June 2017 by The Washington Diplomat

Inside:

Luxury Living Special Section Luxury Living

A Special Section of The Washington Diplomat

VOLUME 24, NUMBER 6 United States

Trump Slow in Filling Hundreds Of Vacant Jobs Whether it’s due to obstructionism, micromanaging, inexperience or ambivalence, President Trump has failed to fill hundreds of vacancies. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain: The longer he takes to hire people, the fewer allies he’ll have to defend his battered agenda. / PAGE 8

Costa Rica

War on Science

Bazille Finally Makes An Impression at NGA Frédéric Bazille, an overlooked pioneer of impressionism, gets his dues at the National Gallery of Art. / PAGE 30

JUNE 2017 Ethical Diamonds

PeopleI of World Influence Jewelers Weed Out Conflict

Diamonds So Consumers

Can Buy Bling in Good Conscience t

n an era when consumers are hyper-sensitive about — whether it’s fair trade where the products they buy come from coffee or a locally grown tomato — it should be jewelers are going out little surprise that of their way to advertise their ethically sourced baubles.

Brilliant Earth, a San Francisco-based jewelry store five locations, opened its sixth showroom at 3332 with Alley, NW, in Georgetown Cady’s last cally produced jewelry that month. The store sells ethiman or environmental cost, does not “come at a high hu” according to its mission ment. state“Many consumers today are more interested in derstanding where their purchases come from and unpractices behind them,” the Kathryn Edison Money, Brilliant

BY STEPHANIE KANOWITZ

Earth’s vice president of strategy and merchandising, in an email. “We’ve found this is especially true for said chase as significant as a a purdiamond ring.” But the $80 billion-a-year diamond trade is wrought with controversy. About 65 percent of diamonds are in Africa, where warlords mined and rebels in countries such as

Dialogue Spotlights Neglected Hemisphere SEE DIAMONDS t PAGE 22

| 21

In the early 1980s, when the InterAmerican Dialogue was born, the U.S. was actively supporting right-wing governments from El Salvador to Nicaragua. There were “tremendous misunderstandings between Latin America and the United States,” says Michael Shifter, longtime president of the D.C.-based think tank. These days, it seems those tremendous misunderstandings have returned with a vengeance, making the Dialogue’s work even more relevant. / PAGE 6

France Gives European Union Populist Reprieve

Culture

June 2017

WWW.WASHDIPLOMAT.COM

Europe

Between Brexit and Donald Trump, Paris and Brussels feared that France would become the next populist casualty. But a former investment banker-turned-political neophyte eased those fears by winning the presidency over a farright nationalist firebrand. Now, the hard work begins for Emmanuel Macron and the EU. / PAGE 10

Both Donald Trump and Costa Rican Ambassador Román Macaya went to the Wharton School and both ran for president, but that is where the similarities end. At the White House, Trump has all but declared a war on science while at the nearby Costa Rican Embassy, “science diplomacy” has become a mantra — no surprise given that Macaya was a biochemist long before he became a diplomat. / PAGE 13

Diplomatic Spouses

Austrian Couple Shares Love Of Culture Gudrun FaudonWaldner, who studied art history and worked as an exhibition organizer, is on leave from her job at the Austrian Parliamentary Administration as she joins her husband, Austrian Ambassador Wolfgang Waldner, in D.C. — where he once served as a cultural attaché and head of the Austrian Cultural Forum. / PAGE 31

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Contents

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

34 12

16 NEWS

Are smartphones helping or harming kids’ mental health?

A Czech play brings to life a new subterranean arts space under Dupont Circle.

LUXURY LIVING

People of World Influence The Inter-American Dialogue spotlights an overshadowed hemisphere.

Help Wanted President Trump has been slow to fill hundreds of vacancies, stymying his agenda.

Populist Reprieve Now that the glow of victory has faded, can France’s new president live up to expectations?

Medical

Ethical Baubles Brilliant Earth and other jewelers are shining a light on conflict diamonds.

26 Home Buying Spree The luxury market has found a home in D.C., as sales in the area surged 40 percent in early 2017.

Going Underground

Long-Awaited Reunion A rediscovered masterpiece reunites a Japanese triptych not seen together in over a century.

Dining

Cuba Libre goes straight to the source for its new executive chef.

Paris, Beyond Trump Even if the U.S. abandons the Paris climate pact, the rest of the world is unlikely to follow him.

Cover Profile: Costa Rica Costa Rica’s envoy uses his biochemist background to promote science diplomacy.

Art as Protest From refugees to Russia, local artists wade into politically charged debates.

Global Vantage Point Op-ed Finland’s ambassador invites the city to celebrate her country’s centennial on the National Mall.

CULTURE

REGULARS

30 Overdue Impression Impressionist Frédéric Bazille gets his dues at the National Gallery of Art.

Diplomatic Spouses An Austrian wife, on leave from her parliament job, shares a love of arts with her husband.

40 Diplomatic Spotlight

46 Classifieds

Gone but Not Forgotten

Theaster Gates explores urban decay and the lost art of craftsmanship.

Cinema Listing

38 Events Listing

45 Appointments

47 Real Estate Classifieds

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017 | 3

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Forgotten Hemisphere Shifter’s Inter-American Dialogue Shines Light on Latin America, Caribbean by Larry Luxner

ack in the early 1980s, when the Inter-American Dialogue was born, the United States under President Reagan was actively supporting the right-wing government of El Salvador in its bloody war against leftist insurgents, while at the same time secretly funding contras hoping to overthrow Marxist Sandinistas in neighboring Nicaragua. Meanwhile, the region’s biggest countries — Argentina, Brazil and Mexico — were cash-strapped, debt-ridden and beholden to the IMF; only oil-exporting Venezuela seemed to be doing well. Throughout the hemisphere, antiAmerican sentiment was rampant, said Michael Shifter, longtime president of the Dialogue, a D.C.-based think tank focused on the Western Hemisphere. “The main concern was the wars in Central America, but also there was a debt crisis. The ’80s was a lost decade for Latin America,” said Shifter, recalling the 1982 Falklands War between Argentina and Great Britain, the rise of Colombia’s FARC insurgency and the collapse of pro-U.S. military dictatorships in both Argentina and Brazil. “There were lots of big changes going on, and tremendous misunderstandings between Latin America and the United States.” These days, a different Republican is in the White House — and it seems those tremendous misunderstandings have returned with a vengeance. Donald Trump’s verbal assault against Mexicans as “rapists, criminals and drug dealers,” his insistence on building a border wall and forcing Mexico to somehow pay for it and his unforgiving rush to deport undocumented immigrants — including those with no criminal records — have sparked a groundswell of resentment south of the Río Grande the likes of which have not been seen in a generation. “Mexico had a prominent role in trying to encourage diplomatic solutions in Central America, which was very much at odds with the Reagan administration’s approach. In some respects, relations now may be even at a lower point [than in the 1980s] because the rhetoric has been so personally offensive and aggressive. It really hits very hard at the visceral level,” Shifter told The Washington Diplomat in a lengthy interview. “Mexicans, and by extension a lot of Latin Americans, feel this almost as a personal affront,” he continued. “That has really set things back. It’s not so much that Trump has been saying all these things, but that he was saying all these things without any pushback during the Republican primaries. The fact that people are silent in the face of this rhetoric concerns me a great deal.”

6 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

‘Stepchild’ of U.S. Foreign Policy The collapse of democracy in Venezuela also deeply worries Shifter — along with the drug-fueled violence that today plagues much of Central America’s so-called “Northern Triangle” and the Trump administration’s general lack of interest in the region. As head of Washington’s leading think tank devoted to Latin American issues, Shifter makes no attempt to hide his frustration. “I understand that Latin America is not the highest priority. It doesn’t have nuclear weapons, and it’s obviously not the Middle East or North Korea. But that’s the problem,” he told us. “The United States should be able to deal with all regions in a thoughtful and constructive way. Latin America has traditionally been taken for granted because it doesn’t pose a real threat. It’s sort of a stepchild of U.S. foreign policy.” Shifter, 62, is no newcomer to the region. Born and raised in East Rockaway, N.Y., he learned Spanish at the age of 14 while living in Mexico on an exchange program. He added Portuguese to his resume in 1972 as a student in Portugal. “A critical point for me was the time I

Michael Shifter

“

Photo: Inter-American Dialogue

Latin America has traditionally been taken for granted because it doesn’t pose a real threat. It’s sort of a stepchild of U.S. foreign policy. Michael Shifter president of the Inter-American Dialogue

spent in Colombia, which was my third year of college at Oberlin,” Shifter said. “Back then, in 1975-76, Bogotá was one of the major destinations for U.S. exchange students. What had been more of a cultural interest evolved into a political concern. I had read a lot of [Colombian novelist Gabriel] García Márquez and saw the tremendous inequities. For college students, this was about fighting for social justice.” Shifter went on to study sociology at Harvard, but always with a focus on Latin America. He taught at Harvard from 1978 to 1982 as a graduate student and spent six months in Venezuela doing consulting work in the city of Barquisimeto. Shifter also lived in Peru for four years and Chile for two years while representing the Ford Foundation, and he has traveled widely throughout the region

”

in the years since. In fact, the only two Spanish-speaking nations in the Western Hemisphere he hasn’t been to are Honduras and Bolivia. “Increasingly,” he says of Trump’s trashing of Mexico and the regional backlash it’s caused, “a lot of Latin Americans are justifiably asking, ‘Can we count on the United States for anything?’ What we’ve seen so far has been pretty troubling.”

Cold War Beginnings The Inter-American Dialogue traces its roots to a 1982 conference at the Wye Plantation in Eastern Maryland. Sol Linowitz chaired the meeting, which was also attended by a leading academic, Abe Lowenthal, and the current president of Peru, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. “I was there by coincidence, because I

happened to be a research assistant at the Wilson Center and this conference was organized under the framework of the Wilson Center,” said Shifter. In fact, the Dialogue — which began life with only three or four staffers — was part of the Wilson Center, then fell under the auspices of the Aspen Institute for several years. It didn’t become an independent institution until 1990. “In the late 1980s, with the end of the Cold War and what seemed like an interesting moment for greater cooperation, the Dialogue evolved more into a think tank and started to develop programs and reports. There was a sense that conditions were favorable to generate ideas that could be adopted by senior policy officials to move the relationship forward,” Shifter explained. “At that time, there was a lot of controversy over Reagan’s policy supporting the contras and the government of El Salvador. As you can imagine, every top foreign policy official … came to our meetings. This is where the Cold War was being played out.” Shifter worked with the Wilson Center until 1984, then started on his own career path. In 1991, the organization appointed economist Richard Feinberg as its first president. Peter Hakim replaced Feinberg at the helm of the Dialogue two years later and served there until April

2010, when Shifter — who joined the Dialogue in 1994 as a program director — became president of the think tank. Operating on an annual budget of about $4 million, the Dialogue has 25 staffers in Washington. Last July, the Dialogue opened a sixperson office in Guatemala City that focuses on remittances and Central American regional development. “This is a critical time for the Dialogue to open its first office in Latin America, and in no better place,” said Eduardo Stein, a former vice president of Guatemala.

New Headquarters for Dialogue Four months ago, in another milestone, the Dialogue officially inaugurated its spacious D.C. headquarters in a 7,500-square-foot office that occupies the entire eighth floor of a building at 1155 15th St., NW, next to the Madison Hotel. The think tank’s new conference facilities can comfortably seat up to 150 people — a huge improvement over its rather cramped previous office a few blocks away on Connecticut Avenue. According to its 2015-16 biennial report, the Dialogue last year hosted 140 events attended by 6,300 participants — and its website generated 629,000 hits from 185 countries. Each year, it also publishes more than 300 editions of the online Latin America Advisor as well as two sister publications. In the University of Pennsylvania’s “2016 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report,” issued in late January, the Inter-American Dialogue ranked 34th on its list of the nation’s most influential think tanks, just behind the Center for Global Development and the German Marshall Fund. “Each group has its own characteristics,” Shifter said, noting that the Atlantic Council,

Brookings and Wilson Center all have Latin America programs housed within larger institutions. “The Dialogue is completely focused on Western Hemisphere affairs. I think one of the features that sets us apart is precisely our membership. We have 120 members who come from the region and are sort of ambassadors of the Dialogue in their countries.” The Dialogue’s co-chairs are former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo and former U.S. Trade Representative Carla A. Hills. Major corporate donors include BMW, Chevron, Citigroup, ExxonMobil, Mitsubishi, Televisa and Walmart. It also receives funding from the Danish, Japanese and U.S. governments as well as the Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank and Organization of American States (OAS).

High-Profile Speakers, from Fujimori to Fox Shifter’s think tank regularly partners with other entities on projects of joint interest. Since 1997, the CAF Conference — which the Dialogue co-sponsors with CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the OAS — has convened in Washington to discuss political, economic and social issues that affect Latin America. The XX CAF Conference, held last September at the Willard Intercontinental hotel, attracted more than 1,400 attendees and opened with a keynote address by Vice President Joe Biden. “The one distinctive feature of the InterAmerican Dialogue, and the reason why I keep coming back, is because the Dialogue is the only place really in the world where the whole of Latin America meets,” said Matias Spektor, an associate professor at Brazil’s Fundação Getulio Vargas, which the University of Pennsylvania ranked as the best think tank in Central and South America.

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The Dialogue counts 18 former presidents as members, including Jimmy Carter. Among heads of state who have addressed the Dialogue over the years: Argentina’s Carlos Menem; Brazil’s Fernando Henrique Cardoso; Chile’s Michelle Bachelet; Mexico’s Vicente Fox; Peru’s Alberto Fujimori; and Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. “We have had very intense and passionate discussions. Early on, it was possible to get chávistas and opposition leaders in the same room,” Shifter said. “In 1999, Chávez visited Washington, and the only think tank he spoke at was the Inter-American Dialogue. When people say we’re anti-Chávez, I remind them of that.” By and large, the Dialogue has managed to avoid the conflict-of-interest debates that have entangled much bigger think tanks like the Brookings Institution, the Heritage Foundation and the Atlantic Council, which have been accused of shaping their agendas around major corporate and foreign donors. Think tanks, in fact, have become big business. In recent years, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) have opened new headquarters that cost tens of millions of dollars. Several years ago, the New York Times included the Dialogue in an infographic (but not in the article accompanying the chart) that linked its support of a U.S. free trade agreement with Colombia to the fact that the Dialogue had received $20,000 from the Colombian government. “There was no basis for that. They never called me to get any kind of comment, and the timing of it was completely off,” said Shifter, pointing out that the FTA had already been signed by the time Colombia made the donation. “We’re acutely aware of the environment in which we live. We’re very careful and professional, and we have a policy about this. We take a lot of pride in our independence and integrity.”

Striving for Balance On April 27, the Dialogue — along with Brookings and CSIS — co-sponsored a talk with Argentine President Mauricio Macri. On May 5, it staged a roundtable with the six candidates nominated to serve on the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights. On May 16, it scheduled a conference on violence in the Caribbean. And about a week before our interview, Shifter briefed the Washington-based ambassadors of 10 Latin American countries, including Cuba, about the Trump administration. “We certainly strive to be very balanced, very centrist,” said Shifter. “We don’t have events with people who are clearly anti-democratic, but we’re proud of the fact that we have a broad range of perspectives. People try to pigeonhole us, but part of our philosophy is that it’s essential to get lots of different perspectives.” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a one-time Jesuit volunteer and fluent Spanish speaker who in the early 1980s preached liberation theology to Honduran campesinos (farmers), was honored in November 2014 at the 10th Sol Linowitz Forum Gala. “The Dialogue is so important in its gathering of the great minds of this hemisphere to grapple with the relationships that have such deep roots but can always be stronger,” said Kaine. “It’s no exaggeration to say that the InterAmerican Dialogue’s work is more important than ever before,” Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said at the organization’s 2016 gala.

Meltdown in Venezuela One of the most urgent crises facing Latin America right now is the continuing chaos in Venezuela. Despite the country’s vast oil wealth, its mismanaged economy is in tatters, See S hift er , page 17

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WD | United States

Help Wanted Trump Slow in Filling Hundreds of Vacancies Across U.S. Government by Ryan Migeed and Anna Gawel

he large number of vacancies in Donald Trump’s administration has been so widely acknowledged that it is almost a given that the president is operating with a bare-bones staff. According to the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition, as of May 3, the president had nominated only 73 of more than 1,100 political appointees requiring Senate confirmation and won approval for just 27 individuals. Despite a lastminute rush to nominate 21 people ahead of his 100th day in office, Trump is still well behind his predecessors in filling critical government posts, including deputy secretaries, ambassadors, chief financial officers and general counsels. The Center for Presidential Transition notes that Barack Obama had nominated 193 individuals at this same point in his presidency, while George W. Bush’s tally was 152 nominations and Bill Clinton’s was 176. Additionally, the pending number of appointees to clear federal ethics requirements is striking compared to that of the Obama administration, the center says. As of April 17, Trump had only submitted 41 percent of the nominee paperwork that his predecessor submitted in 2009, according to Office of Government Ethics data. In an April 12 interview with Fox Business, Trump blamed the vacancies on a “lousy confirmation process” and “obstructionists,” presumably meaning Democratic lawmakers who were holding up his nominations. But there are other reasons for the hundreds of open positions for which Trump has not yet named nominees. For one thing, the president is known to prize loyalty over experience and has blacklisted many traditional GOP hands because they criticized him during the campaign. That means a leaner staff that has less experience navigating the government hiring process. Also not helping is the sieve of leaks coming out of the White House, which may be compounding Trump’s insistence on surrounding himself with fewer people who have pledged their fealty to him. Another problem is an overworked, inexperienced vetting staff “bogged down as a result of micromanaging by the president and senior staff ” — as well as turf wars among Cabinet agencies and warring West Wing factions such as chief of staff Reince Priebus and senior strategist Stephen Bannon, according to the April 11 Politico article “Why the Trump administration has so many vacancies.” Although some of his Cabinet secretaries are reportedly frustrated by the

8 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

Photo: U.S. Air Force

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivers opening remarks at the 10th Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Alaska on May 11. Seven of the nine senior State Department slots under Tillerson remain vacant (the two are Obama holdovers), including his top deputy, along with roughly 200 positions at State that require Senate confirmation.

“

Trump has got this mantra that he’s going to drain the swamp but all he’s done is change the alligators. Dennis Jett

”

former U.S. ambassador and professor at Penn State School of International Affairs

slow pace of hiring, the president may not be in a rush to fill the empty jobs. He has vowed to cut down on bureaucratic waste, so some positions are likely to be consolidated or eliminated. Trump also came to office on an anti-establishment pledge to drain the proverbial swamp, so stacking agencies with establishment figures would be anathema to his unorthodox administration. Yet the vacancies may be perpetuating a vicious cycle of bad press for the president, as his wobbly, skeletal team lurches from one PR crisis to the next. The longer Trump takes to fill the top ranks of government, the fewer allies he’ll have to implement — and defend — his agenda.

Trump’s Sparse State Department Recent reports describe the State Department, in particular, as an all-but empty building. There are six undersecretaries of state positions — the highest-ranking, after secretary of state — all of which have yet to be named. Beneath these

top-tier offices are 24 assistant secretaries of state, none of which have been named. The positions are temporarily being filled by deputies until a permanent appointment is made. The assistant secretary of state for African affairs slot was completely vacant at the time of this writing. “I think it shows that this administration didn’t think it was going to win the election,” said former U.S. Ambassador Dennis Jett, who served at U.S. embassies in Argentina and Malawi before being named ambassador to Mozambique and then Peru. “I don’t think they were prepared to staff up,” he added, noting that the Trump team had access to presidential transition funding during the campaign but failed to use it adequately. The transition was also hindered by the abrupt firing of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as transition director shortly after the election, further setting back personnel decisions. The large number of outstanding appointments in the State Department has left U.S. foreign policy without direction — at a time when America’s diplomatic corps faces a litany of crises

abroad, from North Korea to Syria to Russia. It has also sapped morale at Foggy Bottom. “[I]n the absence of work, people linger over countless coffees with colleagues” in the State Department cafeteria, according to a report by Julia Ioffe in The Atlantic on March 1. “With the State Department demonstratively shut out of meetings with foreign leaders, key State posts left unfilled, and the White House not soliciting many department staffers for their policy advice, there is little left to do,” Ioffe wrote. “It is very concerning, and it is in sharp contrast to what happened eight years ago,” said Philip “P.J.” Crowley, who served as assistant secretary for public affairs and spokesman for the State Department between 2009 and 2011 under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. At that time, recently named Secretary Clinton had “made a deal” with President Obama to name her own team, Crowley told The Diplomat, which allowed them to streamline the appointment process and quickly fill posts around the world. According to an April 27 report in the New York Times by Gardiner Harris, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has made almost no effort to fill the nearly 200 jobs at Foggy Bottom that need Senate confirmation. The former ExxonMobil CEO maintains a low public profile and threadbare support system (his choice for a deputy, Elliott Abrams, was rejected by Trump). Tillerson’s

slow start has led to concerns that he holds little sway in a fractious administration — and that foreign policy is being concentrated in the West Wing, specifically under Trump’s influential son-in-law, senior advisor Jared Kushner. At the same time, observers point out that Tillerson is gradually cultivating a personal relationship with Trump, quietly meeting with the president on a regular basis. Republicans also argue that Hillary Clinton appointed too many needless special envoys and that Tillerson is still settling into the job. So far, Tillerson has launched a listening tour and hired an outside consulting firm to survey employees before announcing his plans to streamline the department. “The first step was to find out where the Titanic was, and then it was to map out where everything else is,” R.C. Hammond, Tillerson’s spokesman, told Harris of the New York Times. “I think we’re still in the process of mapping out the entire ocean floor so that we understand the full picture.” Comparing the potential reorganization of the State Department to an ocean liner catastrophe, however, may not inspire confidence among America’s diplomatic corps. Morale has also been damaged by Trump’s proposed fiscal 2018 budget, which seeks drastic cuts to international affairs funding, including long-time programs with bipartisan support. A draft of that budget released in March includes a 28 percent reduction in base funding for the State Department and USAID, which together make up about 1 percent of total federal spending (also see “Critics Say Trump’s ‘Skinny’ Budget Starves U.S. Diplomacy, Aid in Time of Heightened Need” in the May 2017 issue). Tillerson, in keeping with the administration’s strategy to downsize the department, also plans to lay off 2,300 diplomats and civil servants — about 9 percent of the Americans in its workforce worldwide, according to

the alligators,” Jett said.

Perennial Debate Over Political Appointees

Photo: Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen

President Donald Trump attends a strategic and policy CEO discussion in the State Department Library of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on April 11. Trump has said he wants to use his business background to cut out waste and redundancy in the U.S. government.

