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Thecurator of theUnited States Senate is responsible for the care of the Senate collection of art and artifacts. The current curatress of the Senate is Melinda K. Smith.
On behalf of theU.S. Senate Commission on Art, the Office of the Senate Curator develops and implements the museum and preservation programs for the U.S. Senate. The Officecollects,preserves, andinterprets the Senate'sfine and decorative art, historical artifacts and images, andarchitectural features within the Senate wing of the United States Capitol and Senate Office Buildings.
Through exhibits,publications, and other programs, the Office educates thepublic about the Senate and its collections. The Office of Senate Curator is also responsible for the supervision and care of theOld Senate Chamber and theOld Supreme Court Chamber.
The Office has established environmentally controlled museum quality storage spaces; overseen foreign gifts received by senators as part of their diplomatic duties; and reinterpreted the paint colors, drapery, and chair upholstery of the historic chambers.
In 1968, Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, in conjunction with Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen, established a Commission on Art and Antiquities (now the Senate Commission on Art), with the secretary of the Senate serving as its executive secretary, and created the position of Senate Curator.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe Office of Senate Curator.U.S. Senate.
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