Diplomacy through art
Photos courtesy of Joe Angemi January 16, 2025
Blue Hen alumnus serves as senior curator for the U.S. Department of State
Art is a universal language, and Joe Angemi speaks it everywhere he goes.
As a senior curator for the U.S. Department of State, the Blue Hen alumnus manages a collection of over 17,000 objects — spanning prehistoric to contemporary pieces — that reflect the breadth of global cultures and the evolution of America’s place in the world.
“America has been bringing people from every corner of the globe for 249 years,” he said. “No one else has quite that same story. That’s what I want to show the world.”
Angemi typically creates two to three exhibits per year, a mix of temporary and permanent displays. One of his proudest accomplishments was an exhibit created in 2021 to celebrate diplomacy in Morocco, one of the first countries to officially recognize the newly independent United States by opening its ports to American ships in 1777. Entitled Of Voice and Stone, the exhibit was first displayed at the National Library in Rabat and featured scores of artifacts, from gifts bestowed on former Secretaries of State to the leather boots once worn by Jimi Hendrix (whose song “Castles in the Sand” was allegedly inspired by the rocker’s time in Morocco).
Angemi’s work also extends into more painful areas of history. In 2021, he worked on a London exhibit marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11, commemorating both the tragedy and the outpouring of British support.
Objects included a firefighter’s jacket and American flag, but it was masks created by veterans that drew the greatest interest. The exteriors represented how the world saw the vets; the interior depicted how they saw themselves.
“Those were especially moving,” Angemi recalled. “They had raw, genuine power. People’s emotions were on display.”
He has since expanded the program, working with British veterans’ groups and King's College to bring the exhibit to various locations in London. He hopes that in 2025, he can bring American veterans to the United Kingdom, fostering deeper cultural connections.
“It's another way to see each other, eye to eye,” he said. “Diplomacy is the business of friendships, and artists make those connections easily.”
Angemi’s work at the Department of State is a blend of history and culture. It is also an extension of the interests he first developed at UD. As a double major in history and anthropology, he found that the two subjects shared a common denominator.
“They’re all about the stories we tell,” he said.
Today, his role as a senior curator for the Department of State takes him all over the world, designing exhibits that tell both local and American stories and finding cultural connections that strengthen global ties.
For Angemi, the future of diplomacy lies in those shared experiences.
“I want people to understand that we’re not so different after all,” he said. “Art can be a powerful tool for showcasing that.”
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