Read My Pins: the Madeline Albright Collection June 1, 2011

A traveling exhibition of pins from the personal collection of Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, comes to NOMA this summer. Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, 'Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection' features more than 200 pins, many of which Secretary Albright wore to communicate a message during her diplomatic tenure. The exhibition examines the collection for its historic significance as well as the expressive power of jewelry and its ability to communicate through a style and language of its own. In 1997, Albright was named the first female Secretary of State and became, at that time, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. While serving under President Bill Clinton, Albright became known for wearing brooches that purposefully conveyed her views about the situation at hand. "I found that jewelry had become part of my personal diplomatic arsenal," Albright has said. "While President George H. W. Bush had been known for saying !Read my lips,' I began urging colleagues and reporters to !Read my pins.'"