HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF BIPARTISAN CULTURAL EXCHANGE BILL

WASHINGTON – Today, the Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act (H.R. 889) passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), bill sponsor Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), and co-sponsors House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) praised the continued bipartisan support for the legislation, and the approval of the bill once again by the whole House:

“We applaud our colleagues for passing an important piece of legislation that will allow millions of Americans the chance to see some of the most important art and artifacts the world has to offer.  Both sides of the aisle have come together again to remove barriers that would deny our country’s museums and galleries the ability to borrow works from foreign governments without the restrictions placed by rulings from the federal courts.

“This legislation will make foreign artwork and artifacts more accessible to the public to study and appreciate in American schools and museums while preserving important protections for Holocaust-related claims.  We are pleased that the House has reaffirmed its longstanding appreciation of the arts and the cultural exchange of ideas.”

 art

Background: Currently, court decisions interpreting the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) discourage foreign governments from lending government-owned artwork and objects of cultural significance to U.S. museums and schools for temporary exhibit or display. Foreign governments are discouraged by the possibility of litigation in U.S. courts from which they would otherwise be immune. As a result, the ability of U.S. museums and schools to borrow works of art and objects of cultural significance owned by foreign governments has been seriously curtailed in recent years. The Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act fixes this problem by making a narrowly-tailored change to FSIA. This change will make it easier for U.S. museums and educational institutions to borrow works of art and other objects from abroad, increasing Americans’ opportunities for cultural and educational development. This bill also contains an exception for cultural property taken during the Nazi era. 

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Increase Access to Foreign Art in U.S. Museums and Schools

(WASHINGTON) – The House of Representatives passed the strongly bipartisan H.R. 4292, the Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act by a vote of 388-4. By making a change to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, this legislation strengthens the ability of U.S. museums and schools to borrow foreign government-owned artwork and cultural artifacts. The bill was approved by the House Judiciary Committee on April 2, 2014.

H.R. 4292 would revive foreign borrowing and encourage foreign governments to loan portions of their collections to museums and galleries in the United States for public viewing. The ability of U.S. institutions consistently to produce first-class exhibitions depends in large part on assuring foreign governments that their loans will not subject them to litigation in U.S. courts.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), bill sponsor Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), and co-sponsors House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) praised the bill’s passage and issued the following joint statement:

“Due to the interpretation of overlapping federal statutes by federal courts, American universities and museums are too often denied the opportunity to borrow foreign government-owned artwork and cultural artifacts for temporary display. Today, much-needed bipartisan legislation passed the House that removes these barriers, increases access to foreign art in the United States and fosters a culture of learning and creativity. This legislation will make foreign artwork and artifacts more accessible to the public to view, study and appreciate in American schools and museums while preserving important protections for Holocaust-related claims. We are pleased that the House has reaffirmed its longstanding appreciation of the arts and the cultural exchange of ideas.”

Background: Currently, court decisions interpreting the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) discourage foreign governments from lending government-owned artwork and objects of cultural significance to U.S. museums and schools for temporary exhibit or display. Foreign governments are discouraged by the possibility of litigation in U.S. courts from which they would otherwise be immune. As a result, the ability of U.S. museums and schools to borrow works of art and objects of cultural significance owned by foreign governments has been seriously curtailed in recent years. The Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act fixes this problem by making a narrowly-tailored change to FSIA. This change will make it easier for U.S. museums and educational institutions to borrow works of art and other objects from abroad, increasing Americans’ opportunities for cultural and educational development. This bill also makes an exception for cultural property taken during the Nazi era.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Conyers Applauds $90,000 in Grant Awards to Further Embolden the Detroit Arts

(DETROIT) – Today, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced that $50,000 in grant funding has been awarded to The Detroit Symphony Music Hall’s Tchaikovsky Festival for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s “Live from Orchestra Hall” webcast series. Additionally, the NEA awarded $40,000 to InsideOut Literary Arts Project, Inc.’s VOICES Amplified program. After the announcement, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

"I am pleased to announce that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has awarded $50,000 in grant funding to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. For over 125 years, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra has brought outstanding music and cultural enrichment to the people of Michigan. This grant will enable the Symphony to impact individuals and communities on a global scale through a series of free webcasts broadcast live to more than 75 countries,” said Conyers.

