WASHINGTON â Nearly two decades after hearing “You’re fired!” on NBC’s “The Apprentice,” Erin Scavino says President Donald Trump chose her to lead one of the federal government’s least-known offices as it helps tell America’s story to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Scavino, director of the State Department‘s Art in Embassies program, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview inside the Art Museum of the Americas that she never imagined she’d go from reality TV to overseeing one of the Trump administration’s signature America 250 cultural initiatives.
She said she views her appointment as part of Trump’s broader effort to elevate American culture alongside American history ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
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“I was a day one hire by President Trump because just like we’ve seen with the Kennedy Center, he wanted to make the performing arts great again, and he also put me at Art in Embassies to make visual arts great,” Scavino said.
Although little known to most Americans, the Art in Embassies office has existed since 1964, placing American artwork in nearly 190 diplomatic properties around the world as a form of cultural diplomacy.
Scavino said the nation’s 250th anniversary offered an opportunity to introduce the program to a broader audience.
Opening July 30 at the Art Museum of the Americas, “Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy” will bring together more than 30 contemporary American artists whose work explores patriotism, diplomacy, military service, immigration and national identity in what organizers describe as a celebration of the ideals that have shaped the U.S. since its founding.
The exhibition, presented through a partnership between the State Department’s Office of Art in Embassies and the American Arts Conservancy, will be free to the public through Oct. 18.
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The exhibition spans dozens of contemporary works exploring patriotism through photography, painting, sculpture and fashion, with each gallery approaching the American story from a different perspective.
Among the featured works is “Gallantly Streaming” by acclaimed artist Barbara Ernst Prey, a sweeping interpretation of the American flag that anchors the exhibition’s exploration of national identity.
Internationally recognized pop artist Romero Britto also reimagines the Statue of Liberty in his signature bold palette for the exhibit, layering vibrant colors against the Stars and Stripes to celebrate what Scavino described as the enduring promise of the American dream.
The exhibit will feature a powerful series of photographs by Korina Marie Moore,