Bloomberg. Meanwhile, Trump’s budget seeks a 10 percent boost in Defense Department funding. “What does that say to the world, to increase military spending and cut our soft power?” Jett asked. “Our national security depends on our ambassadors,” added Jett, who is now a professor at Penn State. But American ambassadors are in short supply at the moment. A March 29 Quartz article noted that more than half of the world’s population does not have a U.S. ambassador. Specifically, the U.S. lacks top envoys to 57 countries and territories with a combined population of 3.9 billion. Diplomatic bottlenecks are nothing new, however, and Obama experienced similar problems. In July 2014, McClatchy reported that a quarter of the world was without a U.S.

ambassador, largely due to partisan obstructionism in the Senate. Trump has moved to fill a few key postings abroad. Bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman was approved as U.S. ambassador to Israel, despite his controversial support for Jewish settlement expansion. Other notable picks are still awaiting confirmation. That includes Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (who’s been tapped to serve as U.S. ambassador to China); businessman William Hagerty (Japan); New York Jets owner Woody Johnson (Britain); K.T. McFarland (Singapore); and two career Foreign Service Officers to serve in Senegal and the Republic of Congo. For Jett, the appointments Trump has made thus far cause more concern than the vacancies themselves. “Trump has got this mantra that he’s going to drain the swamp but all he’s done is change

Criticism over Trump’s staffing has largely centered around his Cabinet picks, which include a number of billionaires and Goldman Sachs alumni. But as Trump reveals more of his picks for cushy overseas postings in Western Europe and the Caribbean, which typically go to wealthy campaign contributors, he is sure to resurrect the debate over awarding ambassadorships to the highest bidder. Jett says that for the last 50 years, there’s been an unwritten rule that 70 percent of all overseas ambassadorships go to career Foreign Service people, while political appointees comprise the other 30 percent. A paper that Jett co-authored called “What Price the Court of St. James’s? Political Influences on Ambassadorial Postings of the United States of America” estimated that plum postings to places like Luxembourg cost $3.1 million in political donations, while London goes for roughly $1.1 million (also see “In U.S., Selling Ambassadors to Highest Bidder Has Long History” in the March 2013 issue of The Washington Diplomat). CNN’s Theodore Schleifer reported that Trump is already being besieged by rich, impatient fundraisers hoping to be rewarded for their largesse, especially because donors with extensive business connections may need time to resolve conflicts of interest during the vetting process. Among the names that have been floated around: San Diego developer Doug Manchester for the Bahamas; fundraiser Kelly Knight for Canada; fundraiser Lewis Eisenberg for Italy; Florida investor Duke Buchan for Spain; and former Utah Gov. and Ambassador to China Jon See Vac an c ies • page 20

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WD | Europe

Populist Reprieve Once Glow of Victory Fades, Can Macron Push Through EU, French Reforms? by Karin Zeitvogel and Anna Gawel Supporters of French President Emmanuel Macron celebrate his election victory at the Louvre on May 7.

etween Brexit and Donald Trump, Paris and Brussels feared that France would become the next populist domino to fall. That fear peaked when anti-globalization, anti-immigrant, anti-establishment nationalist Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front party got through the first round of voting in France’s presidential election in April, setting the stage for a May 7 runoff against Emmanuel Macron. The centrist former investment banker, who had never held political office before, eased those fears by handily defeating Le Pen. He now becomes France’s youngest head of state since Napoleon, having only created his own political party — En Marche! (“onward”) — a year earlier. The historic battle between two political outsiders flipped the status quo on its head. Neither of the right- or left-wing parties that have traditionally dominated the French political landscape were even in contention. The early frontrunner, François Fillon of the center-right Republicans, was sidelined by an embezzlement scandal. Macron, 39, who served as economy minister for President François Hollande, shrewdly distanced himself from his unpopular former boss and ditched the center-left Socialists to form his own party. His platform is a mix of left and right. He advocates for more business-friendly policies such as loosening labor rules and overhauling the pension system but denounces immigrant quotas and wants to speed up and simplify asylum applications. In contrast, Le Pen pushed a populist agenda that included protectionist measures for French companies, maintaining generous worker benefits and setting strict limits on immigration. But Macron’s most radical proposition was embracing the European Union itself — a position that would have been a given just five or 10 years ago. In contrast, Le Pen called for possibly leaving not only the bloc, but also the eurozone, Schengen passport-free travel area and NATO. The mere fact that a candidate who disparaged everything from the euro to Muslims was in the running energized a core group of voters who felt abandoned by the elite — and terrified everyone else. France’s ambassador to Washington, Gérard Araud, ominously tweeted in February that the “real significance of the French elections” would be “the survival or the demise of the EU,” calling the vote a “quasi-referendum.”

Collective Sigh of Relief Unlike British voters who chose to split from the EU in their landmark referendum, the French opted to preserve the union, giving Macron 66 percent of the votes in a landslide victory. Le Pen is licking her wounds and has said she’s 10 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

Photo: By Lorie Shaull from Washington, United States - French Election: Celebrations at The Louvre, Paris / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

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Europe is us. We wanted it. And we need Europe because Europe makes us greater. Europe makes us stronger. Emmanuel Macron, president of France

considering changing the name of the party founded by her father, Jean-Marie, presumably to shed its negative legacy of anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi extremism and make it more “présidentiable.” In the halls of EU offices from Brussels to Strasbourg, so many sighs of relief were heaved they came out as one loud expulsion — of breath, not another member state. In Brexit-preparing Britain, The Guardian wrote that, “The much-anticipated domino effect following the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s election has not, so far, materialized. And the European project has won.” And when Macron strode out onto stage after his win had been declared, he did so to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” the EU’s anthem. But neither Le Pen nor the populist groundswell she ignited is going away quietly. She promptly declared her party the “primary force of opposition” to Macron’s government. And the fact that Le Pen won 34 percent of the votes, nearly twice the amount her father got when he ran unsuccessfully for president in 2002, shows that the National Front will remain a formidable force in French politics. For his part, Macron faces the formidable challenge of implementing his ambitious agenda. Despite his resounding

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Photo: By Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

victory, Macron’s popularity is far from assured. The rate of abstentions and blank votes in this election was the highest in over 40 years, and many French said they didn’t necessarily vote for the probusiness Macron, but rather cast a vote against Le Pen.

Battle Far from Over Before Macron can even start governing, his party has to win a majority in the mid-June elections for parliament, where the upstart movement (recently renamed La République en Marche, or REM) currently does not hold any seats, because it was only created last year. If En Marche does not garner an outright majority or cannot cobble together a working coalition, Macron’s maverick government may be finished before it even begins. A poll conducted by OpinionwaySLPV Analytics before the second round of the presidential race showed that En Marche would win between 249 and 286 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly — a fair showing for the new kid on the block. Macron has promised to field candidates for all 577 constituencies, with at least half of them new political recruits and half of them women.

Still, the neophyte president has a tough road ahead of him. His party also has to draw moderates who’ve defected from the two mainstream parties, but he cannot appear to be recycling the old guard, especially his former allies — the politically weakened Socialists. Additionally, the down-but-not-out National Front will put up a strong fight in parliamentary elections — as will the conservatives, who are still smarting from losing a presidency they were widely expected to capture. Aware of the fact that the center-right Republicans are gunning for him, Macron tapped conservative lawmaker Édouard Philippe as his prime minister in a bid to woo right-wing politicians to his party. He has also stacked his cabinet with several other noted conservatives, along with a mix of moderates of all political stripes, perhaps in the hopes that if his party doesn’t win an outright majority in the National Assembly, he can still govern with a splinter group of Republicans. But if the Republicans win a governing majority, they could replace Philippe with their own prime minister and turn Macron into a weak president with a strong prime minister. Assuming he does emerge with a legislative mandate, Macron will have a full plate as he tries to reform the slow-moving EU bureaucracy and address stubborn domestic issues, including high unemployment and security fears following a spate of terrorist attacks. At the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2016, thenEconomy Minister Macron said French companies need more flexibility to hire and fire workers and create jobs to bring down its unemployment rate, which is

near 10 percent — and up to 40 percent for young people in some places. The Islamic State-inspired attacks in Paris and Nice, Macron said, are not just a security issue, but also an economic one. “It’s about our ability to integrate [immigrants] and offer jobs, and for me, that’s one of the key rationales for reforms and I’m a strong believer that when you lift barriers, you improve the quality of opportunities,” he was quoted as saying at Davos by CNBC. But bringing change to France will be a hard slog, and the price to pay for failure will be high, wrote Timothy Garton Ash in The Guardian: “The obstacles to change in France are enormous, from powerful unions and a bloated public sector to farmers who make a habit of blocking roads with tractors. If Macron fails to reform France, in 2022 we may yet have a president Le Pen.” Indeed, Le Pen’s economic populism still resonates with legions of working-class voters disillusioned by capitalism, unfettered trade and the privileged elite that Macron himself embodies. Among other promises she made during her campaign, Le Pen said she wanted to rewrite the EU competition playbook to adopt a “France first” policy, not dissimilar to Trump’s “America First” mantra. “The 2008 financial crisis and 2015 European migration crisis made the party’s antiimmigration and populist messages appear particularly prescient and politically potent to a disoriented electorate,” wrote Heather A. Conley of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in a May 5 brief. In fact, nearly half of first-round voters chose candidates who espoused anti-capitalist views. “You have 50 percent of the electorate that reject the market economy in a very radical way,” Gaspard Koenig, director of the French think tank Generation Libre, told Alissa J. Rubin of the New York Times for a May 7 article. “Thus, [Macron] must during the next five years convince people that there are alternatives to the destruction of capitalism that can help them.” Le Pen also pledged to hold a “Frexit” vote, or a referendum on pulling out of the EU, of which France was a founding member. The people didn’t want the EU any more and it was doomed to die, she said at a rally in the northern French city of Lille in February. Macron stood in stark contrast to Le Pen — and the populist fervor that has gripped both sides of the Atlantic — with a more optimistic, reasoned view of the EU. In Lille, a month before Le Pen spoke there, Macron told a rally that “Europe is us. We wanted it. And we need Europe because Europe makes us greater. Europe makes us stronger.”

no BLAnk CheCk That is not to say that Macron is going to hand Brussels a blank check. Days before the second round of voting, Macron qualified his pro-EU rhetoric in an interview with the BBC. While he insisted that he is a steadfast supporter of the “European idea and European policies” that he feels are “extremely important for French people and for the place of our country in globalization,” Macron also said the EU was dysfunctional and in need of reform. And he declared that he would be the one to kick off those reforms. On that note, he dismissed as a failure a special EU summit last September in Bratislava where leaders discussed how to move forward after Brexit. It flopped, he said in an interview with Bloomberg, because it excluded ordinary people who want and deserve to have a say in the EU’s future. To allow that to happen, Macron proposes holding “democratic debates” in all 27 EU member states (he’s already excluding the U.K.). They could be held online or in person, and they would give ordinary Europeans the opportunity to say how they want the EU to work. People have “their own solutions,” Macron said. “They are able to say, ‘I’m not just for or against Europe.’”

leaguered bloc, but experts warn that the EU shouldn’t get too excited just yet. “The risk for European and transatlantic partners is indeed to expect too much too quickly from the new French president. The election of Emmanuel Macron is now perceived as a major success against anti-European and populist movements, but the French elections only add up to the recent Austrian and Dutch elections sequence, which cannot be proclaimed as clear victories against nationalism considering their political gains,” wrote Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer and Martin Quencez of the German Marshall Fund in a May 8 GMF brief. “Although Macron’s election does dissipate fears about the eurozone’s future in the short term, the structural causes of the rise of the National Front in France — fears of the identity and security impacts of immigration, demographic change, and general concerns over ‘uncontrolled’ globalization — will have to be addressed in the early stages of Macron’s presidency in order to confirm this positive dynamic for the European Union. ‘The EU must reform or face Frexit,’ as Macron put it, and the French presidential contest followed by the German parliamentary elections may offer one of the last chances for the European project.” WD

photo: eUropeAn externAL ACtIon ServICe

then-french economy minister emmanuel macron, left, and european Union foreign Affairs representative federica mogherini attend a televised BBC debate called “europe at a tipping point?” during the World economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2016. europe once again appeared to be at a tipping with france’s recent election until macron, a pro-eU centrist, beat out far-right candidate marine Le pen.

His proposal has echoes of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), launched in 2012 to allow the European Commission to propose legislation based on citizen input. It was a good idea but ran into headwinds early on. Only three initiatives have garnered the required 1 million signatures to be considered by the European Commission, and “excessive institutional control” — not unfamiliar to anyone who’s lived in Europe — has stood as a major obstacle to the movement. But there are indications in 2017 that the ECI is being revived. Perhaps Macron’s En Marche will add new vigor to that revival. Other ideas that Macron has floated for France and the EU include a belief that on issues such as energy and security that clearly transcend borders, sovereignty should pass from the national to the European level. On the single currency front, he has proposed creating a budget for the entire eurozone, which would be placed under the responsibility of a eurozone finance and economy minister and controlled by a eurozone parliament. Within days of Macron making his proposals, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that he was open to ways to radically change the eurozone, but cautioned that amending EU treaties to make those changes would be unrealistic, although he said a eurozone parliament might be feasible. Other officials in austerity-prone, risk-averse Germany have been lukewarm to the idea of ceding control over spending powers to a new eurozone entity. In another proposal that might not sit well with EU powerhouse Germany, Macron has called for financial assistance to debt-ridden EU member states like Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. In a January speech at Humboldt University in Berlin, he also said the euro was nothing more than a “weak Deutschmark” and desperately needed fixing.

then will there be “a chance for these two nations to lead a consolidatory reform of the EU,” wrote Garton Ash in The Guardian. EU officials from Athens to Zaragoza seem so heartened by Macron’s win that, at least on the surface, he has the goodwill to push through much-needed reforms. European Council President Donald Tusk of Poland said France had voted for “liberty, equality and fraternity” and rejected “the tyranny of fake news,” while European Parliament President Antonio Tajani called the French election result a vote of confidence in the European Union. The defeat of far-right, EU-skeptic candidates in elections in Austria and the Netherlands earlier this year further boosted the be-

Karin Zeitvogel (@Zeitvogel) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. Anna Gawel (@diplomatnews) is the managing editor.

Follow The Diplomat Connect at www.washdiplomat.com.

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frAnCo-germAn ALLIAnCe Despite differing opinions on how to fix the EU’s economic imbalances, France and Germany know they need each other if the bloc is to survive the onslaught of threats it faces, from populist insurgencies to a strained transatlantic partnership to Russian aggression. After Macron’s victory, German Chancellor Angela Merkel promptly called to congratulate him, and the newly minted French president’s first overseas trip was to Berlin, where the two leaders pledged to cooperate on reforming the EU. German officials also suggested working to reduce the country’s trade surplus with France and considering a eurozone budget that helps struggling member states. But first, Merkel’s party must be re-elected in September elections so she can form a new centrist, pro-European government — only

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WD | Europe

After Paris Whatever Trump Decides on Climate Pact, Rest of World Likely to Move Forward by Aileen Torres-Bennett

onald Trump made it clear on the campaign trail that he would not honor the commitment made by the U.S. in the Paris Agreement. The pact, adopted in December 2015 at the Paris climate conference known as COP21, is the world’s first legally binding global deal to combat climate change. Now that Trump occupies the White House, he hasn’t been so quick to pull the trigger on Paris. Will he stay or will he go? And whatever he decides, what will be the effect on other countries? Trump is known for being mercurial, so it’s pure speculation on anyone’s part — regardless of his or her closeness, or lack thereof, to the president — what he will decide regarding the Paris Agreement. “It’s anyone’s guess,” Robert Stavins, director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, said during a phone interview. “Whatever he decides this afternoon, he may have a different view tomorrow morning. He reaches decisions on gut instinct.” There are rival factions in the White House arguing for or against remaining in the pact, which was signed by over 195 nations. Reports indicate that first daughter and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump, her husband and presidential adviser Jared Kushner and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are pushing for the U.S. to remain, while presidential adviser Stephen Bannon and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt are pushing for an exit. The White House had been saying that Trump would make a decision on the Paris Agreement before the G7 Summit at the end of May in Italy, but backtracked and said a decision would not be made until after the summit. Many environmental experts say that if Trump decides to pull out of Paris, while it would damage the U.S. on the international front, it is highly likely that the other parties to the agreement would move forward with their commitments.

A Primer on Paris The formal international effort that led to the landmark Paris Agreement started about 25 years ago with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was ratified as a treaty by the U.S. Senate in 1992 and entered into force in 1994. Article 2 of the UNFCCC commits the parties to achieving “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.” The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997 and entered into force in 2005, took the UNFCCC further by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets. Kyoto, setting up a cap-and-trade system for emissions, placed a heavier burden on developed nations for greenhouse gas responsibility and gave developing nations, including China and India, more leeway for emissions. This did not sit well with the U.S., which decided not to be a party to Kyoto. The Paris accord, also built upon the UNFCCC, was adopted in December 2015 and entered into force October 2016. Paris sets a goal of keeping a global temperature rise this century below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, as well as limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. There are 197 parties to Paris, with 146 having ratified it thus far. While Paris is legally binding, all commitments are voluntary and the deal gives each country the flexibility to decide how it will honor the agreement, 12 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

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Photo: U.N. / Eskinder Debebe

I believe the Paris agreement will far outlast the Trump presidency whether the U.S. stays in or not…. It will continue long after he has left the world stage. Paul Bledsoe

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senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute

specifically through “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs). There will be a general check-in among the parties in 2018 to take stock and prepare for the NDCs. Collective progress will be tracked every five years and individual actions by parties reassessed.

Breaking from Obama Trump has made no secret that he wishes to undo Obama’s legacy climate policies. Obama has been laying low post-presidency, but he did come out publicly to push for the U.S. to maintain its Paris commitment. Trump has proposed significant cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency and in March, he signed an executive order that instructed the EPA to formally withdraw from Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which limits greenhouse gas emissions from the coal industry and encourages renewable energy. America’s NDC, pledged by Obama, aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent below 2005 levels in 2025. Obama’s Clean Power Plan was key to meeting that NDC. Trump dismantling Obama’s plan does not necessarily mean, however, that he will walk away from the Paris Agreement.

Legal Issues Because Paris is legally binding, there is a formal pro-

Then-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the closing of the Climate Summit for Local Leaders, which took place on the margins of the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris in December 2015. President Trump has threatened to pull out of the landmark climate accord, which was signed by over 195 nations.

cess for withdrawal. “While a party can at any time announce its future intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, it cannot actually begin the withdrawal process until it has been a party for three years,” wrote Susan Biniaz in an email. Biniaz is an environmental lawyer with a long history at the State Department who played a major role for the U.S. in the Paris talks. “For the United States, that would mean that it could give formal notice of withdrawal no earlier than November 2019. That notice of withdrawal takes effect one year later,” she wrote. Supporters of the “remain” camp say a formal withdrawal serves no purpose because the agreement relies on voluntary, nonbinding commitments, so there are no penalties if nations miss their targets. Staying involves largely attending meetings and producing reports. Leaving would produce a diplomatic backlash (and possibly trade barriers imposed by other nations against the U.S.), while putting Washington in the dubious company of the only two other nonparticipating countries: Syria and Nicaragua. Environmentalists also point out that Paris leaves open the possibility of lowering a nation’s commitments down the line. While environmentalists would be upset if Trump withdraws the U.S. from Paris, “There would not appear to be any basis for a legal challenge, either internationally or domestically,” according to Biniaz. But some administration officials disagree on that legal interpretation and worry that remaining in the agreement could leave the White House vulnerable to potential lawsuits, especially because the president’s energy policies emphasize fossil fuels over renewables. Ditching the accord could also represent a much-needed political win, even if it is a largely symbolic one, for a president who’s been besieged by one crisis after another. See Par is • page 45

Cover Profile | WD

War on Science Costa Rica’s Ambassador Stands at Intersection of Science and Diplomacy by Larry Luxner

ears after it was discredited, President Donald Trump continues to parrot the theory that lifesaving vaccines cause autism. And up until his inauguration, he insisted that global warming was a “total hoax” perpetrated by China to destroy the U.S. economy. In early March, Scott Pruitt — the man Trump named to head the Environmental Protection Agency — contradicted 95 percent of the world’s top experts and even the EPA’s own website by declaring that climate change has nothing to do with human activity. With Trump’s drastic budget cuts threatening to gut not only the EPA but also the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), science itself has clearly taken a backseat at the Trump White House. Joel Achenbach wrote in the Washington Post that the proposed cuts for fiscal 2018 would cause “seismic disruption” in government-funded medical and scientific research that could threaten everything from an EPA initiative to clean up the Chesapeake Bay; to a satellite program that monitors the earth’s climate and solar storms; to the Fogarty International Center. That center, which brings together health research institutions around the world to combat transmittable diseases such as the flu, Zika virus and bioterrorism agents, would be shut down under the president’s proposed budget — even though its elimination saves less than $70 million. Trump’s so-called war on science sparked such a backlash that a March for Science drew thousands on April 22 to D.C. and cities across the country. But quite the opposite is happening at the nearby Embassy of Costa Rica, where “science diplomacy” has become almost a mantra. This is hardly a coincidence given that Costa Rica’s affable ambassador here, Román Macaya, was a biochemist long before he became a diplomat. In fact, as much as Trump seems to disdain science, Macaya embraces it. “If you take any two disciplines — it could be art and computer science, for example, or biology and law, or diplomacy and science — you can conceptually play a mind game. Put them right next to each other and imagine what happens at the intersection of those two disciplines,” Macaya explained. “Science diplomacy is one of these mixed agendas. Washington is the capital with the most embassies in the world, and the embassies here tend to be the most important of their respective countries,” he said. “But if you’re focused only on security, you’re going to get lost in the crowd.” As for Trump’s anti-science stances, Macaya diplomatically sidestepped the

issue, focusing instead on his country’s embrace of science diplomacy. “What we have been practicing at the embassy, which is science diplomacy, obviously highlights the importance we give to science, the possibility of using science to make the best decisions, and to develop Costa Rica’s new economy,” he said. “We’re fully committed to mitigating climate change and risk management. This is a high priority in Costa Rica, and we hope that ambition is shared as broadly as possible.” That Costa Rica has linked itself so strongly to the sciences might come as a surprise to most Americans, who tend to associate this small tropical nation of 4.8 million with ecotourism, bananas and gourmet coffee. Yet it also became the first country in the Western Hemisphere to abolish its army, in 1948, and has since pursued a liberal policy of universal health care and education that has made it the envy of Latin America. As a result, the country has attracted billions of dollars in high-tech investment by Fortune 500 companies ranging from Intel to Medtronic. For years, Costa Rica has been known for producing high-value products and services — a trend that will only accelerate as the West Virginia-size country makes a name for itself in such diverse areas as solar energy, medical research and even aerospace technology. “It just so happens that what we’ve

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Photo: Embassy of Costa Rica

