Kathleen Stafford

After the takeover of the American Embassy in Iran portrayed in the Oscar-winning film Argo and her escape with help from the Canadians and the CIA, it was clear to Kathleen that life could be fragile, and she should pursue her passion for art without further delay. She had completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in the United States and done post-graduate work at the Academia de Belle Arti in Rome. So, for the next forty years accompanying her diplomat husband, she learned languages, painted watercolors, collaborated with local artists, and held exhibitions and workshops in a dozen countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the United States. Her paintings and collographs are part of the permanent collections of many American and foreign embassies and centers for art around the world.