Spend this Friday with Madeleine Albright

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will visit the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library this weekend in celebration of the newly opened exhibit, “Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection.” The travelling exhibition runs from May 11 through October 27.

As one of the United State’s most accomplished diplomats, Albright’s pins became a tacit form of personal expression over the course of her career. After emigrating to the United States in 1948 following the Soviet-backed coup d’état of Czechoslovakia, Ablright served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations before becoming the first female Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton in 1997. More recently, Albright was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom–the highest civilian award offered by the United States–by President Barrack Obama.

Throughout her career as a traveled diplomat, Albright used pins to emphasize important events, negotiations, hopes and convictions. The exhibition–organized by the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City–features a wide variety of these important Albright signatures, from family heirlooms to designer creations. The 280+ pins themselves are accompanied by numerous photos and personal anecdotes as well, offering visitors a candid look inside the mind this inspiring public figure.

This weekend, interested parties have the chance to see this collection and meet the woman who made it all possible. Albright, a member of the museum’s National Advisory Board, will visit the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library from May 17-18 to celebrate the exhibit’s recent opening, starting with “An Evening with Madeleine Albright.”

Tickets for this event are $125 and may be purchased by calling Elizabeth at 319-362-8500 (extension 205) or by emailing eschlegel@NCSML.org. Cocktail attire is encouraged. Interested parties can look forward to a cocktail reception and photo opportunity with the former Secretary of State, followed by a question and answer session and book signing. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Friday: An Evening with Madeleine Albright

• 6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception and Photos with Secretary Madeleine Albright
• 7:30 p.m. “A Conversation with Madeleine Albright”
• 8:30 p.m. Desserts and Book Signing (limit one book per person)

On Saturday, the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library is hosting a “Women’s Breakfast with Secretary Madeleine Albright,” featuring a second question an answer session. However, this ticketed event is sold out.

Saturday: A Conversation with Students

This event is free and open to high school and undergraduate students. Albright will field questions from students, after which, attendees are encouraged to visit the aforementioned exhibit, “Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection.” Albright’s student conversation begins at 11:30 a.m. with an 11:00 a.m. check-in.

According to the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, this student opportunity was specifically requested by Albright. To reserve a seat for this event, contact Jan Stoffer before noon on Friday at 319-362-8500 (extension 218) or by emailing jan@NCSML.org