Since science should be apolitical, you go where the science takes you. That can allow countries with strained diplomatic relations to continue the conversation on a neutral ground. Román Macaya ambassador of Costa Rica to the United States

given a high priority at our embassy hits a sweet spot,” Macaya told The Diplomat. “It’s of high relevance for what we need in Costa Rica, and it’s an area where the agenda can be very rich, especially for a very small embassy like ours, with only seven people, including my driver.” We interviewed Macaya at length in the wood-paneled office of his residence in Bethesda, Md., which is adorned with framed certificates, diplomas and firstday covers of Costa Rican commemorative stamps. He had just come back from the University of Arizona, where he participated in an event on science diplomacy. The week before that, Macaya was in Boston for the annual meeting of the American Association for the

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Advancement of Science (AAAS). And that same week, he appeared on a panel at the University of Maryland in Baltimore discussing the Zika virus. “I’ve made some career changes. I was a scientist, then went into business, then into health care, then into politics and now diplomacy. And whenever you’re looking at potential career changes, there’s a little fear,” said the father of four, who speaks English with no hint of an accent, admitting that at one point, he feared his 13 years in a lab coat would end up wasted. The irony is that both he and Trump ran for president and both attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School — considered one of the nation’s finest business schools — yet only one of

Costa Rican Ambassador Román Macaya, a former biochemist, tours the Baltimore lab facilities of Paragon Bioservices Inc. together with company founder Marco Chacón, a Costa Rican molecular biologist.

them ended up running a country. After all, Macaya joked, “What are the odds that a Wharton graduate with no political experience decides he’s going to leave the private sector, run for president and win?” Macaya, 50, graduated Wharton in 1998, three decades after Trump did. In fact, in October 2014, about eight months before Trump launched his presidential campaign, both men attended a dinner for Wharton alumni at Washington’s Park Hyatt Hotel. But that, and the fact that Macaya also ran for president of his country (and lost), is where any similarity between the two men ends. A love of science runs deep in Macaya’s veins. His father was a chemical engineer for Dow Chemical Co. and, as such, spent much of his life in the United States. The future ambassador was born in Florida and moved back to See c osta r ic a • page 14 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017 | 13

Photo: Pixabay / Fintan O’Brien

Costa Rica Continued • page 13

Costa Rica at the age of 3. As an undergraduate student at Vermont’s Middlebury College, Macaya majored in chemistry and minored in modern art. “I decided I really liked what was happening in life sciences. It was a blossoming field in the 1980s, so I went for a Ph.D. in biochemistry from UCLA.” Macaya’s first publication as a graduate student appeared in Science magazine. His 197-page doctoral thesis was titled “NMR Studies of Intramolecular DNA Triplexes and Quadruplexes.” That got him hired straight out of grad school by New Jersey-based PharmaGenics Inc., which wanted Macaya to set up and run the company’s structural chemistry lab. The company was so pleased, it named him scientist of the year for his contributions on a new preclinical drug candidate for cardiovascular disease. Macaya eventually enrolled at Wharton’s health care management program, reasoning that “the shortcut to get into the business side of biomedical sciences was an MBA from Wharton.” He spent several years in health care — both in clinical research and on the investment side — before deciding to return to Costa Rica once again. There, Macaya immersed himself in RIMAC, the family chemical business, but on the side began dabbling in politics. He joined the center-left Citizens’ Action Party (PAC in Spanish), which at the time was grabbing headlines for its adamant opposition to the Central American free trade agreement with the United States. “In 2002, Ottón Solís ran for president in the PAC primary — its first primary ever — and got 20 percent of the vote. In 2006, he ran again, and lost by a 1 percent margin to Oscar Arias,” said Macaya. “I thought there were some

Costa Rica, with its biodiverse national parks, beaches and volcanoes, has a thriving ecotourism sector, but less known is the fact that it is a hub for producing high-value products and services, attracting Fortune 500 companies ranging from Intel to Medtronic.

Photo: Pixabay / BelaMarie

Photo: Pixabay / Falco

campaign strategies and tactics we should have implemented that could have made a difference, but I was unable to convince him, so in 2009, I decided to run myself in the 2010 primary.” Yet Macaya didn’t win his own party’s nomination, and after that, he decided to move on. “Everyone thought I’d run again in 2014, but I decided not to, mostly based on family considerations. Running for president was probably a crazy idea in the first place,” he said. “So when people ask me, ‘How do you go from biochemist to ambassador,’ I tell them, ‘Run for president and lose.’” That’s exactly what happened. In May 2014, Macaya received a “completely unexpected” call from Costa Rica’s new president, Luis Guillermo Solís, a member of Macaya’s PAC party, asking if he’d be Costa Rica’s next envoy to the United States. “It’s hard to say no to the president. It had never crossed my mind until that phone call,” he said. “I have to thank President Solís because he made me discover something that I love and

14 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

that I never would have thought of.” Macaya wasted no time putting his scientific credentials to work in his new job. “My very first meeting as ambassador when I arrived in Washington was at the AAAS. I was downtown at Washington Gas setting up our account and had not even presented my credentials to President Obama,” he recalled. “I was in jeans, so I just crossed the street and said I wanted to talk to whoever was in charge of international programs.” That man, Vaughan Turekian, later became science advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry — a job he continues to hold under Kerry’s replacement, Rex Tillerson. While Turekian couldn’t be reached for comment, Frances Colón, who until mid-January was the deputy science adviser at State, expressed deep concern with the Trump administration. “Everybody’s worried that we won’t be in the room any more as a voice of reason advocating for evidence-based decision-making, for bringing the best and brightest to the table no matter where

Photo: Larry Luxner

Costa Rica and the U.S. have long enjoyed strong relations, with the small tropical nation of 4.8 million now home to 100,000 American expatriates.

they come from or who they are,” she told Nature magazine. Pruitt’s confirmation as EPA chief has sparked fierce opposition among a wide range of scientists and officials, including Gina McCarthy, his predecessor at EPA. “The world of science is about empirical evidence, not beliefs,” McCarthy, an Obama appointee, said in a statement. “When it comes to climate change, the evidence is robust and overwhelmingly clear that the cost of inaction is unacceptably high. I cannot imagine what additional information the administrator might want from scientists for him to understand that.” Yet Macaya said he’ll keep focusing on science diplomacy regardless of who occupies the White House. “Many scientific institutions belong to the state, and

others are outside the context of government institutions,” he pointed out. “We’re interacting with all of them — the National Institutes of Health, which have many institutes within it, the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences, the State Department, the White House, organizations like AAAS and also nonprofits and companies that collaborate in science and technology. Our engagement with the United States is multi-leveled and broadbased. We want to encourage more interaction with Costa Rica at all levels.” The ambassador continued: “Science diplomacy can be used two ways. Since science should be apolitical, you go where the science takes you. That can allow countries with strained diplomatic relations to continue the conversation on a neutral ground.

That has happened many times in history; for example, the Americans and Soviets collaborated in space at the height of the Cold War.” A more recent example is the scientific cooperation between the United States and Cuba on issues ranging from the protection of endangered marine ecosystems to joint hurricane forecasting in the Gulf of Mexico — even before the two countries restored diplomatic relations in 2015. “When you have strained relations, you use science to further diplomacy. But we don’t have to break the ice with the U.S. We already have an excellent relationship,” Macaya said, noting that U.S. foreign direct investment in Costa Rica is around $2 billion, and that Costa Rica is now home to 100,000 American expatriates. “So we use diplomacy to

further science.” In Costa Rica’s case, it helps that the country already has a solid track record. Few people, he said, are even aware that this small Central American nation’s top source of revenue is high-value services, especially shared corporate services. “These are usually operations of companies that handle the finances, accounting and human resources, but sometimes very sophisticated processes like engineering design,” he said. Costa Rica got a huge boost in 1998, when Intel opened a computer chip assembly plant just outside the country’s international airport in San José. At one point, Intel alone accounted for anywhere between 14 and 20 percent of the country’s total exports. Two years ago, the Silicon Valley giant closed its Costa Rica plant but didn’t leave the country. “Now they design computer chips and test new technologies before they go into commercial production, and they handle a lot of the innovation process. Obviously, that requires a much higher level of professionalism,” said Macaya, noting that today, Intel Costa Rica employs 1,500 people — more than when it had a factory there. Since then, medical devices have replaced computer chips as the country’s leading export. In fact, Costa Rica is home to 70 medical device companies. In 2015, they produced and exported $2.2 billion worth of products ranging from surgical instruments to heart valves and pacemakers — up from $580 million in 2005. Costa Rica is now home to six of the top 20 largest medical device companies in the world, according to investment promotion agency CINDE. “Costa Rica is not a low-cost production country, so companies producing things that

costa rica at a Glance Independence: Sept. 15, 1821 (from Spain) Location Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the north pacific ocean, between nicaragua and panama

National flag of Costa Rica

Capital San Jose Population 4.8 million (July 2016 estimate) Ethnic groups White or mestizo 83.6 percent, mulato 6.7 percent, indigenous 2.4 percent, black of African descent 1.1 percent, other 1.1 percent, none 2.9 percent, unspecified 2.2 percent (2011 estimate) GDP (purchasing power parity) 79.2 billion (2016 estimate)

GDP per-capita (PPP) $16,100 (2016 estimate)

GDP growth 4.3 percent (2016 estimate) Unemployment 9.3 percent (2016 estimate) Population below poverty line 24.8 percent (2011 estimate)

Industries medical equipment, food processing, textiles and clothing, construction materials, fertilizer, plastic products

photo: LArry LUxner

A nature Air DhC-6 twin otter takes off from puerto Jiménez, Costa rica. In 2004, nature Air became the world’s first carbon-neutral airline, an achievement noted on the fuselage of every plane in its fleet. Likewise, Costa rica generates 99 percent of its energy from renewable sources and hopes to become completely carbon-neutral by 2085.

SoUrCe: CIA WorLD fACtBook

don’t need a lot of intellect don’t go there. But for things like medical devices, which have to pass the FDA and other barriers, that’s where we shine,” the ambassador said. “We don’t have oil, we don’t have extractive industries and we don’t cut down forests to sell wood. We’re not in the commodity business at all. It’s what’s in the brain that counts.” As such, Macaya has met with Anthony Fauci, head of the NIH’s division of allergies and infectious diseases, about testing a new vaccine for Zika. Costa Rica is also working closely with George Mason University on a similar project. He also mentioned Franklin Chang, a Costa Rican astronaut-turned-businessman whose Houston-based company, Ad Astra Rocket Co., is developing plasma technology

for space travel and is also working on hydrogen and other renewable energy sources that are crucial for ending the world’s addiction to fossil fuels. “Costa Rica is committed to being an active player in the climate change discussion,” Macaya told The Diplomat. “It’s no coincidence that the last United Nations executive secretary for climate change was [Costa Rican politician] Christiana Figueres. We’re committed to becoming carbon-neutral. Last year, we generated 99 percent of our energy from renewable sources such as hydro, geothermal, wind and biomass.” Yet the Trump administration has threatened to pull the United States out of the landmark Paris climate deal, which Figueres was largely responsible for crafting (also see

story on page 12). That summit saw all of the world’s nations agree for the first time to a binding commitment to avoid dangerous levels of greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global warming. Indeed, as leading voices within the scientific community — from Stephen Hawking to Michael Mann — warn that Trump’s “assault on science” will send humanity back to the dark ages, Macaya declined to criticize his fellow Wharton alumnus. But he did have this to say: “We’re running out of time and we have only a moment in our planet’s history and our species’ history where we can try to slow the warming down to eventually a halt. The conversation on global warming should be guided by science.” WD Larry Luxner is the Tel Aviv-based news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JuNE 2017 | 15

WD | Washington, D.C.

Art as Social Protest From Refugees to Russia, Local Artists Wade into Politically Charged Debates by Brendan L. Smith

n most news accounts, refugees are just cold numbers calculated in the thousands or millions, not real people with faces, names and life stories ripped asunder by war. The faces of refugees are emerging from the statistics through the work of artists in the D.C. area and across the world who are protesting injustice on numerous fronts, ranging from the many controversies triggered by the Trump administration to human rights abuses by totalitarian regimes. In a world that seems to be coming apart at the seams, artists are battling war and politics with creativity, joining a long tradition of protest art that has galvanized social movements and at times helped topple governments. In a recent exhibition titled “They Have Names” at Gallery Al-Quds in Washington, German photographer Daniel Sonnentag photographed Syrian, Palestinian, Iraqi and Afghan children in a refugee camp in Berlin. Germany has been more receptive of immigrants than many European countries, although there has been a right-wing nationalist backlash there as well. More than 300,000 children, including almost 36,000 unaccompanied children, sought refugee protection in Germany last year, representing 41 percent of all applicants. Many of Sonnentag’s large-scale portraits of these children show their resilience with smiles spreading across their young faces despite the upheaval in their lives. One girl sticks out her tongue with a mischievous grin while a boy sticks two fingers above his head like devil horns. “He wants these children to look like children you might know, like your child, nephew or neighbor, and to humanize them,” said Dagmar Painter, founder and curator of Gallery Al-Quds, which focuses on art from the Arab and Islamic world. “We want to change the perception of refugees as victims to survivors.” Art can encourage people to look at seemingly intractable conflicts in a more accessible way, Painter told The Diplomat. “Artists have skills and they want to do something within their realm of possibility,” she said. “You see what the message is, and that resonates with you and lasts in a way that a 30-second news flash won’t.” Gallery Al-Quds, a cultural program of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development, also hosted a panel discussion on the growing role of empathy in the arts along with the Middle East Institute’s Arts and Culture Program and the Goethe-Institut. The German-focused GoetheInstitut, which partnered with Al-Quds for the “Names” exhibition, hosted a related display called “FORTY out of ONE MILLION: The Human Cost of the Syrian War.” The exhibit, which runs until June 16, features portraits by German photographer Kai Wiedenhöfer of 40 war-wounded Syrians in towns, villages and refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon between 2014 and 2015. Given that Germany has been the epicenter of Europe’s migration crisis, taking in over 1 million refugees in 2015, the Goethe-Institut has held a series of events and exhibitions examining themes of immigration and displacement. Likewise, embassies have waded into sensitive political issues through art. The Greek Embassy recently hosted a discussion on “Creativity in Times of Crisis: Emerging Arts in Athens,” exploring how the country — which has

16 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

Photo: ©Daniel Sonnentag / They Have Names / Courtesy Gallery Al-Quds

In the exhibit “They Have Names” at Gallery Al-Quds in Washington, German photographer Daniel Sonnentag photographed Syrian, Palestinian, Iraqi and Afghan children in a refugee camp in Berlin.

“

I think it’s important that artists document what’s going on in their times…. It’s another way of preserving the moment that we’re in now for the future. Helen Zughaib artist

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also been at the forefront of the refugee crisis while still battling its own economic crisis — is incorporating politics into its arts scene. The Mexican Cultural Institute has confronted President Donald Trump’s incendiary rhetoric about Mexican immigrants with exhibitions that try to present a different side of bilateral relations and the U.S.-Mexico border (also see “Two Exhibits at Mexican Cultural Reflect on Immigrant Experience” in the May 2017 issue). In another exhibition at Gallery Al-Quds titled “Necessary Things,” Arab-American artist Helen

Zughaib takes a subtle approach by creating small objects inspired by the humanity of refugees, including a painted pair of children’s shoes and a memory box that could be filled with mementos of home. “I don’t feel like a political artist,” Zughaib told The Diplomat. “I feel like I’m talking about the results of war and displacement and what happens primarily to women and children because they often bear the brunt of war. We can’t even envision how many thousands and thousands of people have died or been displaced or severely affected by the [Syrian] war. It’s almost too big to grasp.” The daughter of a Syrian father and American mother, Zughaib grew up in Beirut but was forced to flee in 1975 when she was 16 years old at the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war. Thirty-five years passed before she returned to Lebanon in 2010, when she also traveled to Syria to see her father’s homeland before the brutal civil war erupted there. Her father grew up in Damascus but moved to the United States in 1946 and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He obtained a doctorate in political science and joined the U.S. Foreign Service, which took him to Beirut where Zughaib was born. Zughaib lives in Washington and remembers the

discrimination she felt as an Arab American in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks when a man spat in her face. But she says she is more optimistic now about the possibility of reconciliation despite Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and his travel ban targeting six Muslim-majority nations that has been blocked by court challenges. Zughaib isn’t Muslim, and she says her work reflects larger issues of the Arab world. “If we don’t have optimism, then we don’t have anything,” she said. “I’m trying to say we’re all the same. Muslim, Christian, it doesn’t matter. I really get down to the human level of it.” The Trump administration has fueled politically charged artwork on many fronts beyond the refugee crisis, including the proposed border wall along the Mexican border, Russian interference in the presidential election and Trump’s threats to slash arts funding.

At the Touchstone Gallery in Washington, almost 100 artists from across the United States sharpened their social commentary in “Art as Politics,” a group exhibition held last August before Trump’s surprise defeat of Hillary Clinton. Many pieces lampooned Trump, some depicting him as the anti-Christ or Humpty Dumpty. The exhibition had recordbreaking attendance at the artist-owned gallery, said Touchstone Gallery Director Ksenia Grishkova. “This is the moment to do something political, and the response was absolutely overwhelming,” she told The Diplomat. “It was much more than I ever anticipated and imagined.” With the many crises stemming from the Trump administration, Grishkova is excited to see what artists are working on now, so Touchstone Gallery is planning a new exhibition of political art titled “Art of Engagement.” Local artists also are working outside typi-

cal gallery settings to stage their own exhibitions of political art. The NoMüNoMü collective organized an exhibition last month titled “Now More Than Ever” at the nonprofit Washington Project for the Arts. Featuring a campaign poster of Richard Nixon, the exhibition’s title refers to his 1972 campaign slogan and features artwork critical of white privilege and the long history of racial politics in the Republican Party, said Joseph Orzal, one of six collective members with artwork in the exhibition. Trump succeeded in “catering to whiteness and drumming up white fear” in much the same way Nixon did, Orzal told The Diplomat. Orzal created granite tablets resembling tombstones or official decrees with printed text reflecting on racism in America, including a report examining biased police conduct in Ferguson, Mo., where riots erupted following the police shooting death of an unarmed black man named Michael Brown in 2014. Orzal grew up in Washington and attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. He sees larger problems for D.C. artists than Trump, mainly from the forces of gentrification that are driving up rent and eliminating alternative venues where artists can show more challenging work that isn’t welcomed by profit-driven galleries. “Given the art landscape in D.C., artists are struggling to find studio space and places to show work in their own context,” he said. “We’re being beaten already by development and developers. Our fight can’t be with Trump if we’re being beat by our own city.” For centuries, artists have expressed their views about the political controversies of their day, ranging from the Dadaism movement’s challenges of nationalist sentiments to Pablo Picasso’s famous painting “Guernica” depict-

photo: heLen zUghAIB / CoUrteSy gALLery AL-qUDS

In works such as “Unfinished Journeys,” Arab-American artist helen zughaib uses small objects like shoes to personalize the issue of refugees.

ing the horrific human toll of the Spanish Civil War. Contemporary artists are continuing that tradition with their own artwork that hopefully will have some lasting impact, Zughaib said. “I think it’s important that artists document what’s going on in their times,” she said. “It’s another way of preserving the moment that we’re in now for the future.” WD Brendan L. Smith (www.brendanlsmith.com) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat and a mixed-media artist (www. dcmixedmedia.com) in Washington, D.C.

photo: rICk reInhArD / Inter-AmerICAn DIALogUe

Lilian tintori, the wife of jailed venezuelan politician Leopoldo López, left, speaks at a recent event on venezuela’s political crisis hosted by the Inter-American Dialogue, headed by michael Shifter, right.

Shifter ContInUeD • pAge 7

violence is rampant and Venezuelans struggle to buy staples like milk and toilet paper — all while President Nicolás Maduro desperately clings to power. Maduro is facing intense criticism both at home and abroad for eroding Venezuela’s democratic institutions. On April 26, following a month of anti-government protests that left over 50 people dead and hundreds injured, Maduro announced his country would pull out of the OAS — the first time such a thing has happened in the organization’s 70-year history. A month earlier, the Supreme Court, which is stacked with Maduro loyalists, ruled to strip the opposition-controlled National Assembly of its powers in a move described by OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro as a “self-inflicted coup” (the court later rolled back the decision following a fierce backlash). Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are pushing to slap sanctions on officials in Maduro’s beleaguered administration while offering $10 million in humanitarian aid to the country. Even Trump has waded into the contentious debate over what to do about Venezuela. On Feb. 15, Trump called on Maduro to free Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López from prison. That followed a White House meeting with the dissident’s

wife, Lilian Tintori, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Earlier that day, Tintori addressed 120 people at the Dialogue about the worsening situation in her country. “It’s very hard to apply the term ‘democracy’ in a meaningful way to Venezuela,” Shifter observed. “Chávez was always skillful in having the trappings of democracy. Maduro is much more blatant and crude in the way he’s governing. He’s completely eliminated any safeguards or any checks on the executive power. It’s a mistake to underestimate his longevity. Although there are differences in the government, a lot of money and interests are at stake. Any possible risk of collapse and they will close ranks. The armed forces still supports Maduro, the opposition has been divided and weak, and the government has exploited their differences.” So despite the current upheaval, no one should count the Venezuelan strongman out, says Shifter, whose think tank is planning several major events in June on the continuing crisis. “The government has been focused on dividing the opposition, co-opting some of them with money and position,” he said. “People are desperate, but they’re also exhausted and trying to get by. That doesn’t translate into popular mobilization to oust the government. It’s an extremely sad and tragic situation that won’t last forever — but I don’t think it’s wise to predict Maduro’s imminent collapse.” WD Tel Aviv-based journalist Larry Luxner is news editor of The Washington Diplomat.

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Finnish Centennial Ambassador Op-ed: Finland Celebrates Her 100th Birthday on National Mall by Kirsti Kauppi

he year 2017 marks the centennial anniversary of Finland. In honor of our 100 years of independence, the Embassy of Finland will organize a celebratory event at the National Mall and is inviting everyone to join us. For our small Nordic country, the centennial year is a great landmark. Since the declaration of independence on Dec. 6, 1917, our country has gone through a lot. In just one century, Finland has reinvented itself, evolving from one of the poorest countries in Europe to one of the most successful nations in the world. Finns obviously existed before the nation’s independence. For over 600 years, from the early Middle Ages until the early 19th century, Finland was an integral part of the Swedish Kingdom. In the Napoleonic Wars, Sweden lost Finland, which became an autonomous Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire in 1809. The Finnish national identity started to emerge and became summarized by the following quote: “Swedes we are no longer, Russians we do not want to become, so let us be Finns.” Many events led to Finland declaring independence in December of 1917, after the revolution in Russia. The new nation suffered a short and tragic civil war, but started to heal gradually. Equality was an important feature from the start: Women in Finland had been the first in the world to be granted full political rights, already in 1906. One hundred years later, women in Finland occupy all the highest positions of society, including the president of the republic. Gender equality is recognized as one of the key factors of our success. The Finnish national character and our Nordic heritage have boosted us to the top of several country rankings. From freedom of speech and a worldfamous education system to the safest banks in the world, Finland has a lot to be proud of. This shows in the quality of everyday life — it is no wonder that we recently came in fifth place in the 2017 World Happiness Report. Independence did not come as a given to us, and we have had to sacrifice a lot to keep it over the tumultuous 20th century. That also makes us so proud about our nation and its achievements. This year is special for us in several ways. Just to mention one, Finland is serving as the chair of the Arctic Council. We are looking forward to taking pragmatic cooperation in the Arctic Council further and collaborating closely with the United States, as well as the other member countries. We want to share our “snowhow!” It is probably the Arctic climate that gives us guts — or “sisu,” as we call it. The term is used to describe the enigmatic power enabling us to push through even the worst of hardships. It is in our nature to turn setbacks into steps forward and to always look for practical solutions. This is what makes the Finns so good at creating new innovations and making sure that things work, and keep on working. From safety reflectors and text messages to the Finnish baby box and Angry Birds, Finnish innovations have successfully spread all around the world. Finnish design and architecture have a strong presence in the United States through companies such as Marimekko and beloved architect legends such as Eero Saarinen and Alvar Aalto. To showcase how

18 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

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Photo: Embassy of Finland

For our small Nordic country, the centennial year is a great landmark. In just one century, Finland has reinvented itself, evolving from one of the poorest countries in Europe to one of the most successful nations in the world.