“In addition, a $40,000 grant awarded to the InsideOut Literary Arts Project’s VOICES Amplified program will allow Detroit’s youth to pursue literacy at a higher level by assisting InsideOut in supplying professional writers to teach in Detroit classrooms. The future of Michigan, and the nation, is held in the hands of our youth. It is our duty to ensure they have the opportunity to succeed in creative endeavors. I applaud NEA for recognizing this valuable organization.

“In a time when arts funding is too often relegated to the backburner, it is encouraging to see national investments in Detroit’s artistic programs. I am grateful to the NEA for their commitment to the arts in Michigan and across the country.”

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Conyers Announces Grant Awards to Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, Michigan Opera Theatre, & Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) announced $185,000 in grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for prominent artistic and cultural institutions in Detroit. Specifically, the NEA provided $30,000 in grant funding to the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan to support an arts and culture marketing initiative focusing on music journalism, $75,000 in grant funding for the Detroit Institute of Arts for an exhibition entitled “Art of American Dance,” $50,000 in grant funding to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall to support solo orchestra performances and educational activities, and $30,000 in grant funding to the Michigan Opera Theatre to support performances of “A View from the Bridge.” After the grant recipients were made public, Rep. Conyers issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

"I am so pleased that the National Endowment for the Arts has recognized the robust art scene in metropolitan Detroit, and awarded four of our prominent cultural institutions grant funding to build on our artistic heritage. I can think of no institutions more deserving than the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, the Michigan Opera Theatre, and the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan,” said Conyers.

“In particular, these grants will fund an exhibition on the ‘Art of American Dance’ at the Detroit Institute of Arts, orchestra performances at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, multiple performances of ‘A View from the Bridge’ at the Michigan Opera Theatre, and a program by the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan to increase artistic awareness in metropolitan Detroit. All of these publicly financed grants are matched with private contributions, and generate - on average - $9 from private sources for every $1 in NEA grant funding. These awards are both a boost to our local economy and a boon to our growing artistic community. I thank the NEA for the important work they conduct and I applaud them for their commitment to preserving and emboldening Detroit’s cultural legacy.”

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Conyers Applauds National Endowment for the Arts Grant Recipients

Grant Recipients Include Allied Media Projects, InsideOut Literary Arts Projects, Inc., and the University of Detroit Mercy

(DETROIT) – Today, the National Endowment for the Arts announced its second round of grants for 2013. Three of the grants will go to projects in Michigan’s 13^th congressional district. The grants awarded in this funding cycle total over $26 million and will go to over 800 organizations in 46 states. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Congressman
John Conyers, Jr.

“The grants awarded today total over $100,000 and will go to support programs for multimedia performance, literacy, and cultural activities in the city.

“These grants will help support projects in the district that involve the creation and presentation of artistically excellent work.

“I am proud that creativity is continuing to be encouraged despite the drastic cuts to arts funding that we are seeing around the country.

“I encourage more of my constituents to seek funding for their art programs through the National Endowment for the Arts.”

The programs that received grants are Allied Media Projects, InsideOut Literary Arts Project, Inc. and the University of Detroit Mercy. Constituents in search of guidelines or information about upcoming grants should visit www.arts.gov.

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

House Passes Chabot-Conyers Bill Encouraging Foreign Countries to Lend Cultural Works to American Museums

U.S. Representative
John Conyers,Jr.

(WASHINGTON) – Today, the House of Representatives passed by voice vote H.R. 4086, the “Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act.”  The bill is a necessary legislative fix in the wake of the decision in Malewicz v. City of Amsterdam, in which U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia broadened the scope of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 (FSIA) expropriation exception to the point where it undermined exchange between American historical and cultural institutions and their foreign counterparts.  H.R. 4086  immunizes foreign states from lawsuits that seek damages for artwork that is already immune from seizure pursuant to a Presidential determination when the work is in the U.S. for temporary exhibition and makes FSIA consistent with the aims of the Immunity From Seizure Act (IFSA).  In February, the bill passed the House Judiciary Committee by unanimous voice vote.

Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), an original cosponsor, released this statement following the House’s action:

“One of the most important forms of diplomatic contact occurs not in embassies in Washington, but in museums all across the country,” said Conyers.  “Cultural exchanges of artwork and other cultural property creates understanding between Americans and the rest of the world, decreases xenophobia and prejudice, and fosters mutual respect between the United States and other nations.  The recent decision in Malewicz v. City of Amsterdam undermined this form of cultural diplomacy by creating so much uncertainty that foreign institutions became afraid to loan their cultural property.  For example, in my district, the Russian and Czech governments refused to lend works of art to the Detroit Institute of Arts for fear that their works might be seized or their cultural institutions be held liable under U.S. law.

“But H.R. 4086 is also a narrowly tailored bill that fosters cultural exchange but still preserves important legal prerogatives.  The bill does not cover every possible claim concerning the ownership of artwork owned by a foreign government.  For instance, the expropriation exception could be available for any claim concerning works that have not received immunity from seizure under IFSA.  Similarly, the expropriation exception remains available for a work that is not in the United States on temporary exhibit or display pursuant to an agreement. H.R. 4086 also makes an exception for Nazi-era claims.  This carve-out is consonant with another longstanding American policy, which is to seek restitution when possible for victims of the Nazi government, its allied governments, and its affiliated governments.

“H.R. 4086 is an important and necessary bill that reaffirms the original goals of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and Immunity From Seizure Act by clarifying inconsistency in U.S. law created by the Maelwiczdecision. We have worked closely with the Obama Administration to make certain the bill incorporates input from the Department of State.  This bill will once again make U.S. law inviting to exchanges between American historical and cultural institutions and their foreign counterparts to the educational benefit of our Nation’s public.”            

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©

Committee Passes Chabot, Conyers Bill Encouraging Foreign Countries to Lend Cultural Works to American Museums

**Follow Me On Twitter @HouseJudDems**

For Immediate Release

Date: Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Contact: Matthew Morgan – 202-226-5543

Committee Passes Chabot, Conyers Bill Encouraging Foreign Countries to Lend Cultural Works to American Museums  

(WASHINGTON) – Today the House Judiciary Committee passed by unanimous voice vote, H.R. 4086, “Foreign Cultural Exchange Jurisdictional Immunity Clarification Act.”  The bill immunizes foreign states from lawsuits that seek damages for artwork that is already immune from seizure pursuant to a Presidential determination when the work is in the U.S. for temporary exhibition.  H.R. 4086 makes Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 (FSIA) consistent with the aims of the Immunity From Seizure Act (IFSA).

Congress passed IFSA in 1965 during the height of the Cold War to encourage the Soviet Union to lend its artwork and other cultural property to American museums and educational institutions for the cultural and educational benefit of the American people without fear that it would be seized.   H.R. 4086 is necessary in the wake of the decision in Malewicz v. City of Amsterdam, in which U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia broadened the scope of the FSIA expropriation exception to the point where it undermined exchange between American historical and cultural institutions and their foreign counterparts.   

Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich), an original co-sponsor of the bill, made the following statement upon the bill’s passage: 

“This bill will make it easier for American museums and other cultural institutions to arrange exhibits of foreign cultural property to the cultural and educational benefit of the American people,” said Conyers.  “According to a letter urging my support for this bill that I received from Graham W.J. Beal, Director of the Detroit Institute of Arts, both the Russian and Czech governments are currently refusing to lend works of art to American museums in the wake of this court decision.

“H.R. 4086 resolves the inconsistency between the IFSA and the FSIA created by the Malewicz decision by ensuring that any work that the President has immunized from seizure pursuant to IFSA will also immunize the foreign government owner of that work from a suit for damages under FSIA.”

“We recognized then, and continue to recognize now, that as a general matter, the benefits of the cultural exchange fostered by temporary exhibits or displays of artwork outweigh the provision of a U.S. forum for disputes about the ownership of cultural property that is held by a foreign government.

“We as a people and a Nation benefit from the cultural exchanges fostered by laws such as H.R. 4086.  Cultural exchanges create understanding of and appreciation for foreign cultures, decreases xenophobia and prejudice, and perhaps even creates some diplomatic benefit in fostering mutual respect between our Nation and others.”

###

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©