THE HISTORIC CENTER OF ROMANIAN CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN THE UNITED STATES CELEBRATES ITS 55TH ANNIVERSARY

When, in 1969, Romania and the United States signed an accord to open a Romanian Library in New York and an American Library in Bucharest, it was a big deal indeed. In the complicated Cold War circumstances, the decision created a unique institution to manage the Romanian-U.S. cultural relations, unprecedented even among other countries caught in the Soviet orbit, and kicked off 55 years of Romanian professional cultural diplomacy in the United States.

In the following decades, with ups and downs and no matter the name – Library, Center or Institute – this nexus of transatlantic cultural relations has strived to make Romanian culture&arts a permanent presence in New York and throughout America.

Join us in remembering more than half a century of Romanian institutional cultural diplomacy in the United States with a special anniversary program placed under the symbolic patronage of Professor Dan Grigorescu (1931-2008), the founding director of the Romanian Library in New York. The 55th jubilee of the Library/ Center/ Institute will be marked by the unveiling of a specially created mural, adorning our entrance hall, by Romanian visual artist Radu Pandele. Keynote addresses, a talk, and a documentary exhibition (produced with the support of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs` Diplomatic Archives) will provide a historical overview of these fascinating decades.

The event will be followed by a wine reception.