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Finnish design has become a part of American life in the last century, we are hosting an exhibition at the Embassy of Finland. “The Iconic and the Everyday” is open on Wednesdays and on selected weekends during the summer. We are celebrating Finland’s centennial throughout the year. One of our biggest events, the Midsummer FinFun, will take place on Sat., June 17, at the National Mall. The prestigious location offers us a chance to organize an unforgettable, family-friendly celebration. June is a special time for us. With the midnight sun in Lapland and the 4 a.m. sunrises in Helsinki, the large amount of light makes for a truly magical season. This is why Midsummer, celebrated toward the end of June, is one of our biggest yearly festivities. We

Finnish Ambassador Kirsti Kauppi and her embassy are hosting a celebration on the National Mall in June to mark Finland’s 100th anniversary of independence.

would now like to introduce our American friends to the magic of Midsummer by welcoming you all to our event. In the spirit of the Finnish Midsummer traditions, we are planning a day full of Finnish sports and other outdoor activities. Join us to try the famous Mölkky game, see dance performances and test your luck in our raffle. In between the activities, you will learn more about the land of the midnight sun and thousands of lakes. On top of that, guests will have the chance to see a wonderful Finnish dance group, Team Ajattomat, perform. This talented troupe of women tells the story of Finland in the form of movement that combines physical challenge and artistic expression. The celebrations will take place on June 17 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the German-American Friendship Garden between the Washington Monument and the White House. The garden borders Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets and is easily accessible by foot or public transportation. All activities will go on through the day, enabling guests to join in any time. The event is free of charge and open for everybody. I warmly welcome you to celebrate Finland together with us! WD Kirsti Kauppi (@KirstiKauppi) is the ambassador of Finland to the United States.

Medical | WD

Kids and Phones Are Smartphones Helping or Harming Children’s Mental Health? by HealthDay News

More use is linked to attention and behavior problems, but also less anxiety, study finds

arents worry — often rightly so — about how much time their kids are spending in front of screens. Now, new research suggests that when children at risk of mental health problems spend a lot of time on smartphones or other digital technology, they’re more at risk of attention and disruptive behavior issues. But the news isn’t all bad. The researchers also saw a positive benefit from screen time. When kids sent more text messages on any given day, they seemed less anxious and depressed. “These findings suggest that for already at-risk teens, high usage may amplify existing problems,” said study co-author Candice Odgers. But, Odgers added, “we cannot say that technology use is causing these problems.” She is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy in Durham, N.C. Electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets have become so pervasive that a 2015 study found that most babies used them before they reach the age of 2 years. Other research suggests that social media sites such as Facebook have distinct benefits for kids, including opportunities for education and connection. But there are also potential risks such as cyberbullying. Odgers and her colleagues recently reviewed the findings of previous studies. And they found “much more evidence for positive associations between teen technology use and their social relationships than would be expected amid the widespread fears about the rising use among adolescents,” she said. However, Odgers said, “We still know very little about whether adolescents’ constant connectivity or patterns of usage have effects on their mental health, relationships and development.” For the new study, the researchers gave smartphones to 151 children between 11 and 15 years old. The kids lived in poor U.S. neighborhoods and were considered at risk for mental health problems. About 60 percent of the participants were white. The smartphones beeped three times a day for a month, alerting the participants to briefly answer questions about how they were feeling. The kids also answered questions about how much they were using digital technology each day. “By following kids intensively over time via mobile phones, we were able to see how a given teen’s symptoms changed on days that they were using versus not using digital technologies,” Odgers said. “We also wanted to capture teens during early

Photo: Georgia Court / iStock

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We still know very little about whether adolescents’ constant connectivity or patterns of usage have effects on their mental health, relationships and development. Candice Odgers

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professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy

adolescence, an important time for both the development of mental health problems and for the increasing use of digital technologies,” she added. The researchers found that the kids spent an average of about 2.3 hours a day on their smartphones, or other digital technology. The average number of text messages sent in a day was 41. The children reported more symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder on days when they used the technology the most. Symptoms of conduct disorder include lying, defiance and rule-breaking, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. However, symptoms of depression and anxiety dipped on days when kids sent more text messages. Concerning the rise in attention and conduct

problems on days of heavier tech use, Odgers said, “It is possible that technology is not the villain. “These findings suggest that for already at-risk teens, high usage may amplify existing problems,” she said. But it may not be a vicious cycle of more use, more trouble and then even more use. Pointing to the possible link between more texting and less anxiety, Odgers said, “The vast majority of teens are online and are connecting in often positive ways to their in-person social networks. “To improve teen mental health, we also need to understand how they are using them [devices] to elicit social support and connect with those in their social networks in both positive and negative ways,” she explained. Odgers supports recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics that suggest parents place consistent limits on media time for kids over 6 and make sure it doesn’t “take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health.” Ozlem Ayduk is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. She agreed that limits on screen time are appropriate. “It should not be unlimited,” she said, adding that it’s also unwise to ban all media use by kids. “It’s not that simple,” she said. “They all need to feel included and accepted,” Ayduk said. The study appears May 3 in the journal Child Development. It was partially funded by the Verizon Foundation. WD Copyright (c) 2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017 | 19

Vacancies Continued • page 9

Huntsman for Russia. Huntsman is widely seen as a shrewd choice, but a few of Trump’s selections have raised eyebrows. Last month, reports surfaced that Trump chose Callista Gingrich, wife of former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich, to be U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. Callista Gingrich is a devout Catholic who converted her husband Newt to Catholicism, although their alleged affair in the 1990s led him to divorce his second wife, making them a somewhat odd choice to send to the Holy See. Meanwhile, in early May, the Associated Press reported that Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), was being considered for a senior State Department role. The role had yet to be determined, but one possibility was for her to serve as an ambassador-at-large focusing on a specific issue such as human trafficking. Such an appointment would be “an obvious attempt at political cooption” of Sen. McCain, Jett said. McCain was an outspoken critic of Trump during the presidential campaign and recently called the president’s national security team “dysfunctional.” Another appointment that drew some reproach was that of former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), an early Trump ally during the campaign, to serve as ambassador to New Zealand. “I don’t mind the idea that career politicians are named ambassadors,” said former State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley, now a professor at the George Washington University. Diplomats have to “say things in public and then do the heavy lifting behind closed

Photo: State Department

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the United Nations in New York City on April 28, 2017. While Trump tapped Tillerson and Haley to fill the top spots at Foggy Bottom and Turtle Bay, respectively, he has yet to nominate hundreds of political appointees, including many ambassadors and other top-ranking State officials.

doors” — not unlike politicians, Crowley told us. The political dimension is important to the job and understanding politics will help Brown in a place like New Zealand, he added. Indeed, while political appointees are often criticized for their lack of diplomatic experience, they may bring other attributes to the table, including business savvy and access to the president. Moreover, political appointees are assigned to non-sensitive posts where career diplomats working behind the scenes can often make up for an incompetent ambassador at the helm. But some analysts say that diplomatic expertise is more important than ever given Trump’s dearth of foreign policy knowledge — and that sometimes even the most skilled deputy cannot save an ambassador from in-

eptitude or scandal. On that note, Obama was also criticized for making diplomatic appointments driven by political patronage. For example, his nominee for ambassador to Norway, campaign bundler George Tsunis, never made it past his confirmation hearing because he failed to answer basic questions about Norway. Cynthia Stroum, Obama’s ambassador to Luxembourg, was kicked out after scathing reports emerged about her abrasive management style. Obama also raised hackles when he named Caroline Kennedy as ambassador to Japan, a sensitive post as tensions rose between Japan and China over disputed islands. Kennedy had given Obama a boost of political credibility with her endorsement during the 2008 Democratic presidential primary but had no connections to Japan or Asia. But most of Obama’s political picks — including Michael McFaul for Russia, Jon Huntsman for China, Charles Rivkin for France and Kennedy for Japan — were generally respected and praised. Jett, whose recent book “American Ambassadors: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Diplomats” critiques the practice of giving ambassadorships to campaign donors or political allies, argues that this phenomenon “clearly” did not get worse under Obama. Obama’s appointments were probably more qualified than any recent administration, he told us. In contrast, Jett said, the Trump administration “is going to go down as the most corrupt and incompetent administration in the last century.”

Filling the Vacuum Jett conceded that previous administrations also had a lot of vacancies by this date in their presidencies. But while it is customary for diplomats around the world to tender their resignations at the start of a new administration, these resignations are not usually accepted until replacements have been named. Trump not only accepted the resignations, but ordered all political appointees to quit their posts immediately — resulting in a mass exodus of U.S. diplomats around the world. While some criticized the move as unprecedented — forcing diplomats to yank children out of school and leaving critical posts in countries like Germany and Canada empty — Trump’s supporters said the media overhyped the departures and pointed out that almost all political appointees vacate their positions once a new president takes office. Some foreign diplomats have privately groused that the vacancies have left them without a point of contact at the State Department, although others have said they’ve been fine working with the career diplomats acting as temporary fill-ins. 20 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

But any temporary leader speaks with less authority than a permanent one. And with the significant lag time in vetting potential candidates, Trump may not have his people in place for months, if not longer. Fewer people may lead to more gaffes and blunders. Crowley argued that Tillerson “has made a series of rookie mistakes.” Among these, he said, is that Tillerson has not been visible inside the State Department, which dampens morale. He took only one journalist — a sympathetic one, from the Independent Journal Review — on his important trip to Asia in March. And he has refused to maintain the State Department’s customary daily press briefings — including skipping the release of the State Department’s annual report on human rights around the world, which has traditionally been accompanied by a press conference from the secretary of state. But Crowley did not discount the possibility that Tillerson made the conscious decision to be less visible. Tillerson is “still working out the difference” between being the CEO of an international corporation and being a public servant, Crowley said, and he is still learning how government operates. He may also still be learning how his boss operates. Trump’s erratic policy swings have left many of his surrogates with whiplash. Tillerson has had a series of embarrassing flip-flops, from suggesting that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad might be able to stay in power — days before Trump ordered a strike on Assad’s airfield — to declaring that the nuclear deal with Iran was dead, only to concede that Tehran was complying with its terms. Remaining behind the scenes while Trump formulates a more cohesive foreign policy may be to Tillerson’s benefit. However, experts say the Trump administration’s adversarial relationship with the media makes foreign policymaking — and selling that policy — more difficult. “The president, for the first time since the Nixon administration, has gone to war with the media,” said Crowley. “That has an adverse effect on our standing in the world.” For instance, foreign governments regularly rely on the State Department’s daily press briefings to glean insights into U.S. policy. Diplomacy cannot all be done behind closed doors, Crowley pointed out. When the administration fails to communicate, it lets others define the narrative of what is happening. That phenomenon was laid bare in early May when Trump brought Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak into the Oval Office and barred U.S. media from entering the room. But a photographer from a state-run Russian media outlet was allowed in and published photos of the meeting afterward. That led to some strange optics considering that a day earlier, Trump had fired FBI Director James Comey, who had been leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. Media outlets also reported that Trump revealed highly classified information about an Islamic State plot that was received from a confidential ally during his White House meeting with the two Russian officials. While the disclosure did not appear to break any laws, the New York Times called it a “major breach of espionage etiquette” that “could jeopardize a crucial intelligence-sharing relationship.” Experts say that’s why a seasoned diplomatic staff is essential to preventing slip-ups, both large and small. Even the simple mistake of unwittingly inviting a Russian photographer (while excluding American media) might have been avoided with a stronger staff in place. “We go around the world criticizing this in other countries,” Crowley said. WD Ryan R. Migeed (@RyanMigeed) is a freelance writer based in Boston. Anna Gawel (@diplomatnews) is the managing editor.

Luxury Living a special section of The Washington Diplomat

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June 2017

Ethical Diamonds

PhotoS: BrilliAnt eArth

Brilliant earth sells ethically produced jewelry that does not “come at a high human or environmental cost.” its hudson diamond ring, below, is an example of its “contemporary meets vintage” series of designs.

Jewelers Weed Out Conflict Diamonds So Consumers Can Buy Bling in Good Conscience •

By StePhAnie KAnoWitZ

n an era when consumers are hyper-sensitive about where the products they buy come from — whether it’s fair trade coffee or a locally grown tomato — it should be little surprise that jewelers are going out of their way to advertise their ethically sourced baubles.

Brilliant Earth, a San Francisco-based jewelry store with five locations, opened its sixth showroom at 3332 Cady’s Alley, NW, in Georgetown last month. The store sells ethically produced jewelry that does not “come at a high human or environmental cost,” according to its mission statement. “Many consumers today are more interested in understanding where their purchases come from and the practices behind them,” Kathryn Edison Money, Brilliant

Earth’s vice president of strategy and merchandising, said in an email. “We’ve found this is especially true for a purchase as significant as a diamond ring.” But the $80 billion-a-year diamond trade is wrought with controversy. About 65 percent of diamonds are mined in Africa, where warlords and rebels in countries such as See D i a mo nD s • PAGe 22 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JuNE 2017 | 21

Diamonds Continued • page 21

Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone have used profits to fund bloody wars. To assure customers that their jewelry did not have unethical origins, most jewelers adhere to the Kimberley Process (KP), an interboth of which are eco-friendly choicnational initiative that became operational in es,” Money added. 2003 to increase transparency and oversight Beyond diamonds, the store also in the diamond industry. Its goal is to elimisells pearls and colored gemstones nate trade in conflict diamonds, or rough diathat are sourced from places that folmonds that rebel groups and their allies sell low fair trade and green principles. to fund fights against legitimate governments, For example, most of the store’s sapaccording to the State Department. As of phires come from Sri Lanka, where 2013, KP members accounted for about 99.8 miners use techniques that minimize percent of the global production of rough diaenvironmental effects, Money said. monds, according to the KP website. What’s more, the store handcrafts But the diamond trade remains deepits fine jewelry from recycled prePhotos: Brilliant Earth ly flawed. Tracing the path of diamonds cious metals. “Metal mining, and through an often murky network of illegal Brilliant Earth recently opened its sixth U.S. location in Cady’s Alley in Georgetown. Bestsellers include gold mining in particular, is one of halo diamond rings such as the Cordoba, above right. smuggling, money laundering, government the most environmentally destruccorruption, corporate complicity and contive types of mining, and many gold sumer unawareness is a monumental task. Diamonds environmental degradation,” she said. “We go beyond miners earn low wages in dangerous working condicontinue to fund abuses in Zimbabwe and the Cen- the usual standard to offer diamonds that originate tions,” Money said. “Our objective is to help diminish tral African Republic, for instance, and human rights from ethical and environmentally responsible sources. the negative impacts of dirty gold by reducing the degroups such as Amnesty International and Global Wit- Our diamonds are traceable to their origins and dem- mand for newly mined metals.” ness say the industry hides behind Kimberley certifi- onstrate a robust chain of custody.” Additionally, the store works with several nonprofit To that end, Brilliant Earth offers “beyond conflict- organizations working to better communities that cates to avoid the tough work of ensuring that conflict diamonds stay out of the supply chain. Moreover, the free” natural diamonds that originate from mines in serve the jewelry industry — because the riches dug Kimberley Process applies only to rough diamonds — places like Canada and Russia that follow strict labor, up in these communities rarely go to improve the lives trade and environmental standards, Money said. Ad- of miners and their families. The Democratic Republic not stones that are cut and polished. ditionally, the company sells Botswana Sort diamonds, of the Congo, for instance, has a wealth of mineral reabout 75 percent of which were mined in Botswana, sources but is one of the poorest, least-educated coun‘Beyond Conflict-Free’ while the remainder come from Namibia and South tries in Africa. Brilliant Earth partnered with the DiaKP is limited in scope, Money said. “What this defi- Africa but are brought to Botswana for sorting and sale, mond Development Initiative to help fund its Brilliant Mobile School for 7- to 14-year-olds in Lungudi, a dianition leaves out is large numbers of diamonds that are according to Brilliant Earth. “We also offer lab-created and recycled diamonds, mond mining community in the Congo. Recently, the tainted by violence, human rights abuses, poverty and

22 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

Changes ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

“

Many consumers today are more interested in understanding where their purchases come from and the practices behind them…. We’ve found this is especially true for a purchase as significant as a diamond ring. Kathryn Edison Money vice president of strategy and merchandising at Brilliant Earth

store also partnered with Pure Earth, a New York-based nonprofit focused on pollution in low- and middle-income countries, to teach artisanal gold miners in Peru a mercury-free mining technique. The “educated and socially conscious community” in Washington made it the right fit for its new store, Money said. Shoppers can make an appointment to visit the 2,500-square-foot store, which sells engagement, wedding and vintage rings, and fine jewelry. Bestsellers include the Willow Diamond Ring, a Brilliant Earth design that has intertwined vines; the simple Lissome and Waverly diamond rings; and halo diamond rings such as the Cadenza and Alvadora, which have vintage-inspired latticework.

Educated Consumers Brilliant Earth joins other ethically minded jewelers in this area. Matt Rosenheim, president of the 85-yearold Tiny Jewel Box, said the most common way he addresses concerns about diamonds’ origins is by using certified Canadian stones. “I think the gem and jewelry industry is really focused on responding to these

Paul Biciocchi Broker • 301-518-6999 paulbiciocchi@hotmail.com

”

concerns and creating more transparency, and taking these concerns very seriously,” Rosenheim said. “I think the industry knows this is important to consumers and is starting to respond in kind to create more transparency.” He’d know because he sits on the board of the Jewelers of America, a 111-year-old trade association that in 2005 helped found the Responsible Jewellery Council, a London-based nonprofit with more than 900 member companies. They commit to a code of practices that addresses human and labor rights, the environment, mining practices and product disclosure. “In Washington, we do get inquiries about this maybe more than other markets just because the education level is very high,” said Rosenheim, who has sold to presidents, first ladies, ambassadors, members of Congress and foreign dignitaries. “We have really smart, educated people who are aware of the broader world around them. I think that we get inquiries pretty regularly, and I really enjoy having that dialogue with customers myself and helping to educate customers and making sure that they feel comfortable.”

See D i a mo nd s • page 28

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THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017 | 23

24 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

Long & Foster | Christie’s Leads in Luxury Sales in the Capital Region Percent of Luxury Homes Bought and Sold

19.4% WFP

TTR

CBRB

COMPASS

The Capital Region includes Washington, D.C.; Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun Counties and Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church Cities in Virginia. Information is based on data supplied by MRIS and its member Association(s) of REALTORS, who are not responsible for its accuracy. Does not reflect all activity in the marketplace. January 1 — December 31, 2016 as of March 23, 2017. Luxury defined as homes priced $1 million and above. Information contained in this report is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, should be independently verified, and does not constitute an opinion of MRIS or Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. ©2017 All rights reserved. Christie’s International Real Estate in select areas.

HOME FOR SALE: 9101 River Road, Potomac, Maryland | $6,995,000 | Jorie Koch 202.997.3811

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017 | 25

WD | Luxury Living | Real Estate

Luxury Jump High-End Home Sales in Washington Area Register Strong Growth in Early 2017 •

By StePhAnie KAnoWitZ

PhotoS: lonG & foSter / ChriStie’S internAtionAl reAl eStAte

long & foster and Christie’s international real estate sold the property at 6913 nevis road, Bethesda, md., for $2.65 million. According to the group’s Capital region market report, luxury home sales in the area have seen a steep rise in the first quarter of 2017.

ales in the Washington metro area’s luxury housing market are experiencing strong growth in early 2017, following steady growth the year prior, according to a report from Long & Foster and Christie’s International Real Estate.

