent locations in embassies around the world.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Replica of the Declaration of Independence
1823
William J. Stone Engraving, 40 x 35 inches
Gift of David M. Rubenstein
In 2013, David M. Rubenstein made a gift to FAPE of a rare copy of the 1823 Stone Declaration of Independence for each U.S. embassy. Mr. Rubenstein, a preeminent collector of historical documents related to American history, acquired an original version of the 1823 Stone Declaration of Independence, which is on loan to the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Reception Rooms.
“Without a doubt, the most symbolic document of our country’s founding principles is the Declaration of Independence. I am pleased that—because of FAPE’s great work—our embassies will be displaying this symbol of our nation and its commitment to freedom and equality.”
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It officially established the United States of America, and provided a formal explanation of why Congress had voted to declare independence from Great Britain.
July 4, or Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It is commonly associated with fireworks, parades and barbecues.
The 1823 Stone Declaration of Independence is a treasure of American history. In 1820, after growing concern regarding the deteriorating condition of the original document, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams commissioned engraver William J. Stone to reproduce the document in an Act of Congress. By June 5, 1823, 47 years after Thomas Jefferson first drafted the Declaration, it was announced that, “Mr. William J. Stone, a respectable and enterprising Engraver of this City, has, after a labor of three years, completed a facsimile of the original of the Declaration of Independence, now in the archives of the government,” and that, “it is executed with the greatest exactness and fidelity.”
Our Sponsors
Our corporate partners are integral to our success!
FAPE would like to give special recognition to Bank of America which has been our official sponsor since 2011. Its annual gift ensures the success of so many of our programs, including our Original Print, Photography and Site-Specific Collections.
Member Benefits
Please join FAPE as a Cultural Ambassador!
Thanks to our members, FAPE is able to commission and acquire works by American artists for display in U.S. embassies worldwide.