At the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, Rep. Jo Ann Davis
of Virginia’s 1st District talks to Thomas Somma, director
of University of Mary Washington Galleries. On the wall is one of seven paintings
loaned from UMW Galleries’ permanent collection to the offices of the
Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization. Davis chairs that committee.
As far as anyone knows, Somma said, this loan represents the first time works
of art for a Congressional office have come from an institution outside the
federal government. After he and Davis began discussing the prospect, Somma
said, “It took a while; there was no protocol to follow.”
He is pleased to have the University recognized in “a very public space”
on Capitol Hill.