steven polson
steven polson home
steven polson official site
website design LP interactive
201 476-1616
Portrait unveiling for Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State, April 14, 2008
Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice speaks at Portrait unveiling for Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright and her three daughters at the unveiling of her portrait
Steven Polson and Madeleine Albright at the unveiling of her portrait, April 14, 2008
At a Portrait Party, a Portrait of Party Tension
Madeleine Albright, secretary of state in the
first and so far only Clinton administration,
with her official likeness.
(By Lawrence Jackson -- Associated Press)
By Al Kamen
Wednesday, April 16, 2008; Page A13
Monday's unveiling of former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright's stunning official portrait brought back many folks from her days in charge, including former deputy secretary Strobe Talbott, undersecretary Thomas Pickering, chief of staff Elaine Shocas and spokesman Jamie Rubin.
Ever-gracious Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave a touching introduction of Albright and, as she often has in the past, noted that they shared the same "intellectual father." Albright's father, professor Josef Korbel, was Rice's mentor on foreign policy when she was a student at the University of Denver in the 1970s.
Despite the party differences, the banter was friendly as Rice joked that there hadn't been a white male secretary of state in the past 12 years and Albright, calling Rice her "sister," joked that two-thirds of the secretaries of state in this century have been women. (Albright also lavished praise on portrait artist Steven Polson for the splendid likeness, given his "limited material.")
Rice welcomed the audience of more than 300 current and former diplomats, Clinton administration officials, members of Congress and other dignitaries, including Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer. But while sisterhood and "first women" seemed the theme, Rice didn't single out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking woman ever, who was standing in front of her in the first row, about eight feet away. (Albright did thank Pelosi for dropping by.)
While bipartisan camaraderie abounded, there seemed a bit of tension within the Democratic ranks between the dominant Hillary Clinton people and the Barack Obama supporters, who were represented most prominently by Albright's former director of policy planning, Greg Craig; former assistant secretary Susan Rice; and former Clinton commerce secretary Norman Y. Mineta. (We're told the tension persisted at Albright's party after the unveiling.)
But everyone at least held things in check from the moment all those former top government officials, including Clinton national security adviser Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger and former Al Gore national security adviser Leon Fuerth, and assorted ex-assistant secretaries and ex-White House staffers went through the metal detectors in that grand trailer outside the department.
In fact, we even noticed Pelosi and Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) actually chatting amiably as they walked out afterward. (And no, before the churlish amongst you ask, no one searched Berger on the way out.)
April 16th 2008 Washington Post Article
Portrait unveiling of Jessie Kenan Wise at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington: October 14th, 2008
Portrait unveiling of former Secretary of Veterans Administration, Anthony Principi: October 22nd, 2008
Portrait unveiling of former head of Central Intelligence Agency, George Tenet: May, 2008
Portrait unveiling of former President of Wellesley College, Diana Walsh: April 23rd, 2009
Hillary Clinton speaks at the portrait unveiling for Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, December 7, 2009
Alma Powell, Colin Powell and Steven Polson at the portrait unveiling for Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, December 7, 2009
Colin Powell and Steven Polson, portrait unveiling for Colin Powell,
former Secretary of State, December 7, 2009
Former Senator Trent Lott portrait unveiling, September 16, 2009
Former Senator Trent Lott portrait unveiling, September 16, 2009
Portrait Unveiling Ceremony, January 19, 2010 for Jane Garvey, former aviation administrator
Portrait of Colin Powell hanging
in the State Department
Steven chooses frame with client for private collection, May 4, 2010.