Mission UK celebrates acquisition of artwork in London

London: The US Embassy in the United Kingdom recently acquired Jason Askew’s painting of an African American soldier in the Revolutionary War.

The painting depicts a member of the military’s first Black regiment—the Rhode Island Regiment. In celebration of Juneteenth in 2023, Askew, a London-based artist, had loaned two paintings to Embassy London.

The Mission U.K. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Council and the local chapter of Blacks in Diplomacy recognized the importance of those paintings, and worked toward making the artwork a permanent piece of the Mission’s extensive art collection. A generous grant from the Secretary’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (S/ODI) made the purchase possible, and with S/ODI’s and the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ support, the embassy was able to finalize all logistics to mark the artworks’ permanent transfer. Embassy London hosted a reception at the embassy to honor the occasion, Sept. 30. Deputy Chief of Mission Matthew Palmer (left) and Askew (right) unveiled the painting.