Prominent upscale neighborhoods in the District such as Spring Valley, Georgetown, Cleveland Park, Capitol Hill and Kalorama, which got some especially notable neighbors this year in the form of the Obamas and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, for example, saw the number of homes sold increase to 1,108 in 2016 from 1,003 in 2015, according to the 2016 Capital Region Market Report. And the rise has continued during the first quarter of 2017, said Jeffrey Detwiler, president and chief operations oﬃcer at the Long & Foster Companies. In fact, for the first quarter of 2017, sales of properties listed at over $1 million were up 42 percent compared to last year, while overall home sales increased by almost 10 percent. “We’re not exactly sure what is driving the increase,” Detwiler said. “There’s a significant increase of 4026 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JuNE 2017

plus percent in sales in the first quarter and inventory is basically flat, up just very slightly to where it was last year. I think one of the important points to make is that those numbers and that performance in the luxury market is different from the regular market — general stock housing — where sales were up just a little bit from last year and inventory is actually way down.” A few factors could be contributing to the luxury market’s movement, Detwiler added. For example, homebuyers may have taken a break from shopping during the election season. “In those immediate couple of months before and after the election, we saw a lot of the luxury buyers step to the sideline,” he said. “I think that they’re very astute buyers and they just stepped to the sideline to see how things transpired.” Additionally, the weather could be

another element. A relatively mild winter without much snow meant more people were out house hunting, unlike in 2016, when a massive snowstorm dumped about 30 inches of powder on the area, crippling transportation for days. Of course, that begs these questions, Detwiler said: “Were the sales depressed last year in the fourth quarter because of the weather issues that we had? Was this year so much better than last year or was last year’s depressed and this year is more normalized?” In general, when consumer confidence is up, housing sales follow suit, he added, and although the Consumer Confidence Index fell some in April compared to earlier in the year, it’s still at strong levels, according to the Conference Board, which publishes the index. In particular, high-end home sales in the District experienced robust

2017 QUAR TERLY C APITAL REGION MARKE T REPOR T

growth. Luxury homes in D.C. spent fewer days on the market in 2016 compared to 2015, and sales jumped by nearly 60 percent in the first quarter of 2017. Median sale prices, however, fluctuated depending on neighborhood. The biggest changes in median sale price occurred in Georgetown, where it jumped to $2.2 million in 2016 from $1.9 million in 2015. Total luxury home sales in the historic neighborhood reached $316.6 million in 2016, with a saleto-list ratio of 96.3 percent. By comparison, Kalorama saw the median sale price fall to $2.8 million last year from $3.9 million in 2015. Overall, the report found, inventory tightened and drove a sellers’ market. While historically low mortgage rates benefit buyers, Detwiler said those interest rates, which now hover around 3 percent — “a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity for mort-

“

In the first quarter of 2017, sales of properties listed at over $1 million were up 42 percent compared to last year, while overall home sales increased by almost 10 percent. gage financing” — also limit buyers’ options because sellers are staying put. “I’ve got financing on my house that I’m never going to be able to get again. Is now the time to sell and give that up?” Overall, much of what the report found was unsurprising, Detwiler said, but a change in the type of housing that is selling was interesting: condos, co-ops and townhomes. Most neighborhoods saw increases in the median sales prices among these categories of homes. For instance, the median sales price for condos and coops in Capitol Hill went from $399,999 to $434,000. “I think that obviously makes a lot of sense with the continued drive of vertical living and some of the multifamily stuff that we’re seeing,” Detwiler said. “All of the new product that comes out, for the most part in that area, is really condominiums or townhomes, so it’s high-density stuff. We see there’s very little new homes that are being built.” Looking to the rest of 2017, Detwiler remains optimistic about the luxury home market, expecting it to remain a sellers’ market with quick turnaround sales. “The only caveat that you put in there is that war doesn’t break out some place or

”

there’s a significant fall in the stock market,” he cautioned. “Any of those world events push people to the sideline for a period of time.” Two trends he’s tracking are the continued eastward development in D.C. and some “potentially interesting” vertical living opportunities coming up in Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, Md. Another trend to watch in D.C.’s suburbs is a growing migration by older generations to more urban settings, paving the way for the next flock of homebuyers, Detwiler said. “As the population gets a little bit older, owners of large homes further out in the Great Falls and Potomac, Md., area, they’re moving into their empty nest

Photos: Long & Foster / Christie’s International Real Estate

Long & Foster and Christie’s International Real Estate, the number-one seller of luxury homes in the Washington region, sold the residence at 1671 34th St., NW, above, for $3.3 million, while 4107 Fordham Road, NW, at left, went for $2.14 million.

phase or later years,” he said. “We’re seeing them looking to sell in those areas and then move in closer to the District itself or into closer communities with more access to an urban living-type of environment. I think what that may actually create is a really interesting opportunity for the younger generation to move into areas like Potomac and Great Falls earlier than maybe they would have thought they could have,

because I think there will be some buying opportunities there.” Long & Foster | Christie’s is the number-one seller of luxury homes in the Washington region, selling over 19,300 properties in the area valued at $10.4 billion in 2016. WD Stephanie Kanowitz is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

DUPONT CIRCLE

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017 | 27

Diamonds Continued • page 23

Recycled Gems At Mazza Gallerie’s Pampillonia, owner Dino Pampillonia said his store was one of the first in the country to have a policy on ethically sourced jewelry, an accomplishment that was recognized in 2004 by Global Witness, a nonprofit that exposes links between environmental and human rights abuses and political and economic corruption. Pampillonia sells estate, vintage and handmade pieces. For the latter, he buys only “harmony,” or recycled, metals, which cost the same per ounce as the freshly mined stuff. “Once a metal has been taken out of the ground, you can’t tell how it was taken out of the ground, but all the gold and platinum we use comes from a company that only sells recyclable metals, so they’re all harmony metals,” Pampillonia explained. “On the diamond front, the vast majority of the larger diamonds that we use in our jewelry — and this would be something over half a carat and larger — again, are recycled because being estate and vintage jewelers, we buy jewelry from the public and we recut a lot of diamonds to today’s proper proportions and then carry them.” When he buys diamonds from suppliers, they have statements on file that they comply with KP. “It’s very easy to avoid” stones with problematic histories, he said. “There’s plenty of diamonds.” His bestsellers are typically engagement rings, although Pampillonia has noticed a trend away from platinum and toward pink and yellow gold. “I do see definitely a trend into previously owned, signed jewelry Brilliant Earth’s geometric designs — previously owned jewelry from internationinclude its Lucy diamond ring. ally well-known designers,” added Pampillonia, Photo: Brilliant Earth whose family has been in the jewelry business for six generations, even serving as jeweler to an Italian king. But overall, D.C. tastes tend to be simple, he said. “Washington is still very conservative. It’s just not a flashy city. If anything, I think people are taking a little bit more fashion risk when it comes to color, so more color gemstones and not all white diamonds, but this is still not glitzy as Miami or Dallas or Los Angeles would be.”

Photo: CAVUS MEDIA LLC

Matt Rosenheim, president of the 85-year-old Tiny Jewel Box, seen above, said he addresses concerns about diamonds’ origins by using certified Canadian stones.

In Zimbabwe, the army’s violent takeover of the Marange diamond field in 2008 led to links between the mining companies and the military and secret police, according to Global Witness. “The involvement in the diamond sector of security forces loyal to the ZANU-PF ruling party, particularly around the 2008 and 2013 elections, raised concerns of off-budget diamond revenues being used to finance human rights abuses and vote-rigging,” the report states. Still, KP does not ban exports from Marange, it adds.

Tips for Transparent Buying

Matt Rosenheim

“Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to well-meaning consumers, ‘conflict-free’ diamonds are still sometimes … rife with unethical and environmentally unsound practices,” according to a blog post by Michael Fried, head diamond expert at Swiss-based The The Penny Preville Diamond Pro, who noted that consumers earrings at Tiny Continuing buy dubiously sourced diamonds potenJewel Box fuse Old tially 14 percent to 20 percent of the time. Conflicts World techniques To avoid problems, he recommends purwith a contemporary chasing Canadian, lab-created or recycled In addition to the Kimberley Prosensibility. diamonds. cess, many other policies and organiPhoto: Antfarm Photography Rosenheim of the Tiny Jewel Box, which zations have been established to prehas recently had success with its new line vent conflict diamonds from entering of in-house designed and manufactured the supply chain. They include the bridal jewelry, said different buyers want World Diamond Council’s System of different levels of assurance about their Warranties, which extends KP to poldiamonds. For some, KP is enough, while ished diamonds; CIBJO, otherwise others have more stringent requirements. known as the World Jewellery ConHe recommends visiting the Jewelers of federation, an international alliance America website to research the issues and of national jewelry trade organizaoptions. tions that promotes consumer conPampillonia said shoppers should ask to fidence in the industry; Peace Diasee a store’s policy on conflict diamonds mond Alliance, which targets miners and discuss where it gets its metals, but and traders from Sierra Leone’s Kono Brilliant Earth’s Money takes it a step furregion; and Mwadui Community Diamond Partnership, which is working to change the artisanal diamond ther, suggesting that consumers also ask about the labor and environmental conditions in the locations where the store’s diamonds come industry in Tanzania. Still, problems persist. A landmark 1998 report by Global Witness ti- from. The consulting firm Bain & Company predicts a long-term growth tled “A Rough Trade” put the spotlight on diamonds’ role in funding the war in Angola. Today, the organization says, diamonds are one of the trajectory for rough diamonds and a positive macroeconomic outlook driving forces financing rival groups in the Central African Republic, for polished ones, meaning the issue of ethically sourced diamonds is which is “in the midst of one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. likely to be front and center for the foreseeable future. WD More than two million people are in need of humanitarian assistance Stephanie Kanowitz is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. and nearly a fifth of the population is displaced.”

28 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

Culture arts & entertainment art

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diplomatic spouses

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theater

DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES

Cultured Couple Gudrun Faudon-Waldner is on a leave of absence from her parliament job in Austria, but she’s glad to be in D.C., where she and her husband — a former cultural attaché who is now Austria’s ambassador — can enjoy their mutual love of the arts. / PAGE 31

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photography

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music

The Washington Diplomat

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history

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dining

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film

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June 2017 events

THE OTHER IMPRESSIONIST ART

At one of the most exciting moments in the history of art, a group of young painters worked together in France to develop a new modern movement that reveled in light and color. A member of that innovative cohort has been largely forgotten, but the National Gallery of Art is rectifying that wrong with “Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism.” / PAGE 30

ART

Recycling the Past At the National Gallery of Art, Theaster Gates uses humble, discarded materials that still possess a certain power to explore the fraying fabric of urban institutions and the lost art of craftsmanship. / PAGE 32

THEATER

Creative Underground Once a trolley station and a fallout shelter in previous lives, the subterranean space beneath Dupont Circle is now home to an innovative arts and culture nonprofit dubbed Dupont Underground, which is also the newest, most exciting spot for theater in D.C. / PAGE 33

PHOTO: HARVARD ART MUSEUMS / FOGG MUSEUM, CAMBRIDGE

Frédéric Bazille’s “Summer Scene (Bathers)”

DINING

EVENTS

DIPLOMATIC SPOTLIGHT

Cuba Libre gets a new chef, Rosario comes to Adams Morgan and the Ritz Debuts its “Vault.” / PAGE 35

Art / Discussions Music / Theater / PAGE 38

Annual Embassy Golf Tournament / World Affairs Council / PAGE 40 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017 | 29

WD | Culture | Art

Forgotten Impressionist National Gallery of Art Shines Rare Spotlight on Frédéric Bazille •

Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism THROUGH JULY 9 NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART ON THE NATIONAL MALL AT 3RD AND 9TH STREETS AT CONSTITUTION AVENUE, NW

BY MACKENZIE WEINGER

“Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism” features 46 of the artist’s paintings, including, from clockwise left: “Study for a Young Male Nude,”“Self Portrait with Palette,”“Little Italian Street Singer,” Young Woman with Peonies” and “The Family Gathering.”

(202) 737-4215 | WWW.NGA.GOV

t one of the most exciting moments in the history of art, a group of young painters met and worked together in France, developing a new modern movement reveling in light and color. A member of that innovative cohort has been largely forgotten, but an exhibition at the National Gallery of Art is seeking to put the spotlight back onto one of impressionism’s early pioneers with “Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism.” “The joke I always tell every time I mention PHOTO: THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO this exhibition is that I either hear one of two noted. things — either, ‘I’ve never heard of him’ or ‘I “Bazille finally had that moabsolutely love his art,’” curator Kimberly A. ment of triumph at a big state Jones told The Washington Diplomat. “There’s museum in France,” she said. no in between. If they know his art, they love “And then, here at the National PHOTO: MUSÉE FABRE, MONTPELLIER MÉDITERRANÉE MÉTROPOLE it and they respond to it.” Gallery, also a national muBazille was creating paintseum, gives him another really ings that helped lay the broad stage.” groundwork for the 19thThe three museums, along century art movement alongwith conversation studios in side friends such as Claude the U.S. and France, also underMonet, Pierre-Auguste took a significant scientific and Renoir and Alfred Sisley, conservation study of Bazille’s but his own career was tragipaintings in connection with the cally cut short. He decided exhibition, and Jones added that to enlist in the French Army it will continue after the show a month after the outbreak ends. of the Franco-Prussian War “We knew there were a couple and died in combat that year of other hidden compositions before he turned 29. Bazille’s out there,” Jones said. X-raying life as an artist spanned just Bazille’s work led to the disPHOTO: © MUSÉE D’ORSAY, DIST. RMN-GRAND PALAIS / PATRICE SCHMIDT a few years, but during that covery of a number of hidden time he created works infused with a spirit of experiworks, such as “Young Woman PHOTO: MUSÉE FABRE, MONTPELLIER MÉDITERRANÉE MÉTROPOLE mentation and imbued with vibrant colors. at the Piano,” which had once The show’s rooms are dedicated to various subjects, been thought to be lost or destroyed. from landscapes to flowers to his contemporaries. BaOne of the most fascinating paintings in the show is his 1870 “Study zille’s unique understanding of light is highlighted, parfor a Young Male Nude.” The painting gives some insight into his artistic ticularly the work resulting from his turn at the age of 23 process, but it is quite jarring — visitors will see it is made up of two to the idea of “painting figures in the sun” — depicting separate and strikingly different images. One is a scene of two women modern people in landscapes that he painted in the open outdoors, while the other is of a nude male reclining, painted directly air. on top of the previous composition. Only the skirts of the original are According the National Gallery, Bazille’s paintings still visible from his first effort. But the later 1870 painting was left unPHOTO: NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART were inspired by contemporary life and challenged aesfinished. thetic conventions of the day, laying the groundwork for impressionism. This is the This show in D.C., Jones said, “really puts this artist front and center.” Seeing Bafirst major exhibition of Bazille’s work in the United States in 25 years and brings zille’s work so comprehensively is usually only possible at the Musée Fabre, which together a wide variety of portraits, realist landscapes, nudes and still life paintings holds most of his works. Otherwise, for museumgoers, “he never really gets to shine by the artist and his contemporaries. in a way. He’s always just another lovely painting in a gallery,” Jones said. The D.C. venue marks the show’s final stop, after stints in France at the Musée This show offers a rare chance for Washingtonians to step into Bazille’s world, Fabre and the Musée d’Orsay. Jones said the project came about after the National according to the curator. Gallery was approached by the Musée Fabre to partner for a show timed to the “The last time there was a retrospective on this scale was 25 years ago in Brook175th anniversary of Bazille’s birth last year. lyn,” Jones said. “To get an exhibition like this — with 46 of his roughly 60 paintings “I’ve been wanting to do a Bazille show for many years and you can only do it — it’s going to be a long time before this happens again. The Musée Fabre had to in partnership with the Musée Fabre because they have the largest holdings by the close two whole galleries to make this happen. And it’s going to be really hard to get artist,” Jones said. “It was a perfect situation.” them all together again, so this is a special moment.” WD From there, the two museums also partnered with the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. The artist, from Montpellier, France, where the Musée Fabre is located, had nev- Mackenzie Weinger (@mweinger) is a contributing writer er before been the subject of an exhibition in a French national museum, Jones for The Washington Diplomat.

30 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017

WD | Culture | Diplomatic Spouses

Cultured Couple Austrian Wife, on Leave from Parliament Job, Shares Love of Arts with Husband •

BY GAIL SCOTT

“T

he Sound of Music,” the iconic musical set in Salzburg, Austria, during World War II and starring Julie Andrews, is a favorite of Americans. But the story about the Von Trapp family is not well known in Austria. “Most Austrians never saw it,” said Gudrun Faudon-Waldner, wife of Austrian Ambassador Wolfgang Waldner. “I watched it for the first time when I was visiting my host family in Antioch, Calif., at the age of 15. ‘Edelweiss,’ the ‘national’ song they sing in the movie, is made up; No one can sing it at home; it’s not among the songs we know. I like the movie — it’s beautiful — but it’s made in the U.S.” Not that she’s complaining. Faudon-Waldner was eager to see the U.S. the first chance she got. “My father asked me if I wanted to go to the U.K. or the United States to improve my English and I said United States, of course,” she recalled. “My Rotary [International] host family, Tom and Carole French, and their four children were so open and welcoming to me. They had two boys who were older and two girls, one older and one younger. We really became close…. I was the happiest child. I loved being there,” Faudon-Waldner said, noting that she traveled with the family to Hawaii and their youngest daughter came to visit her in her hometown of Graz. Once back in Austria, Faudon-Waldner studied art history at Karl Franzens University in Graz, earning a master’s in 1997 and a Ph.D. in 2002. “I have always been interested in art and my family supported that. Visual and performing arts are an essential part of our society and lives. It is important to support the arts sufficiently through state subsidies and private donations,” she told us. After college, she worked in the private sector in public Gudrun Faudonrelations and as a conference and exhibition organizer in Waldner, seen Graz and Vienna. In 2004, she was hired by the Austrian with her husband, Parliament in Vienna as a public relations consultant for Austrian Ambasthe Cultural Committee and the Women’s Affairs Comsador Wolfgang mittee. Waldner, studied art Since 2005, she has been employed by the Austrian Parhistory and worked liamentary Administration, from which she is now on a as a conference and leave of absence. She worked in the office of the President exhibition organizer of the National Council (one of two houses in Parliament) in Graz and Vienna as well as the body’s Department of Digital Media and before being hired as a public relations Corporate Design. From 2013 to 2015, she was head of the consultant by the Communications Department. Austrian Parliament. Faudon-Waldner and her husband both had previous marriages. “In 2002, we met in Vienna at an evening meeting. We didn’t know each other. We were so busy we didn’t see each other for another two years. In 2004, we saw each other again, this time at a party, and we started dating … but we didn’t marry until 2013. We lived together but weren’t thinking about marriage. When you’ve been ners but commute between two countries within Europe to through a marriage and a divorce, you are more cautious,” not be forced to quit their jobs.” she said. Faudon-Waldner did just that when the ambassador was The ambassador has two daughters who are in their 20s. GUDRUN FAUDON-WALDNER posted to Hungary and she stayed in Austria. “I commuted Valentina, called Tina, is 24 and Antonia, or Toni, is 26. between Vienna and Budapest each weekend. It’s only a Both are in Austria but visit often. wife of Austrian Ambassador Wolfgang Waldner two-and-a-half-hour drive. For you Americans, you’d drive The ambassador was posted here in D.C. from 1983 to that to work every day. 1986 as cultural attaché when the embassy was on Massa“At the beginning of our term in D.C., I missed the structure of a work day. I chusetts Avenue, where the Croatian Embassy is today. His way of comparing Washington of the 1980s to the Washington of today is simple, according to his wife: “He missed my colleagues and it took me quite some time to find a new rhythm,” she adsays that then you couldn’t find dark bread anywhere and now there are many more mitted. “I had been in an employment work mode since I graduated from university and had a very similar daily routine. This changed a lot. Now we have guests at home museums and restaurants of different cuisines,” she said. More museums are just what this culturally savvy Austrian couple thrive on. In or we are invited out every other evening. During the day, I have a rather flexible addition to serving as state secretary for European and international affairs and am- schedule, which does not mean that you get the day off. D.C. is a very busy city.” It is also a very international city, she says. “This fact makes it easier for diplomats bassador to Hungary, Waldner served two postings in the U.S. as director of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Washington and New York. He was also head of Vi- to adjust. Also, you can be very European, if you like. For example, spouses of the EU enna’s MuseumsQuartier, a district in the city with museums and cultural institu- ambassadors meet on a regular basis. Every month a different country hosts a meettions. Most recently, he served as director-general for cultural policy at the Foreign ing. I like that a lot and enjoy the European company. “Like most diplomatic spouses, I am a member of the International Neighbors Ministry in Vienna. Faudon-Waldner said Washington, her first overseas posting, offers “a vivid life Club 1,” Faudon-Waldner continued. “We have interesting programs and it is fun visiting together. This club is very well organized and I enjoy the company of many for the spouses of ambassadors.” “Many spouses of ambassadors had been employed or worked in their own pro- different members, not only from the diplomatic corps but government, Congress, fessions and interrupted their careers to be with their spouse. This is often an issue for diplomatic families and sometimes spouses won’t automatically join their partSEE DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES • PAGE 37

“

I have always been interested in art and my family supported that. Visual and performing arts are an essential part of our society and lives. It is important to support the arts sufficiently through state subsidies and private donations.

”

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017 | 31

WD | Culture | Art

Recycling the Past Theaster Gates Explores Urban Decay and Lost Art of Craftsmanship •

BY BRENDAN L. SMITH

Theaster Gates: The Minor Arts THROUGH SEPT. 4 NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART EAST BUILDING ON THE NATIONAL MALL BETWEEN 3RD AND 9TH STREETS AT CONSTITUTION AVENUE, NW

(202) 737-4215 | WWW.NGA.GOV

n a sky-lit tower at the National Gallery of Art, the salvaged floor boards of an abandoned high school gym have been reordered into a seemingly random jigsaw puzzle, punctuated by squares of color from scrambled floor markings that no longer provide a sense of order for the rules of the game. Titled “A Game of My Own,” the work by 43year-old black artist Theaster Gates uses humble, discarded materials that still possess their own power, radiating the subtle warmth of well-worn wood battered for decades beneath the pounding of children’s feet. The flooring is suspended above a fine white dusting of Alabama ball clay, grounding the demolished school’s truncated history to the earth beneath it. In his first solo exhibition in Washington, D.C., “The Minor Arts” offers a compact vision of Gates’s work through nine pieces that explore the fraying fabric of urban institutions and the lost art of craftsmanship. Gates lives in Chicago where he was born and raised, resisting the art world’s gravitational pull toward New York. His work is rooted in that Midwestern city’s bare-knuckled history of hard work. As poet Carl Sandburg wrote a century ago, Chicago is “proud to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads, and Freight Handler to the Nation.” But blacks found a life steeped in racial discrimination as Chicago more than doubled in size during the Great Migration that brought thousands of African Americans north to escape oppression in the South, only to find their lot cast in menial jobs as meat packers, porters and domestic servants. But those dim prospects eventually expanded to the skilled trades of craftsmen who shaped the built environment around them through the humble but enduring work of the carpenter, the roofer and the stonemason. Stretching almost 50 feet across the back wall of the gallery, the reassembled slate roof of a demolished church dwarfs the viewer as it rises 20 feet on a slight pitch toward the ceiling in an installation titled “Slate Corridor for Possibility of Speaking in Tongues and Depositing Ghetto Reliquary.” The finely ordered grid of worn slate shingles becomes both an imposing barrier and a shrine to the enduring legacy of religion in the black community that is tinged with grief for the urban decay that led to this church’s ruin. Gates’s father was a roofer, and Gates would join him on roofing jobs across Chicago, elevating a black boy above the city streets while learning the skills of an underappreciated trade. In another installation, Gates used almost 13,000 back issues of Ebony magazine dating from the 1960s that he had bound into tomes arranged by decade. The tall stacks of books fill a narrow wooden temple chronicling black popular culture that signaled the rise of the black middle class. Lit by a bare light bulb, the tower’s floor is a chunk of ornately decorated marble like that of a classical Greek palace. The installation’s title, “New Egypt Sanctuary of the Holy Word and Image,” may reference the historical debate over whether ancient Egyptian society was comprised mainly of black Africans who directly contributed to the flowering of civilization that is often solely attributed to ancient Greece. Gates also juxtaposes traditional African and Western artistic traditions in “Something About Modernism and Death,” a small bronze sculpture of a human figure with a circular body and shovel-shaped head mounted on another block of

32 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST, WHITE CUBE, AND REGEN PROJECTS / NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

The National Gallery of Art highlights the work of American artist Theaster Gates, including pieces such as “Something about Modernism and Death,” left, and “A Game of My Own,” below.

polished marble. The dismissive view of African art as a primitive art form is flipped, with the African-themed sculpture rising above the lauded remains of Greek civilization. Gates has taken his passion for cultural preservation outside the studio to engage directly in Chicago neighborhoods through the Rebuild Foundation. The nonprofit organization that he founded provides free arts programming and develops affordable housing and studio space in neglected communities. “Our work is informed by three core values: black people matter, black spaces matter, and black things matter,” the foundation’s website states. The National Gallery exhibition includes a second much smaller room with two paintings covered in thick black roofer’s tar that casts a glossy sheen over stretched Naugahyde. “Sun Screen” and “Flat Bush” are nearly identical except for the jagged splintered hole in “Flat Bush” that was formed when Gates slammed an ax into it at the start of the exhibition. Gates said he was conveying respect for the skill involved in wielding an ax, but it feels like a typical performance art stunt when viewed after the fact. With its dim lighting and claustrophobic interior, the room is essentially a wide hallway where the work feels disjointed from the rest of the exhibition. Gates preserves fragments of our past that have been razed in our relentless pursuit of progress and celebrates the “minor arts” as he calls them, the unheralded skills of tradesmen who built the physical world around us from the ground up, rising from the battered gym floor to the weathered slate roof. “I do feel like I’m advocating for the value of hidden labor and working-class culture specifically — really the value of unseen people, unseen people who do the work in basements and the work in backyards and the work on roofs,” Gates said in a conversation with exhibition curator Sarah Newman. “Really nobody ever wants to see them, and if more of those people were the ones with the opportunity to make the thing we call contemporary art, I actually think things might be a lot more interesting.” WD Brendan L. Smith (www.brendanlsmith.com) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat and a mixed-media artist (www.dcmixedmedia.com) in Washington, D.C.

