by Madison Matous
The Forsyth Gallery will be showcasing a new exhibit titled “Thank you Mr. President: Gifts of Appreciation from the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum” on September 16th. The exhibit will feature gifts given to President George H.W. Bush, during and after his time in office, including a bowl given to him on his inauguration.
The idea came about when collaborating with the Bush Library to see if there was any decorative art or glass they would be open to lend to the exhibit to go with pieces from the Forsyth Gallery’s famous art glass collection. It was then discovered that a lot of the pieces they had were actually given to the president—mainly by foreign dignitaries—and the idea for “Thank you Mr. President,” was born.
When a president is in office, they are showered with gifts, some personal and some he accepts on behalf of the nation. These items go into a high-security, climate-controlled storage facility and are cataloged. Then over the course of the years, the National Archive administration will research the objects and they will decide where they should go, whether it be kept by the president, in the White House, or put in the presidential library and museum.
Having all of these items put on display at once is not something that happens often. So, go check out a unique part of America’s history before the exhibit closes on December 18th.
