Mona Bismarck American Center for Art & Culture

Mona Bismarck American Center for art & culture

Location of the Mona Bismarck American Center in Paris
Established	1986
Location	34 Avenue de New York 75116 Paris, France
Coordinates	48°51′47″N 2°17′41″E / 48.863107°N 2.294819°E / 48.863107; 2.294819
President	Caroline Porter
Public transit access	Iéna Alma-Marceau
Website	www.monabismarck.org

The Mona Bismarck American Center for art & culture has as its mission “to strengthen the understanding and friendship between France and the United States by enabling the discovery of the richness and diversity of American art and culture through exhibitions, educational programs and events”.^[1]

The current Center was launched in 2011, based on the legacy of the Mona Bismarck Foundation, which became active in 1986 following the death of its founder and sole benefactor, the American philanthropist Countess Mona von Bismarck. She donated her Parisian townhouse and the majority of her estate to found the Mona Bismarck Foundation, as "her desire was to establish a Cultural Centre in Paris to enhance the cause of American/French friendship upon her death".^[2]

History

The Center

Located on the Seine, across from the Eiffel Tower, the hôtel particulier, or Parisian townhouse, was built at the end of the nineteenth century. It was reconfigured for Mona Bismarck in the late 1950s by French interior decorator Stéphane Boudin. The building was featured in a 1928 issue of Vogue.^[3]

Programming

Exhibitions

Two to three temporary exhibitions of American art are presented each year in partnership with international institutions. Exhibitions focus on a single artist or theme and represent a range of artistic styles and movements.