Local Artist’s Work Chosen by US Ambassador to Burkina Faso

Artist Pamela R. Tarbell’s “Sisters” first made its appearance in the Upper Valley in 2016 as part of an art exhibition at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Now a newly named U.S. ambassador, Sandra E. Clark, has chosen Tarbell’s painting to grace her residence in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Tarbell is a participating artist in Art in Embassies, a curated program within the U.S. Department of State “that creates vital cross-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding through the visual arts and dynamic artist exchanges.” Clark, a French-speaking lawyer and career diplomat, received her official position as ambassador to Burkina Faso in September, 2020. “Sisters” (photo, above) will remain on view in Clark’s residence for at least two years, after which she may decide to keep it for a longer period of time. The oil on leather and canvas is a triptych measuring 48 by 84 inches.

Of the painting, a “deeply honored” Tarbell says “I did this piece when I met several young women who had breast cancer and realized how important is it to support other women in our lives no matter what is happening.”

Pam Tarbell’s studio in located in Concord NH. She maintains continuing professional ties to the Upper Valley, including a recent show of her work in the fall of 2019 at AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon NH.

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Susan B. Apel retired from a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.