WASHINGTON — The National Park Service and the National Endowment for the Humanities hosted a press conference on July 28 to celebrate bringing NEH’s “Picturing America” to thousands. 

Lindi L. Harvey, deputy director, NPS; Lisa Mendelson-Ielmini, deputy director, National Capital Region, NPS, joined Bruce Cole, chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities, for the event. They announced their partnership to feature Picturing America, NEH’s initiative to share America’s history through notable art, in national parks.

The organizations also announced they are displaying 10 reproductions of American art from Picturing America at the White House Visitor Center from July 28 through the Labor Day weekend. This partnership brings Picturing America to the thousands of citizens who visit our national parks each year.

Harvey focused her remarks on reconnecting today’s youth to the parks. “Together with our partners … teachers, librarians and concerned parents,” she said, “… we can make a real difference. … We can replace images of video games and TV reality shows with the real story of America … the true history of our nation and the richness of our heritage.” 

Harvey applauded NEH for partnering with NPS to fulfill the goals of the Picturing America initiative and congratulated Cole for the educational outreach initiative’s success.  She also told the audience which parks are featuring the exhibit.

“Beginning with Independence National Historical Park in June, continuing with this exhibit at the White House Visitors Center for the next month, and an exhibit at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in September,” Harvey said, “we are highlighting these important images as a means of connecting America’s stories with the deep meanings of national parks.”  

Mendelson-Ielmini gave welcoming remarks, noting that the National Park Service was very excited about this robust and fascinating Picturing America program. 

Cole noted the role art plays in teaching American history. “Works of art are more than mere ornaments for the elite; they are primary documents of a civilization,” he said. “A written record or a textbook tells you one thing — but art reveals something else. Visitors to select NPS sites deserve to see American art that shows us where we have come from, what we have endured, and where we are headed.” 

The White House Visitor Center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and is located at 1450 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. For more information about the White House Visitor Center, please call (202) 208-1631 or visit, www.nps.gov/whho  .

For more information about Picturing America, please visit http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/ .