Theater | Culture | WD

Going Underground ‘Protest’ Inaugurates New Dupont Subterranean Space for Creative Expression •

“H

ow’s that for a theater built in a week?” Susan Galbraith, the president and artistic director of the Alliance for New MusicTheatre, asked standing in between a newly erected stage and rows of seats in the subterranean space below Dupont Circle. Once a trolley station and a fallout nuclear shelter in previous lives, the space is no longer abandoned — it is now a home to an arts and culture nonprofit dubbed Dupont Underground. “Nobody believes there’s anything down here, and then they come and are wowed,” Galbraith said. As Dupont Underground Art Director Noel Kassewitz joked to The Washington Diplomat on a recent visit to the space, “Can you highlight the ‘we’re not abandoned angle?’ People come down and ask, ‘Is this the Metro?’” It’s certainly not the Metro. Opened in 1949 as a trolley station, the 75,000 square feet of underground platforms and tunnels were closed off in 1962, when the city’s streetcar system shut down. Other than brief stints as a fallout shelter in the late 1960s and a shortlived food court in the mid-1990s, the cavernous space has remained empty — until Dupont Underground reclaimed it to offer D.C. a new venue for creative expression. This is now a place you will want to spend some time exploring. After trekking down a set of stairs next to Starbucks, visitors find themselves in a darkened series of tunnels that now serve as a spot for art installations, fashion shows and dance parties. And there’s another addition to Dupont Underground’s programming lineup this year — it’s the newest, and most exciting, spot for theater in Washington. “Above Dupont Underground, it’s a gathering place for protests and civil unrest,” Galbraith said. “And while we were rehearsing, we could hear them, and the motorcades coming up Mass Avenue — we’ve incorporated all of that into the show.” The aptly chosen one-act play “Protest” by Václav Havel, the playwright and political dissident who became the Czech Republic’s first president after the Velvet Revolution, was the first piece staged underground. And it all came together because of a collaboration between the theater, the Dupont Underground organization and the Czech Embassy. “This is what we usually do in Europe — if we have an abandoned space in the center, we usually redo it and make it into a public space because it brings a new quality to the art,” Pavla Veličkinová, the head of the embassy’s public diplomacy department, told The Washington Diplomat. The Alliance for New Music-Theatre, the “theater in residence” for Dupont Underground, presented “Protest” in May, in partnership with the Czech Embassy. Veličkinová commissioned the play last year in honor of the 80th anniversary of Havel’s birth. The theater group initially staged the play last year as an “apartment performance” at the ambassador’s residence, in honor of the play’s origins, before deciding to put it on in the unique space in Dupont. Dupont Underground’s labyrinthine location also pays homage to how the play was initially staged, with Havel and other artists banned by the communist regime going “underground” and putting on their plays in apartments. “Protest” is a sly commentary on totalitarian rule that pits Havel’s alter-ego Ferdinand Vaněk, a dissident, against a one-time idealist who has settled into the system. It’s a play, Veličkinová noted, that is about “how many faces freedom has — it’s all about people’s freedom.” “And Dupont Underground is such a natural space for this play,” she said. “When I visited before, I remember the ceiling, black with dirt. But you could see the potential.” It is truly a distinctive, memorable space for theater. Below bustling Dupont Circle, in the midst of D.C.’s diplomatic zone, Dupont Underground feels decidedly unlike anything else in Washington. “We’re a subterranean art space, a secret, alternative, safe space for public discourse,” Kassewitz said. And now, with the Alliance in residence, Dupont Underground has expanded its repertoire to the theater world. “For such a large tunnel space, they’ve made a really intimate space for theater,” she said. The very nature of the space seems to imbue everything on display with an in-

BY MACKENZIE WEINGER

Czech playwright Václav Havel’s “Protest” inaugurates the Alliance for New Music-Theatre’s residency at Dupont Underground, a new subterranean space for arts and culture.

PHOTOS: ALLIANCE FOR NEW MUSIC-THEATRE

herently subversive vibe, a perfect fit for “Protest.” The space is still in its infancy — the theater only got more than minimal electricity four days before opening, for instance, and there are no bathrooms, although they have an agreement with a local hotel. And, of course, there was no stage. Both the stage and the box office are on wheels, able to move along the trolley tracks if need be in the future. And there’s more change afoot in the future. Kassewitz said Dupont Underground is raising money and looking to expand. “We’re constantly focusing on ways of bringing multicultural platforms down here — artists, plays — while still fundraising for the long-term vision of the space,” she said. “We want it to be like the Serpentine Galleries in London. We’re a long way from that, but the strides are being made.” Although there have been plenty of challenges thanks to the space’s unique qualities, that was part of the appeal, Galbraith said. “I said, ‘Let’s keep it raw.’ “There’s lots of underground theater abroad,” she said, adding that “the most urgent theater has often been in found spaces” like Dupont Underground. “Protest” was just the start for the theater’s work in Dupont Underground and marked another significant collaboration with the Czech Embassy. The May production was the fourth time the theater company partnered with the embassy, and there is more to come. In October, the Alliance will put on “R.U.R: A Retro-Futuristic (Cabaret) Musical” based on Czech writer Karel Čapek’s science fiction play that introduced the word “robot” to the English language. “We’re quite a team,” Galbraith said of her work with Veličkinová and the Czech Embassy. The artistic company is interested in cultural diplomacy, Galbraith said, and that is reflected in the other upcoming performances coming to Dupont Underground. In January, “Women of Troy/Voices from Afghanistan,” a re-working of Euripides’s anti-war play set in contemporary Afghanistan, will be staged in collaboration with the Embassy of Afghanistan, Galbraith said. Another upcoming production will be “On the Road to Arivaca,” a chamber opera that will feature a children’s choir telling the story of immigrants coming across the border. Going underground to the theater is set to be one of the big changes to D.C.’s cultural calendar in the coming months. And, as Galbraith said, “It’s because of the Czech Embassy and Havel this whole thing has been launched.” WD Mackenzie Weinger (@mweinger) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat. THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017 | 33

WD | Culture | Art

Long-Awaited Reunion Sackler Reunites Famed Japanese Triptych Not Seen Together in Nearly 140 Years •

BY KATE OCZYPOK

Inventing Utamaro: A Japanese Masterpiece Rediscovered THROUGH JULY 9 ARTHUR M. SACKLER GALLERY 1050 INDEPENDENCE AVE., SW

(202) 633-1000 | WWW.ASIA.SI.EDU

he Sackler Gallery is hosting a longawaited reunion for Japanese art lovers. “Inventing Utamaro: A Japanese Masterpiece Rediscovered” brings together a seminal triptych by legendary Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro that hasn’t been seen in its entirety since 1879. “Fukagawa in the Snow,” “Moon at Shinagawa” and “Cherry Blossoms at Yoshiwara” were quickly separated and sold off once they reached the Paris art market in the 1880s, leaving an air of mystery behind them. Utamaro himself (1753-1806) was a bit of an enigma. He was highly regarded for his ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings, particularly of beautiful women and idealized depictions of pleasure districts in Edo (modernday Tokyo). He produced over 2,000 known prints and became one of the few recognized pioneers of the ukiyo-e genre. His work spread to Europe in the mid-19th century and influenced the continent’s impressionists such as Mary Cassatt, but otherwise little is known about the artist’s life. Utamaro’s large-scale ensemble portraying snow, moon and flowers was snatched up shortly after the triptych appeared in Paris. Charles Lang Freer — an American industrialist whose expansive Asian art collection established the Freer and Sackler galleries — bought “Moon at Shinagawa” in 1903. Freer wrote to art dealer Siegfried Bing about the monumental size of the Utamaro painting he had purchased, saying he was glad to have acquired it even though it was a very “difficult” piece to handle. “Cherry Blossoms at Yoshiwara” was passed throughout France until the late 1950s, when the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Connecticut bought it. “Fukagawa in the Snow” hadn’t turned up for 70 years until it suddenly reappeared in Hakone, Japan. The rediscovery of the massive painting, featuring over two dozen stylized figures, electrified the art world. When “Fukagawa in the Snow” turned up and was purchased by the Okada Museum of Art, James Ulak, senior curator of Japanese art at the Freer and Sackler, said the vibe was: “We have to do something!” “When the discovery was announced, we were having crossed emails and phone calls because we all wanted to speak with each other right away,” he said. Ulak’s outreach worked and now all three original pieces are on display at the Sackler until July 9. The exhibit explores the paintings within the context of Japonisme (the influence of Japanese art on Western art), as European and American collectors discovered the work of Utamaro and, by extension, ukiyo-e, at the turn of the 20th century. The immense scale of the paintings is also unique by ukiyo-e standards, whose block prints and illustrated books tended to be smaller in size. The ukiyo-e movement, which literally means pictures of the “floating world,” was known for its depictions of women, kabuki actors, sumo wres-

34 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017

PHOTO: WADSWORTH ATHENEUM MUSEUM OF ART, HARTFORD, CONN.

The Sackler Gallery reunites Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro’s long-lost triptych, composed of, from top, “Cherry Blossoms at Yoshiwara,” “Moon at Shinagawa” and “Snow at Fukagawa.”

tlers, folk tales, landscapes, flora, fauna and erotic scenes. Utamaro distinguished himself from other ukiyo-e artists with his sensuPHOTO: FREER GALLERY OF ART ous, almost reverential portraits of female beauties in Edo’s pleasure quarters, which were known as leisurely escapes from the pressures of the everyday world. His use of light, shade and proportion brought out subtle differences among his female subjects, capturing their individual personalities, mood, class, age and circumstances. He was one of the few ukiyo-e artists to earn national acclaim, with admirers in both Japan and Europe. Ulak recalled seeing Utamaro’s three paintings together for the first time. Calling it big, bold and unlike anything anyone has ever seen, Ulak praised the extreme rarity of the artistic reunion. “I walked away with a feeling PHOTO: OKADA MUSEUM OF ART, HAKONE, JAPAN of great discovery,” he said. “Seeing them all lined up, it was jarring — immediately seeing the color and beauty that hits the eye.” The show is an excellent case study of an era when modern nations were just beginning to interact globally on affairs of commerce and state, according to Ulak. “You could say this is how Western countries got a larger impression of Japan, and they will also see how important a role international expositions played in positioning Japan,” he said. Ulak said the exhibit exudes beauty, mystery and revelation. It’s also a symbol of how art and diplomacy can work together. The Freer and Sackler galleries are planning an even bigger revelation later this fall. The Freer has been undergoing major renovations over the last year, but Ulak said it is scheduled to make a grand reopening in midOctober with plenty of fanfare. WD Kate Oczypok (@OczyKate) is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

Dining | Culture | WD

Havana Transplant Newcomer Joins Cuba Libre; Rosario Ups Ante in Adams Morgan; Ritz Debuts Pricey Vault •

BY MICHAEL COLEMAN

ith President Donald Trump in the White House, the status of the longcontentious U.S.-Cuba relationship remains in flux, but one thing is certain: Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar in downtown Washington is doing its part to bridge the divide. The restaurant’s new executive chef, Angel Roque, is a native of Havana who has teamed with two-time James Beard Award-winning chef-partner Guillermo Pernot to reinvigorate the sevenyear-old eatery’s food and cocktail menus. Roque studied at Cuba’s premier culinary school, the Asociación Culinaria de Cuba, where he graduated first in his class. Soon after, he was offered a job as a pastry professor, a position he held for nine years, and which also introduced him to Spanish and French cuisine. Roque eventually opened his owned private restaurant, one of the few on the communist island, before going on to helm Restaurante Café del Oriente, one of Havana’s most prestigious restaurants. Roque struck a friendship with Pernot during one of Pernot’s culinary trips to Cuba in 2010 (also see “To Bring International Inspiration to D.C., Chefs Go Straight to the Source” in the February 2017 issue of The Diplomat). Deciding to explore new culinary frontiers, Roque moved to Philadelphia in 2015 to become a sous chef at Cuba Libre’s flagship restaurant. The timing of Roque’s arrival in Washington from Philadelphia couldn’t be better as Americans seek to take advantage of former President Obama’s easing of travel restrictions to the Caribbean country. Suddenly, interest in Cuban culture and culinary traditions is soaring as American tourists head south to visit in droves (also see “Cuba Opens Itself to Travelers, But Change Won’t Come Overnight” in the October 2016 issue of The Diplomat). But for an authentic taste of Cuba, Washingtonians need only go as far as downtown. Our recent dinner at the spacious and festive eatery in Penn Quarter began with an order of Padrón peppers, known to most of us as shishitos. Under Roque’s guidance, they’re perfectly blistered — topped with salt and served with a light mayonnaise dipping sauce. The warm and piquant peppers opened the palate nicely. Next up? Crab guacamole. Blue crabmeat mashed with grilled pineapple, roasted jalapenos and fresh lime juice combined for a succulent flavor. The appetizer didn’t last long. The ceviche was also a winner, with the Hamachi yellowtail and organic grape tomatoes drizzled in light basil vinaigrette acting as a nice transition to the heavier main attractions. CUBA LIBRE RESTAURANT The Cuban tamale — corn masa filled with & RUM BAR chicken, bell peppers and chilies with roasted corn sauce — wasn’t as delectable as it sounds and 801 9TH ST., NW fell flat despite its appealing ingredients. However, (202) 408-1600 the grilled baby octopus, marinated in truffle and WWW.CUBALIBRERESTAURANT.COM citrus, was perfectly cooked with a lightly charred /EN/WASHINGTON/ and pleasantly chewy consistency. Without a doubt the showstopper on Cuba Libre’s new menu is the crispy pork pata. This slowroasted — and we mean slow-roasted for 48 hours — pork shank is a carnivore’s dream. Crispy and slightly sweet on the outside and fall-off-the-bone tender and smoky on the inside, the shank comes served in a citrus reduction with a side of seasonal vegetables. Cuba Libre also offers an intriguing array of Cuban-inspired desserts, coffees and liquors. It’s nice to see a restaurant that, for a while, seemed to be hit or miss when it came to consistency. Pernot is an accomplished and skilled chef in his own right, but we think the addition of Roque to the kitchen gives it an extra dash of authenticity that shows on the plate. “The team at Cuba Libre is very lucky to have found such a superstar, and I am looking forward to working with Angel in developing new techniques, and showing Washington, D.C., the true meaning of what Cuban food is,” Pernot told us.

PHOTO: CUBA LIBRE RESTAURANT & RUM BAR

Spanish-style blistered Padrón peppers are on the newest menu at Cuba Libre, which recently welcomed executive chef Angel Roque. At left, newcomer Rosario offers Italian favorites such as arancini (stuffed rice balls).

ROSARIO IN ADAMS MORGAN

PHOTO: ROSARIO

Chalk up a big win for Adams Morgan’s long-moribund dining scene, which has been losing out to booming up-and-coming restaurant destinations like the 14th Street Cor-

ridor and Shaw. Chef Logan McGear, formerly of the barbeque and booze joint Smoke and Barrel, is now at the helm of Rosario, a hip but cozy new Italian eatery that is elevating the game for pasta and other Italian staples in Northwest Washington. The 60-seat restaurant — in the former space occupied by the absinthe bar Libertine — is a great spot for a fun dinner date or a group meal with friends as a prelude to an evening imbibing on Adams Morgan’s legendary nightlife. Rosario’s unfussy but well-curated menu offers a nice selection of lighter fare and small bites, as well as salads and some heartier offerings such as osso buco and leg of lamb and veal scaloppini. On a recent weeknight, we started with a tapenade containing seven different types of olives mixed with garlic and parmesan. The mash was salty and savory and helped build anticipation for the meal ahead. A hearty plate of arancini (stuffed rice balls) anchored by delicious dollops ROSARIO of garlic pesto arrived next. The piping hot orbs stuffed with meaty 2435 18TH ST., NW Bolognese sauce were a revelation and could have worked as a light (202) 791-0298 meal in their own right. A Caesar salad lightly dressed and draped with white anchovies was another winner, especially as it arrived WWW.ROSARIODC.COM in a beautiful, house-made parmesan cracker basket. In McGear’s rendition, a main course of osso buco is braised beef shank instead of the customary lamb. The dish was not only visually beautiful but mouth-watering, as well. The tender beef, accompanied with a ricotta salata and saffron risotto, fell apart with the touch of a fork and revealed McGear’s aptitude for cooking meat — a skill he no doubt honed at Smoke and Barrel. Vegetarians, however, need not despair at Rosario. A plate of vegan chicken parmesan didn’t carry the same complexity as the osso buco, but its texture and tangy tomato sauce was convincing while carrying far less fat and calories. SEE DINING • PAGE 37 THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017 | 35

WD | Culture | Film

Cinema Listings

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017

*Unless specific times are listed, please check the theater for times. Theater locations are subject to change.

Czech How to Shake Off a Bride (Jak se zbavit nevesty) Directed by Tomás Svoboda (Czech Republic, 2016, 89 min.) Eva owns a pastry shop, raises her son and takes care of her quirky, formidable mother. She gets on beautifully with her ex-husband, until she discovers his love for another woman — a beautiful, likeable and sophisticated pianist named Linda. To top it all off, they want Eva to make the wedding cake for their upcoming nuptials. The Avalon Theatre Wed., June 14, 8 p.m.

Danish The Commune (Denmark/Sweden/Netherlands, 2017, 111 min.) Personal desires, solidarity and tolerance clash in a Danish commune in the 1970s. Landmark’s E Street Cinema

English Abacus: Small Enough to Fail Directed by Steve James (U.S., 2017, 88 min.) Accused of mortgage fraud, Abacus becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The indictment and subsequent trial forces the Sung family to defend themselves – and their bank’s legacy in the Chinatown community – over the course of a five-year legal battle. Landmark’s Theatres Opens Fri., June 23

Alien: Covenant Directed by Ridley Scott (U.S./U.K./Australia/New Zealand/ Canada, 2017, 122 min.) The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape. Angelika Mosaic Atlantic Plumbing

Beatriz at Dinner Directed by Miguel Arteta (U.S., 2017, 83 min.) A holistic medicine practitioner attends a wealthy client’s dinner party after her car breaks down. Angelika Mosaic Opens Fri., June 16

The Beguiled Directed by Sofia Coppola (U.S., 2017, 94 min.) At a girls’ school in Virginia during the

Maudie

Their Finest

Directed by Aisling Walsh (Ireland/Canada, 2017, 115 min.) An arthritic Nova Scotia woman works as a housekeeper while she hones her skills as an artist and eventually becomes a beloved figure in the community. Angelika Mosaic Opens Fri., June 16

Directed by Lone Scherfig (U.K., 2017, 117 min.) A British film crew attempts to boost morale during World War II by making a propaganda film after the Blitzkrieg. The Avalon Theatre

Megan Leavey

Photo: Salon Churchill Ltd

Brian Cox stars in the wartime drama “Churchill” about the iconic British statesman and the period leading up to the D-Day landings in 1944.

Civil War, where the young women have been sheltered from the outside world, a wounded Union soldier is taken in. Soon, the house is taken over with sexual tension, rivalries and an unexpected turn of events. Angelika Mosaic Opens Fri., June 30

The Big Sick Directed by Michael Showalter (U.S., 2017, 119 min.) A couple deals with their cultural differences as their relationship grows. (English and Urdu). Angelika Mosaic Opens Fri., June 30

Buena Vista Social Club: Adios Directed by Lucy Walker (Cuba/U.S., 2017, 109 min.) The musicians of the Buena Vista Social Club exposed the world to Cuba’s vibrant culture with their landmark 1997 album and Academy Awardnominated documentary “Buena Vista Social Club.” Now, against the backdrop of Cuba’s captivating musical history, hear the band’s story as they reflect on their remarkable careers and the extraordinary circumstances that brought them together (English and Spanish). Angelika Mosaic Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema

Churchill Directed by Jonathan Teplitzky (U.K., 2017, 98 min.) Tensions mount for the beleaguered British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the days leading up to infamous Allied D-Day landings in Normandy, France in June, 1944. Fearful of repeating his deadly mistakes from World War I in the Battle of Gallipoli, exhausted by years of war, plagued by depression and obsessed with his historical destiny, Churchill is reluctant to embark on the large-scale campaign. The Avalon Theatre Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., June 2

36 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017

Citizen Jane Directed by Matt Tyrnauer (U.S., 2017, 92 min.) Writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs fights to save historic New York City during the ruthless redevelopment era of urban planner Robert Moses in the 1960s. Landmark’s E Street Cinema

owned a computer and lives according to his own common sense moral code. But after a heart attack leaves him unable to work and the state welfare system fails him, the stubbornly self-reliant Daniel must stand up and fight for his dignity. Landmark’s E Street Cinema Opens Fri., June 2

The Dream of Shahrazad

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Directed by François Verster (Multiple countries, 2015, 107 min.) Drawing on the stories known collectively as “The Arabian Nights,”“The Dream of Shahrazad” contextualizes recent upheavals across the Middle East within a broader historical and cultural legacy. The Jerusalem Fund Sun., June 11, 2 p.m.

Directed by Guy Ritchie (U.S., 2017, 126 min.) Robbed of his birthright, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy whether he likes it or not. Atlantic Plumbing Cinema Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema

Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS

The Lost City of Z

Directed by Sebastian Junger (U.S., 2017, 99 min.) In the National Geographic documentary “Hell on Earth,” best-selling author Sebastian Junger and his Emmy-winning filmmaking partner Nick Quested chronicle Syria’s descent into the unbridled chaos that allowed the rise of the Islamic State, better known as ISIS. Pulling from nearly 1,000 hours of stunningly visceral footage — from that of a family living under ISIS control that finally fled to Turkey, to Kurdish fighters in Sinjar and Shia militias in Iraq — Junger and Quested cover the ISIS catastrophe from multiple angles and feature interviews with top experts from around the world (English, French, Arabic and Kurdish). Landmark’s E Street Cinema Tue., June 6, 7 p.m.

