GW’S LUTHER W. BRADY ART GALLERY PRESENTS
“A PERFECT WORLD”
OCTOBER 31-DECEMBER 6

Background:

Imagine talking candidly with over 50 prominent Americans, asking each of them to describe their vision of an ideal world.  Imagine then asking them to paint a picture of the world they have just described.  Journalist Debra Trione did just that, and compiled the results into her book entitled, A Perfect World: Words and Paintings from Over 50 of America’s Most Powerful People.  Thirty-six of these images and their accompanying texts are exhibited in “A Perfect World” at the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery, including depictions by such distinguished figures as James Carville, Alan Dershowitz, Candace Gingrich, Patricia Ireland, Knight Kiplinger and Eleanor Holmes Norton. 

The participants are leaders in government, the private sector, advocacy groups, the media and academia.  When Trione brought art supplies into their offices, every one of these usually lucid leaders sat for an awkward moment in stunned disbelief.  Most had not lifted a paintbrush since grade school!  Although painting is far removed from the everyday tasks of these leaders, the result of this project is an extraordinary, first of its kind collection that opens a new type of window into the high aspirations and lofty dreams of many of our national leaders.  Visions range from a world without disease to a world full of democratic countries, and also include population stabilization, basic literacy, and an increase in standard of living.  Several responses were nearly opposite what one would expect given the participant’s role in society.  For example, General Norman Schwarzkopf declared “No more war!” 

The exhibit shows the wide variety of ways in which our leaders think about a perfect world, the dominant and recurring themes that cut across political boundaries and how the leaders’ visions expressed in paint differ from their visions expressed in words.