I, Daniel Blake Directed by Ken Loach (U.K./France/Belgium, 2016, 100 min.) Gruff but goodhearted, Daniel is a widowed woodworker who’s never

Directed by James Gray (U.S., 2017, 141 min.) In this incredible true story, British explorer Percy Fawcett journeys into the Amazon at the dawn of the 20th century and discovers evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization that may have once inhabited the region. Despite being ridiculed by the scientific establishment, he returns time and again to his beloved jungle in an attempt to prove his case, culminating in his mysterious disappearance in 1925 (English, Spanish, Portuguese and German). West End Cinema

Manifesto Directed by Julian Rosefeldt (Germany/Australia, 2017, 95 min.) “Manifesto” features two-time Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett in 13 astonishing roles that span the gamut of humanity — from punk rocker to anchorwoman, from homeless man to mother delivering Sunday grace before family dinner, from puppeteer to factory worker. Landmark’s Theatres Opens Fri., June 9

Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite (U.S., 2017, 116 min.) Based on a true life story, a young Marine corporal whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saves many lives during their deployment in Iraq. Angelika Mosaic Opens Fri., June 9

My Cousin Rachel Directed by Roger Michell (U.S./U.K., 2017, 106 min.) A young Englishman plots revenge against his mysterious, beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian. But his feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms. Angelika Mosaic Opens Fri., June 9

The Zookeeper’s Wife Directed by Niki Caro (U.S., 2017, 124 min.) The keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Antonina and Jan Zabinski, help save hundreds of people and animals during the German invasion of World War II. Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema

French Yoshiwara Directed by Max Ophuls (France, 1937, 102 min.) Considered something of a curiosity in French filmmaker Max Ophuls’s oeuvre, “Yoshiwara” is the story of a love triangle between a geisha, a Russian military officer and a family servant, offering an intriguing example of France’s fascination with Japanese culture in the early 20th century. Embassy of France Thu., June 22, 7 p.m.

Paris Can Wait (Bonjour Anne)

German

Directed by Eleanor Coppola (U.S., 2016, 92 min.) Anne is at a crossroads in her life. Long married to a successful, driven but inattentive movie producer, she unexpectedly finds herself taking a car trip from Cannes to Paris with a business associate of her husband. What should be a seven-hour drive turns into a carefree two-day adventure replete with diversions that reawaken her lust for life. Angelika Mosaic Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Landmark’s E Street Cinema

As We Were Dreaming (Als wir träumten)

Past Life Directed by Avi Nesher (Israel/Poland, 2017, 109 min.) Inspired by true events, “Past Life” tracks the daring 1977 transEuropean odyssey of two sisters — one an introverted ambitious classical music composer, and the other a combative liberal magazine editor (English, German, Polish and Hebrew). The Avalon Theatre

A Quiet Passion Directed by Terence Davies (U.K./Belgium, 2017, 125 min.) Cynthia Nixon delivers a triumphant performance as Emily Dickinson as she personifies the wit, intellectual independence and pathos of the poet whose genius only came to be recognized after her death. The Avalon Theatre

Directed by Andreas Dresen (Germany, 2013-15, 117 min.) Just a few years previously, Dani, Rico, Paul and Mark had still been schoolchildren in the GDR, subject to ideological constraints, but also secure in their manageable daily lives. After German reunification, there no longer seem to be any rules, as the friends enjoy their private anarchy, stealing cars, taking drugs and engaging in acts of vandalism. Goethe-Institut Fri., June 16, 6:30 p.m.

Hebrew The Wedding Plan (Laavor et hakir) Directed by Rama Burshtein (Israel, 2016, 110 min.) Exhausted by single life at 32, spirited bride-to-be Michal is eager for the comfort and companionship of marriage. Then, her fiancé dumps her one month before their wedding. Devastated but undeterred, Michal, an Orthodox Jew, decides to keep her wedding date, leaving it to God to provide a suitable groom. Landmark’s Bethesda Row Cinema Landmark’s E Street Cinema

Japanese Your Name (Kimi no na wa) Directed by Makoto Shinkai

(Japan, 2017, 106 min.) Mitsuha is the daughter of the mayor of a small mountain town. She’s a straightforward high school girl who has no qualms about letting it be known that she’s uninterested in Shinto rituals or helping her father’s electoral campaign. Instead she dreams of leaving the boring town and trying her luck in Tokyo. Taki is a high school boy in Tokyo who works parttime in an Italian restaurant and every night has a strange dream where he becomes … a high school girl in a small mountain town (Japanese and Mandarin). Landmark’s E Street Cinema

pOlish Kamper Directed by Lukasz Grzegorzek Poland, 2016, 89 min.) Thirty-something Kamper is the eternal boy who has it all: a beautiful wife he loves, a large apartment, a super car, and a dream job. When it turns out that his wife is unfaithful, everything gets turned on its head. His perfect job as head of a video game development team no longer has meaning, and his personal life is a shambles. The Avalon Theatre Wed., May 31, 8 p.m.

rOmanian Box Directed by Florin Șerban (Romania/France/Germany, 2015, 93 min.) In a gritty gym in the city of Sibiu, 19-year-old Roma boxer Rafael trains for a big fight. Elsewhere, in a more picturesque part of the Transylvanian town, thirty-something actress Cris-

Fri., June 2, 10 p.m., Sat., June 3, 10 p.m.

tina rehearses for a new Hungarianlanguage play for a demanding director. After a chance passing in the street, Rafael begins following the alluring Cristina around town on a daily basis, seemingly content just to watch her (Romanian and Hungarian). AFI Silver Theatre Thu., June 1, 7 p.m.

Dreaming of Wine (Priorat)

Police, Adjective Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania, 2009, 115 min.) A young cop assigned to trail a schoolboy suspected of using drugs spends long hours in surveillance and longer nights writing reports. The officer questions the morality and even necessity of his situation and, soon, his own police terminology starts to sound ambiguous. National Gallery of Art Sun., June 4, 12:30 p.m.

Stuff and Dough (Marfa si banii) Directed by Cristi Puiu (Romania, 2001, 90 min.) In this delightfully deadpan road movie that inaugurated the Romanian New Wave, 20-something slacker Ovidiu decides to launch a snack-selling business, taking a dubious transporter job from a local crime boss in order to earn startup cash. Hitting the road with his girlfriend and best friend, Ovidiu has no idea what he’s gotten into. AFI Silver Theatre Wed., June 7, 7 p.m.

When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania/France, 2013, 89 min.) With two weeks left before wrapping on his latest project, Paul is falling

Photo: ©Julian roSefeldt / CourteSy of filMriSe

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett embodies 13 distinct vignettes, from anchorwoman to homeless man, in “Manifesto.”

apart, complaining about his supposed “ulcer” and insisting that an actress with a small role in the film (with whom he has been romantically engaged throughout shooting) do a nude scene in this contemplative dryhumored tale of a narcissistic director on edge. AFI Silver Theatre Wed., June 14, 7 p.m.

rUssian Moscow Never Sleeps Directed by Johnny O’Reilly (Russia/Ireland, 2017, 100 min.) This multi-narrative drama dives headlong into the volatile intersections of contemporary Moscow and the intimate lives of five people, including an entrepreneur whose business comes under siege by bureaucrats and a teenage girl mired in the misery of a broken home. Landmark’s Theatres Opens Fri., June 30

silenT Crossroads (aka Crossways) Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa

We can always count on the Ritz-Carlton for luxe accommodations, from its well-appointed hotel rooms to the impeccable and friendly service to the typically solid dining options. Now, the Ritz on 22nd Street, NW, also offers some of the very best scotch in the world. The elegant Quadrant Bar & Lounge is now home to the Vault, a combination safe measuring six feet high and four feet wide that holds the establishment’s most magnificent and rare reserve spirits. The latest addition to the list is a handblown glass bottle of the 1961 Bowmore 50-year-old single malt scotch whisky from Islay, Scotland. This bottle is part of an exquisite and extremely limited global collection of just 200 bottles that have been

spanish The Bar Directed by Álex de la Iglesia (Spain, 2017, 102 min.) In this dark comedy, after a customer leaves the bar and is shot by an unseen gunman, the group left inside is stunned. When one brave soul ventures out to help the downed man, he promptly receives a bullet himself. The remaining patrons are glued to the spot, trying to determine why they’re being targeted, and slowly eyeing one another for answers. AFI Silver Theatre

Directed by David Fernández de Castro (Spain, 2016, 68 min.) The viticultural roots of Priorat, Catalonia, run centuries deep, but by the late 1970s, wine production in the area was on the brink of extinction. In the early 1980s, however, a handful of pioneers came to the area with high hopes of reviving the fading industry (Spanish and Catalan). AFI Silver Theatre Sat., June 3, 3:30 p.m.

The Fury of a Patient Man (Tarde para la ira) Directed by Raúl Arévalo (Spain, 2016, 92 min.) In Madrid, small-time crook Curro is arrested as the getaway driver in a jewelry store hold-up that left a sales clerk dead. Fast-forward eight years, and Curro is preparing to leave jail, ready to pick up life with his girlfriend Ana and their young son. In the meantime, however, Ana has befriended an unassuming, solitary man who frequents the local bar in which she and her brother work. AFI Silver Theatre Sat., June 3, 5:30 p.m.

Isla Bonita Directed by Fernando Colomo (Spain, 2015, 101 min.) When an aging filmmaker arrives in picturesque Menorca looking for work, he shacks up with an artist and her daughter under the guise of making a documentary

Directed by Nely Reguera (Spain, 2016, 90 min.) A struggling writer afraid to let anyone read her first novel, María is at a crossroads. After 20 years of caring for her father and siblings following the death of her mother when she was 15, María must look inward and re-evaluate her own life. AFI Silver Theatre Fri., June 2, 7:30 p.m., Sun., June 4, 5:30 p.m.

Romantic Exiles (Los exiliados romanticos) Directed by Jonás Trueba (Spain, 2015, 70 min.) A group of 30-somehting friends hit the road traveling from Spain to Paris in their vintage burntorange VW Vanagon, setting out to capture that ephemeral sense of vitality and idyllic passion that they all once possessed. AFI Silver Theatre Sun., June 4, 7:30 p.m.

Smoke and Mirrors (El hombre de las mil caras) Directed by Alberto Rodríguez (Spain, 2016, 123 min.) This smart spy thriller tells the mind-boggling true story of Francisco Paesa, an ex-secret agent framed by the Spanish government and forced to leave his homeland following an operation against the Basque terrorist group ETA (Spanish and French). AFI Silver Theatre Sat., June 3, 7:30 p.m.

CONTINUED • Page 31

CONTINUED • Page 35

the Vault at the ritz

(Japan, 1928, 87 min.) “Crossroads” centers on a brother and sister living amid the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters of old Edo. Filmed entirely at night, Kinugasa’s film creates a menacing, chiaroscuro vision of the Yoshiwara at odds with traditional cinematic representations of the era, launching a new form of visually and emotionally nuanced silent cinema. National Museum of American History Sun., June 4, 2 p.m.

Maria (And Everybody Else)

Diplomatic Spouses

Dining Since Rosario exists in what is essentially a drinking district, it makes sense that it carries a well-stocked bar. But this isn’t just any bar. The restaurant boasts a carefully selected wine list and an impressive array of unique craft cocktails. Although it’s been open barely a month, Rosario has quickly asserted itself as one of Adams Morgan’s premier dining attractions.

with the help of his old pal. AFI Silver Theatre Sun., June 4, 3:15 p.m.

the Vault at the ritz-Carlton holds the hotel’s rarest reserve spirits.

issued over the last four years, and is the last of its kind. As you might expect, if you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it. We asked — and were told the price tag is revealed only to those with a serious intention to buy. (A quick internet search reveals that the bottle runs over $20,000.) Alas, we made do with a couple of glasses of Bowmore’s 12-, 15- and 18-year-old expressions of the rare spirit. WD Michael Coleman (@michaelcoleman) is the dining reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.

The riTz-CarlTOn QUaDranT bar & lOUnge 1150 22nd St., nW (202) 835-0500 WWW.ritzCarlton.CoM/WaShingtondC

education, media and the arts.” Among the other attributes she enjoys about D.C. beyond its museums and cosmopolitan atmosphere are Rock Creek Park, the Potomac River, good infrastructure and bountiful restaurants, particularly Restaurant Nora, America’s first certified organic restaurant and the brainchild of Austrian Nora Pouillon. At the same time, Faudon-Waldner said it’s important to go beyond the Beltway. “We live in a bubble here. Traveling is always an eye-opener. We feel like we want to experience more. We took a cross-country trip up the Mississippi. We drove the scenic road where the speed limit is about 35 miles per hour. We went up to the Great Lakes and stayed overnight. No Chicago — just small ports and art galleries and small hotels. When we want to go to big American cities, we fly in, stay a couple of days and fly out,” she said. “Many people don’t know the U.S. and they think all the states are the same and others don’t know Europe but think all the countries are the same,” she added, saying that neither perspective is accurate. As much as Faudon-Waldner loves the U.S., there’s no place like home. This summer, the couple will take a long holiday in Austria and visit other parts of Europe. Faudon-Waldner proudly pointed out

gudrun faudon-Waldner, third from left, poses with her husband, austrian ambassador Wolfgang Waldner, and his two daughters from a previous marriage, antonia and Valentina.

that Vienna “just took first place again for overall quality of living among 231 cities around the world for the eighth consecutive year, according to Mercer’s 19th annual Quality of Living survey. Vienna gets top marks for security, medical care, education, water supply, recreational offerings and availability of all kinds of consumer goods. All this together makes the Austrian capital the most livable of all.” Beyond family, friends and all the perks that Austrian living has to offer, FaudonWaldner said she also misses the little things — namely Austrian herbal tea and, of course, its chocolate. Here, she buys Swiss-made Lindt chocolate but it’s not quite the same. “We have a bigger variety of different kinds of chocolates. I eat a lot of chocolate! It’s good for your nerves.” WD Gail Scott is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017 | 37

WD | Culture | Events

Events Listings *Unless specific times are listed, please check the venue for times. Venue locations are subject to change.

ART June 2 to July 2

Veiled Consciousness A new series of Lionel Daniel’s large and small figurative paintings explores the double consciousness and veil worn by African Americans from past and present as expressed in W.E.B Dubois’“Souls of Black Folk.” Touchstone Gallery Through June 4

Alternativas/Alternatives: The Thirteenth Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (XIII Beau) “Alternativas/Alternatives” features 22 jury-selected projects completed between Jan. 1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2015 by contemporary Spanish architects. The installation, which also includes an additional 20 shortlisted works, presents large-scale image displays and audiovisual commentary about the winning projects, as well as drawing reproductions and architectural models. Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassador Through June 4

Export: Spanish Architecture Abroad “Export” covers Spanish architecture abroad from an open perspective that takes into account practices organized by profiles (Insiders, Young Achievers, Producers, Scholars, Healers and Outsiders), as well as the role of other agents (Soft Power, Giants of Construction, Publishing and Retail Empire), which help us gain a richer and more plural vision of the sector and serve as the structure for the exhibition discourse. Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassador Through June 4

Della Robbia: Sculpting with Color in Renaissance Florence Luca della Robbia, a master sculptor in marble and bronze, invented a glazing technique for terracotta sculpture that positioned him as one of the most innovative artists of the 15th century. Today, the sculptures created by Luca and his family workshop retain their brilliant opaque whites, deep cerulean blues, and botanical greens, purples and yellows over modeling that makes them powerful and engaging examples of Italian Renaissance art. National Gallery of Art Through June 4

Where the Children Sleep More than 2 million children have been forced from their homes by

the war in Syria. Refugee children in neighboring countries or making journeys through Europe await an uncertain future. A few offered to show where they sleep now, when everything that once was, no longer exists, in this internationally acclaimed exhibition that features a moving series of photographs by award-winning Swedish photojournalist Magnus Wennman. House of Sweden Through June 9

Canada Remembers the Battle of Vimy Ridge The Embassy of Canada commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which began on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917. Regiments from coast to coast saw action together in a distinctly Canadian triumph, helping create a new and stronger sense of Canadian identity and earning the nation a signature on the Treaty of Versailles that ended the First World War. The exhibit is composed of several parts, including “Souterrain Impressions,” featuring full-scale, 3D reproductions of carvings and images created by Canadian soldiers who were sheltered in underground chalk caves in France while awaiting orders to join the Battle of Vimy Ridge; “From Vimy to Juno,” which tells the personal stories of the men and women who experienced firsthand this nation-defining moment in Canadian history; and an interactive 3D Vimy Ridge map that uses trench maps, unit war diaries and other documentation to create an immersive, computerized model of the battlefield. Embassy of Canada Art Gallery June 9 to 30

Invisible Things This exhibition of painting, installation and sculpture works by Korean artists Gyeongja Lee and Hyemin Lee gives form to the powerful inner thoughts, emotions and memories that occupy our everyday lives. Taking a cue from the great impressionists, the artists apply the principles of light, motion and the purity of one’s personal recollection, rather than visual accuracy, across distinct artistic media. Such trivial recollections are all too easy to overlook, but Gyeongja and Hyemin remind audiences of the value of these everyday sentiments that define our invisible, inner lives. Korean Cultural Center June 10 to Jan. 1

Spectacular Gems and Jewelry from the Merriweather Post Collection For centuries, extraordinary gemstones have been the centerpieces of stunning jewelry made to adorn royalty, aristocracy, high society and Hollywood stars. Over 50 pieces that once belonged heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, one of the greatest

38 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017

jewelry collectors of the 20th century, will tell the story behind some of the remarkable stones and the jewelry into which they were transformed. Hillwood Esttae, Museum and Gardens Through June 11

Friends and Fashion: An American Diplomat in 1820s Russia Focusing on 45 portraits from an album assembled by the family of politician and statesman Henry Middleton, this exhibition paints a captivating picture of diplomatic life in early 19th-century St. Petersburg. The intimate portraits, along with selected objects, images and publications, offer an exploration into a number of themes, including Middleton’s posting in St. Petersburg and the historical events surrounding his time there, the family’s social life in Russia, the artistic traditions of the period, and the elaborate fashions and hairstyles of the day. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens June 17 to Aug. 13

States of Being: Photographs of Cuba and North Korea by Carl De Keyzer An exhibition of prints by Belgian photographer Carl De Keyzer of scenes in North Korea and Cuba consists of 60 large-scale photos. The Cuba photos were taken shortly after former President Obama’s 2014 speech inviting the relaxation of the communist island’s 56-year embargo. De Keyzer’s North Korean prints also were shot in 2015. The British-run Koryo Group, which organizes travel tours in North Korea, arranged for De Keyzer to spend more than 40 nights in North Korea, during which time the globally renowned photographer traveled to every single one of the country’s provinces. American University Museum June 23 to Sept. 10

Revival Contemporary sculpture, photography and video by women artists explores how arresting aesthetics and intense subject matter can spur the viewer into a transcendent encounter with a work of art. Rousing the spirit rather than simply tantalizing the eye, the 16 artists in this exhibition harness scale, technique and effect in photography and sculpture to reanimate deep-rooted emotions related to the human experience. National Museum of Women in the Arts June 28 to Jan. 1

Ai Weiwei: Trace at Hirshhorn This presentation marks the East Coast debut of Ai Weiwei’s “Trace,” one of the Chinese artist’s most significant U.S. installations in recent years, and features the addition of two graphic wallpapers to accompany the work,

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | June 2017 one never before seen. Together, the massive installation will span 700 feet around the entirety of the museum’s second-floor galleries, responding to the building’s unique circular architecture. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Through June 29

Matta Wagnest: The Sound of Art “The Sound of Art” explores how music and creativity can be found everywhere and affects every form of communication, whether in private, in politics, locally or globally. One of the featured works, “Sculpture. Europe,” emphasizes unity in diversity ahead of the Austrian EU presidency in 2018. Embassy of Austria Through July 9

Frédéric Bazille and the Birth of Impressionism Frédéric Bazille (1841-70) created paintings inspired by contemporary life that challenged the aesthetic conventions of his day and helped to lay the groundwork of impressionism. In celebration of the 175th anniversary of the artist’s birth, this exhibit brings together some 75 paintings that examine Bazille as a central figure of impressionism. National Gallery of Art Through July 9

Inventing Utamaro: A Japanese Masterpiece Rediscovered In 2014, the Okada Museum of Art in Hakone, Japan, made an announcement that startled the art world. The new arts center revealed it had discovered a long-lost painting by Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), a legendary but mysterious Japanese artist. Titled “Snow at Fukagawa,” the immense work is one of three paintings by Utamaro that idealize famous pleasure districts in Edo (now Tokyo). For the first time in nearly 140 years, these paintings reunite in Inventing Utamaro at the Freer|Sackler, the only location to show all three original pieces. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Through July 24

Inspiring Beauty: 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Flair For 50 years, the Ebony Fashion Fair shaped a new vision of black America through contemporary fashion. Founded by Eunice Walker Johnson in 1958, the traveling fashion show broke the color barrier to bring the pinnacle of global fashion to communities that were eager to celebrate black accomplishment, aspiration and success. The George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum present the story of the Ebony Fashion Fair and its cultural

impact with 40 garments, including stunning gowns, feathered coats and statement designs by Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood and burgeoning designer Naeem Khan, who would go on to dress first lady Michelle Obama. The George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum Through Aug. 6

Gateways/Portales What do D.C., Charlotte and RaleighDurham, N.C., and Baltimore, Md., all have in common? They are all urban areas, are all on the East Coast and all have experienced rapid growth in their “Latinx” populations, most with spurts beginning in the 1980s. “Gateways/Portales” explores the triumphs and struggles of Latinx migrants and immigrants through the lenses of rights and justice, representation and celebration. Anacostia Community Museum Through Aug. 6

José Gómez-Sicre’s Eye A half-century ago, Cuban-born curator José Gómez-Sicre took the reins of the OAS’s art program, thrusting himself into the rapidly expanding Latin American art world and bringing young, emerging talent to the OAS’s budding exhibition space. Impassioned by the arts, Gómez-Sicre planted the seeds of what is today considered among world’s finest collections of modern and contemporary Latin American and Caribbean art. The OAS will be celebrating the centennial of Gómez-Sicre’s birth throughout 2016, honoring his contribution to the legacy of the hemisphere’s art. OAS Art Museum of the Americas Through Aug. 6

The Urban Scene: 1920-1950 American artists of the early 20th century sought to interpret the beauty, power and anxiety of the modern age in diverse ways. Through depictions of bustling city crowds and breathtaking metropolitan vistas, 25 black-and-white prints in this exhibition explore the spectacle of urban modernity. National Gallery of Art Through Aug. 13

Escape: Foon Sham “Escape” showcases Foon Sham’s mastery of wood sculpture. To be within one of his vessel sculptures is to experience the palpable space of a woodland creature’s habitat, or the place of concealment. At the American University Museum, Sham has built one horizontal tunnel measuring 62 feet long and one vertical tunnel towering 36 feet high. “Escape” is one of a series of participatory sculptures, begun in the 1990s, meant to be experienced with all the body’s senses and to resonate socially. American University Museum

Through Aug. 20

America Collects EighteenthCentury French Painting When Joseph Bonaparte, elder brother of Napoleon, arrived in the United States in 1815, he brought with him his exquisite collection of eighteenth-century French paintings. Put on public view, the works caused a sensation, and a new American taste for French art was born. T his exhibition brings together 68 paintings that represent some of the best and most unusual examples of French art of that era held by American museums and tells their stories on a national stage. National Gallery of Art Through Sept. 3

David Molander – Invisible Cities If home is a place where we ought to feel safe, how is this feeling visualized in our collective home — i.e., the city? This question inspired David Molander to create scenes where small and large conflicts play out among different interests and processes. While we can choose to care about or ignore them, all of them play an important role in shaping the invincible cities that we call home. House of Sweden Through Sept. 3

Linda Lasson – Black Thread, Images from Northern Sweden Exploring the lives of the Sami, Sweden’s indigenous people. Linda Lasson tells the stories of an exploited Northland and a displaced indigenous population through work that is archetypal contemporary poetry expressed as embroidery. The threads resemble drawings, and the graphic feel, mixed with the textile structure, exudes a sculptural aesthetic. House of Sweden Through Sept. 10

Markus Lüpertz: Threads of History Offering unparalleled insight into the German artist’s pioneering early practice, “Markus Lüpertz: Threads of History” showcases more than 30 paintings from Lüpertz’s formative years in the 1960s and ’70s, as he challenged the limits of painting and forged his own style amidst the unrest of postwar Germany. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Through Sept. 23

Markus Lüpertz “Markus Lüpertz” explores the entirety of the prolific German artist’s five-decade career with a survey of his earliest works along with more recent paintings. Lüpertz, who began painting in a postwar Germany

Events | Culture | WD

dominated by American Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, has exhibited a preoccupation with the relationship between figuration and abstraction over the course of his career. Demonstrating this relationship through nearly 50 paintings, the exhibition at the Phillips includes important examples from Lüpertz’s “dithyrambic” pictures and provocative paintings of German motifs. The Phillips Collection Through Dec. 10

Stories of Migration – Sweden Beyond the Headlines Migration is old news. It has helped shape countries and the world. But the current situation is unprecedented: More than 65 million people around the world have been forced to leave their homes. Migration is also an integral part of the history of Sweden; in today’s population, one in six was born in another country. Since the 1930s Sweden has been characterized by more immigration than emigration, including offering refuge to people fleeing war and political unrest. This exhibition aims to add new perspectives to the story of Sweden and migration and give insights into the current situation in the country. Beyond headlines of chaos and collapse, beyond politics and public authorities, there are people who try to build a life in a new country. House of Sweden

Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky — along with George Balanchine’s “Square Dance,” “Tarantella” and” The Four Temperaments.” Tickets are $29 to $109. Kennedy Center Opera House Wed., June 14, 6 p.m.

An Evening with Luz San Miguel Madrid-born ballet dancer Luz San Miguel presents works from her Chamber Dance Project’s repertoire with partner Gian Carlo Perez and the company’s string quartet and guest musicians. Known for her gorgeous line, emotional rendering of roles, versatility and wit, San Miguel will also converse with the audience about her upbringing in Spain. The evening concludes with a reception featuring her old family recipe for sangria and discussing her love of cooking Spanish food. Tickets are $15; for information, visit www.spainculture.us/city/washington-dc/. Former Residence of the Spanish Ambassador

DISCUSSIONS Fri., June 2, 12 p.m.

Babel Through LatinAmerican Jewish Eyes

Through Feb. 17

Artist Mirta Kupferminc and psychoanalyst Tova Shvartzman will discuss art, Judaism and psychoanalysis in conversations with University of Maryland professor Saul Sosnowski. Library of Congress Madison Building

Painting Shakespeare

Mon., June 5, 6:30 p.m.

Discover the paintings collection at the Folger — its stories, its glories and Shakespeare’s power to inspire visual artists. From humble oil sketches to international masterpieces, this exhibition presents kids and adults alike, with a sometimes surprising, and always eye-catching, view of the man and his works. Folger Shakespeare Library Through Jan. 15, 2018

Architecture of an Asylum: St. Elizabeths 1852-2017 Established by Congress in 1855 as the Government Hospital for the Insane, St. Elizabeths is widely considered a pioneering psychiatric facility. The hospital is a prime example of the “Kirkbride Plan” for mental health hospitals, which promised to help patients with a specialized architecture and landscape. This exhibition traces St. Elizabeths’ evolution over time, reflecting shifting theories about how to care for the mentally ill, as well as the later reconfiguration of the campus as a federal workplace and a mixed-use urban development. National Building Museum

DANCE June 6 to 11

New York City Ballet The acclaimed company’s annual visit brings two programs featuring works by today’s hottest choreographers —

“Der große Löffel (The Large Spoon)” is part of the Markus Lüpertz show at the Phillips Collection. The German artist is also being featured in a concurrent exhibit at the Hirshhorn.

FESTIVALS Fri., June 9, 6:30 p.m.

Noche Iberoamericana! The Ibero-American Cultural Attachés Association presents a night of food, music, art and more. Taste authentic cuisine from Cuba, Paraguay and Spain while sipping on Argentinian, Chilean and Uruguayan wine, Peruvian pisco sours, a signature drink from El Salvador capped off with Portuguese Porto and chocolate and Uchuvas from Colombia. The program also includes a live musical presentation by Sound Impact courtesy of the Embassy of Costa Rica and tango music from Argentina and Uruguay. Tickets are $85 to $125; for information, visit www.instituteofmexicodc.org. Mexican Cultural Institute

Two films each from Germany and China mark the beginning of the 12th EuroAsia Shorts film showcase, which continues at various venues through June 9. Using the theme “What is Truth?” the films address the individual relationships to truth in our lives. How true are we with others in our daily lives? Does censorship foster truth, or hinder it? And when we fail to live up to the truth — through infidelity, lies or being untrue to our own self — what do we do? Brief discussions following each evening’s screenings will compare and contrast the films and the topics with several panelists. Goethe-Institut

Martin Babjak, Baritone

This free symposium surveys the Sasanians who ruled a large empire in Central and Western Asia, stretching from the Oxus River to the Euphrates and from the Hindukush to Eastern Arabia, for over 400 years (224-651 CE). Known as Iranshahr (the domain of Iran), it was a powerful empire that engendered much of what came to be known as the Iranian culture in the medieval and modern periods. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building

Internationally acclaimed for her simply stunning interpretations of Buddhist mantras and songs, Ani Choying returns to Lisner this summer. Tickets are $25 to $100. GW Lisner Auditorium

The spirited, romantic, and beloved musical will thrill once again with its Tony, Grammy, and Oscar-winning score in this brand new production, directed by three-time Tony winner Jack O’Brien. Tickets are $39 to $169. Kennedy Center Opera House

2017 Serenade! Washington D.C. Choral Festival

MUSIC

From Oxus to Euphrates: The Sasanian Empire

June 13 to July 16

The Sound of Music

June 28 to July 3

EuroAsia Shorts – Short Films from Germany and China: What Is Truth?

Wed., June 7, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sat., June 24, 7 p.m.

Ani Choying Live in Concert

Thu., June 1, 7:30 p.m. Daniel Buranovsky, Piano Baritone Martin Babjak, one of Slovakia’s finest singers, has portrayed roles ranging from Count Almaviva in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” to Iago in Verdi’s “Otello.” Joined by pianist Daniel Buranovsky, he performs a program of arias, songs and piano solos. Tickets are $80 and include buffet and wine; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org. Embassy of Slovakia Sat., June 3, 7:30 p.m.

Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra Vladimir Spivakov, one of the world’s most prominent violinists and conductors, has lead the Moscow Virtuosi since 1979, setting the gold standard for chamber music performance. Moscow Virtuosi is joined by soprano Hibla Gerzmava, along with cellist Danielle Akta, for the program of international opera hits, famous arias and classical favorites. Tickets are $45 to $95. GW Lisner Auditorium Wed., June 7, 7:30 p.m.

Eclipse Chamber Orchestra Through world-class performances and recordings, the musicians of the

Eclipse Chamber Orchestra — members of major symphony orchestras — share their love of classical music with a repertoire that embraces the familiar and the new. Tickets are $110 and include buffet reception; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org. Portuguese Residence Sat., June 11, 8 p.m.

Rosana 2017 U.S. Tour Born in Lanzarote, Spanish singer and composer Rosana, who has sold more than 10 million albums, performs from her latest album, “En la memoria de la piel.” Tickets start at $35. Howard Theatre Fri., June 16, 7:30 p.m.

Emmanuel Ceysson, Harp With his powerful playing, Emmanuel Ceysson sweeps away all the clichés associated with his instrument with an infectious enthusiasm and boundless energy that reveal the harp in all its sparkling splendor. Tickets are $195 and include buffet and drinks; for information, visit www.embassyseries.org. Belmont Mansion Fri., June 16, 7:30 p.m.

Violine en Face by Gabriele Proy and Elena Denisova “Violine En Face” features compositions by Gabriele Proy as well as Fritz Kreisler, Eugène-Auguste Ysaye and Johann Sebastian Bach played by the Russian violinist Elena Denisova. Admission is free; to register, visit acfdc.org. Embassy of Austria Tue., June 20, 8 p.m.

Celtic Woman: Voices of Angels Multi-platinum international music sensation Celtic Woman presents their captivating new show, “Voices of Angels.” Fusing fresh music, dance and cultural tradition, this inspiring live concert experience features all new stage designs, stunning wardrobes, superb choreography and arrangements of timeless Irish traditional and contemporary standards. Tickets are $30 to $85. Wolf Trap Filene Center

The 2017 Serenade! Washington D.C. Choral Festival celebrates the 100th birthday of President John F. Kennedy and the Peace Corps with six days of free choral music performances co-presented by Classical Movements and the Kennedy Center. Participating ensembles hail from India, Ireland, Panama, Germany, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Latvia, Mongolia, Canada, China, Kenya, Ghana and elsewhere. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Fri., June 30, 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Didi: In Effigie Dr. Didi, founded in 2006, combines three strikingly different artistic personalities — Peter Androsch (guitar), Didi Bruckmayr (vocals) and Bernd Preinfalk (double bass). Together, they construct a fascinating world fusing death metal and a skeletal operetta version of classical blues. Admission is free; to register, visit acfdc.org. Embassy of Austria

THEATER Fri., June 2, 8 p.m., Sat., June 3, 8 p.m.

Silenced Within Me (Callado Conmigo) Based on interviews of survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, Latinas and Latinos from the local community use music and movement to reveal the stories of these survivors and how the abuse affected their lives and their families. Tickets are $15. GALA Hispanic Theatre Through June 4

Fear Eats the Soul Scena Theatre presents “Fear Eats the Soul” by eccentric German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, an emotionally powerful drama that centers around timely topics such as race, immigration and class as Emmi, a cleaning woman and widow in 1970s Germany, falls for a younger Moroccan immigrant. Tickets are $35 and $45. Atlas Performing Arts Center Through June 11

Sat., June 17, 8:30 p.m.

The Fall of the House of Usher Roderick Usher, the reclusive heir to the Usher fortune, resides with his ill twin sister in their decaying ancestral home. When Roderick’s old friend visits, relationships are tested and secrets are unearthed in this coproduction between Wolf Trap Opera and Halcyon Stage. Tickets are $40. Dock 5 at Union Market June 17 to Aug. 13

The Second City’s Almost Accurate Guide to America: Divided We Stand Who better to comment on the state of our nation than the comedians who mock it best? The Second City returns for another summer of uproarious irreverence on America’s divided political climate. Tickets are $49 to $65. Kennedy Center Theater Lab Through June 18

The Father André is 80 and a man of his own mind. He’s quick with a joke, especially one with an edge, and used to dominating conversations and relationships. But things are getting strange: His daughter’s stories don’t quite add up, his furniture is disappearing and there are strangers at his table. Internationally acclaimed French playwright Florian Zeller’s unnerving “tragic farce” asks who we are to ourselves when our signposts disappear. Tickets are $20 to $85. Studio Theatre June 23 to July 1

Rossini: The Touchstone In this sparkling Rossini comedy, a wealthy man devises a test to separate his true friends from those who love him only for his money. Tickets are $32 to $88. The Barns at Wolf Trap Through July 2

Jesus Christ Superstar Experience Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s stunning award-winning rock opera in a sleek, modern, environmental production. Please call for ticket information. Signature Theatre

Timon of Athens

Through July 2

Robert Richmond directs Shakespeare’s tragic satire about a wealthy aristocrat who loses his fortune and his friends due to his over-generosity. An exploration of materialism, money and friendship, “Timon of Athens” features Helen Hayes Award-winner Ian Merrill Peakes in the title role. Tickets are $35 to $75. Folger Shakespeare Theatre

“The School for Lies” transforms Molière’s 17th-century classic “The Misanthrope” into a modern satire crafted in vicious couplets and outrageous gags, creating a baroque comedy of manners brimming with contemporary slang. Please call for ticket information. The Shakespeare Theatre

The School for Lies

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017 | 39

REST onths CASH!

d credit urchase of 3.97%

WD | Culture | Spotlight

Diplomatic spotlight

June 2017

13th Annual Embassy Golf Tournament — PhotoS By JeSSiCa latoS —

the Washington diplomat hosted its 13th annual embassy golf tournament, in partnership with the royal netherlands embassy and dutch ambassador henne Schuwer, on May 12 at Worthington Manor golf Club in Maryland. the only golf tournament designed especially for the city’s diplomatic corps, it regularly attracts more than 150 ambassadors and other diplomats, as well as members of Congress and top officials from the u.S. government, multilateral agencies and the corporate world. envoys from Bosnia and herzegovina; Burkina faso; ecuador; gabon; Jamaica; kazakhstan; nepal; Pakistan; Singapore; and Sri lanka attended, along with various embassy teams and notable guests such as former nBa players John Starks and larry Johnson, as well as elvis dumervil of the Baltimore ravens. Participants enjoyed a day of golf and networking in addition to lunch and a post-tournament dinner reception/awards presentation. among the prizes were a 2017 Volvo S90; roundtrip tickets to amsterdam courtesy of klM; Macallan in-home whiskey tasting for 25 people; $500 gift certificate to hugo BoSS; $300 gift certificate to CityCenterdC; and local staycations at hotels such as the fairfax at embassy row, ritz-Carlton, the darcy, the line and kimpton’s hotel Monaco, Carlyle and glover Park properties. TO see to see all the photos from the embassy golf mOre: tournament, be sure to like us on facebook.

Danny Kreps of Don Beyer Volvo Cars of Dulles, Ambassador of the Netherlands Henne Schuwer and Jennifer Wilson of Volvo Cars North America stand by a 2017 Volvo XC90 T6 R-Design that was the hole-in-one prize.

Dolci Gelati offered golfers its award-winning gelato.

Former NBA player Larry Johnson of the New York Knicks, Ambassador of Pakistan Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry and former NBA player John Starks of the New York Knicks.

Ambassador of Ecuador Francisco Borja Cevallos, Ambassador of Sri Lanka Prasad Kariyawasam, Elvis Dumervil of the Baltimore Ravens, former NBA player Larry Johnson, Ambassador of the Netherlands Henne Schuwer, The Washington Diplomat publisher Victor Shiblie, Jeff David of the Watergate Hotel, Ambassador of Kazakhstan Erzhan Kazykhanov, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) Stanley Kao, former NBA player John Starks and Col. Darnley Wyke of the Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago.

Publisher and editor in chief of The Washington Diplomat, Steve McSweeney of The Diplomat Group and Heather Louise Finch of HLF consulting. McSweeney won two round-trip tickets from Washington D.C. to Amsterdam courtesy of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Carmela Conroy of the State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; Jeff David, managing director of the Watergate Hotel; and Elvis Dumervil of the Baltimore Ravens.

Colin Hunter, Justin McPhillips, Ann Brightling and Colin Brightling of the Embassy of Australia.

Krystine Serb of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Ambassador of Sri Lanka Prasad Kariyawasam, Juliana Lopez of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Don Pruett of Quinn Evans Architects at their sponsorship hole #15 .

Ursula McNamara of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Guy d’Amecourt of Summit Commercial Real Estate and Col. Darnley Wyke of the Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago enjoy a day of golfing.

40 | THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017

Grace Franceschelli takes a swing.

Jilan Bruce of the newly opened Darcy Hotel and Brittany Harris of Siren by RW at The Darcy at their sponsorship hole #1.

Jing Ping Yang of Lycee Rochambeau - French International School.

TECRO Representative Stanley Kao makes a putt as his wife Sherry Sung watches.

Heather Louise Finch of HLF consulting, second from left, and The Washington Diplomat publisher Victor Shiblie, third from right, congratulate the tournament’s first-place winners: from left, Paul Tibola of Ourisman Volvo of Bethesda, Ed Sarecky of Herb Gordon Volvo, Todd Curling of Don Beyer Volvo Dulles and Peter Kesterson of Don Beyer Volvo. Firstplace prizes included wine and two tickets to Capitol Steps donated by the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, tickets to the Embassy Chef Challenge and a gold walnut stress reliever donated by the Embassy of Singapore.

Marat Umbetayev and Ardak Nurmagambetov of the Embassy of Kazakhstan.

Roni Murshed of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management spins a hula hoop at hole #15.

Spotlight | Culture | WD

The Washington Diplomat 13th Annual Embassy Golf Tournament

Angelique Rutledge of the Dutch Embassy, who also won two nights at D.C.’s new The Line Hotel in the raffle, takes a swing.

Ambassador of the Netherlands Henne Schuwer greets Ambassador of Ecuador Francisco Borja Cevallos and Ambassador of Sri Lanka Prasad Kariyawasam.

Ambassador of Kazakhstan Erzhan Kazykhanov, center, won a $300 gift certificate to Siren by RW, the new restaurant in The Darcy hotel by chef Robert Wiedmaier.

Ambassador of Ecuador Francisco Borja Cevallos takes a swing.

The Washington Diplomat managing editor Anna Gawel, center, shares a laugh with golfers Thomas Coleman of the U.S. government, Damien Oliphant of Oliphant Equities Inc., Kevin Taylor and Johnathan Ivey of the Department of Veterans Affairs, who won the Highland Park in-home whiskey tasting for up to 25 people.

Keary Cannon of Hughes Network Systems, center, won a traditional handwoven Persian rug from Persiano Gallery.

Tommy Greene of The Diplomat Group, Steve McSweeney of The Diplomat Group, Rick Boyle of Maersk Line Ltd. and Roy Patterson of The Diplomat Group.

Shirin Kooros of the Watergate Hotel; Ton Akkerman of the Embassy of the Netherlands; Oscar Postma, general manager of the Watergate Hotel; Ambassador of Netherlands Henne Schuwer; and Angelique Rutledge and Erik Looman, both from the Embassy of Netherlands.

Derik Wimes of the National Rural Electronic Cooperative Association; Ken Trice of Alderson; Nate Lane of the Maryland Department of Education; and Eugene Laney Jr. of DHL Express USA.

Elvis Dumervil of the Baltimore Ravens, former NBA players John Starks and Larry Johnson, both of whom played for the New York Knicks, and Jeff David of the Watergate Hotel.

Mary Craig and Niamh Tallon of The Dupont Circle had a prize wheel at their sponsorship hole #2.

Mark Ajamian of BDO USA LLP, Roni Murshed of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Mazin Eraifeg and George Papakostas of Long & Foster Real Estate.

United for Colombia Colombian Ambassador Juan Carlos Pinzón opened his residence on April 27 for an exclusive dinner celebrating United for Colombia, a nonprofit that provides medical and psychological assistance to Colombians wounded by landmines during the country’s fight against drug trafficking and FARC rebels. The Washington Diplomat’s Rod Carrasco emceed the event.

Rebecca Book and Helen Salazar of the George Washington University Hospital International Patient Program.

Ambassador of Colombia Juan Carlos Pinzón, Michelle Kosinski of CNN and her husband investment banker Kimbell Duncan.

Marcelle Pomerleau, Queen Noor of Jordan and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security John Kelly, Lynda Webster of the Webster Group and Lizette Corro of Corro Nobil Associates.

Ambassador of Jordan Dina Kawar, Sara Bastos of the Mayo Clinic and Samer Asfour of the Embassy of Jordan.

David Ickert of Air Tractor Inc., Air Force Brig. Gen. Steven DePalmer and Tom Menker of Air Tractor Inc.

Kelly White, Jerry White, Michel Juilland, Shea Allen and James Barbour of the EU Delegation.

Bishop Mario Dorsonville and recently appointed Ambassador of Spain Pedro Morenés.

Emcee Rod Carrasco of The Washington Diplomat.

Gladys Sanmiguel, Francisco Porras and Adriana Peñalosa of the Colombian Embassy.

THE WASHINGTON DIPLOMAT | JUNE 2017 | 41

WD | Culture | Spotlight

Diplomatic Spotlight

June 2017

The Washington Diplomat EXCLUSIVE:

Ambassador of Russia Sergey Kislyak and Ambassador of Norway Kåre R. Aas announce the winners of the #DiploChess Tournament.

#DiploChess Tournament at Russian Embassy The relationship between the U.S. and Russia has always been complicated. Under President Trump, it’s been downright convoluted, with his White House embroiled in accusations of colluding with the Russians to influence the 2016 election. Those accusations have ensnared Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, whose conversations with Trump officials are being investigated by the FBI. But Kislyak, a veteran on the diplomatic scene, and the Russian Embassy teamed up with the Norwegian Embassy to take a break from politics and play a different strategic game: chess. They hosted the first #DiploChess Tournament at the Russian Embassy on May 13 inspired by the FIDE World Chess Championship Match in New York last year, in which Norwegian Magnus Carlsen beat out Russian Sergey Karjakin. An enthusiastic crowd of diplomats, academics, a few journalists and even children came out to compete in what the Russian Embassy hopes to make into an annual tradition. Journalist Samir Shakhbaz of Russia Today took third place while Allard Postma of the Dutch Embassy won second. The winner, David Sherman, a proofreader for the U.S. government, attended the tournament by accident, subbing in for his friend at the last minute. Sherman won two business-class round-trip tickets to Moscow courtesy of Aeroflot. “I just had a blast,” the overwhelmed winner told The Diplomat. Ambassador Kislyak said he enjoyed seeing so many people playing chess, “a sport that is so popular in Russia and in Norway,” calling it “a competition of friendship between us.” As for the current political climate, Kislyak told us the tournament is “a Photo: Roman Makhmutov / Tatiana Gavrilova good breath of an air of normalcy.” Players compete in the first annual #DiploChess Tournament.