About Madeleine Albright:

Madeleine Albright was named the first female Secretary of State in 1997 under President Bill Clinton. Born in Czechoslovakia in 1937, Albright moved with her family to Denver in 1949. She had diplomacy in her blood from a young age, as her father, Josef Korbel, taught at the University of Denver Graduate School of International Studies for decades. In 2008, DU renamed its international studies program the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.


"I'm really delighted to be in this fantastic museum in which I consider to be my hometown," said Albright at a press conference at the Denver Art Museum. Albright attended the prestigious Wellesley College before returning to Denver and marrying Joseph Albright in 1959. She met Joseph, a newspaper heir, while working at the Denver Post for a summer. The Albrights divorced in 1982 after more than two decades of marriage.

While raising three daughters, Albright earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University before vaulting into politics. Albright's diplomatic career began when she served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in 1993 under President Bill Clinton. During her diplomacy career, she began wearing pins that communicated her stance on political issues.

About Read My Pins:

"None of this would have happened without Saddam Hussein," said Albright. When the Iraqi press called her an "unparalleled serpent," she made sure to wear a snake pin during her next meeting with Iraqi officials.

The exhibit at the Denver Art Museum includes more than 200 pins from Albright's personal collection.

Most of the pins are costume jewelry found at flea markets or souvenir shops, but some pins are more valuable. The exhibit is on display from April 15 - June 17, 2012.

Eventually, political leaders and foreign ministers began giving Albright pins as tokens of esteem. For example, Leah Rabin, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, gave Albright a pin of a gold dove.

After Albright left office in 2001, she began organizing her pins, and realized her costume jewelry allowed a glimpse into history. "I obviously love foreign policy... but to many people, it's not as interesting as it is to me," Albright said. "I wanted to make foreign policy less foreign."

Museum Location, Hours and Admission:

Denver Art Museum
100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy
Denver, CO 80204
720-865-5000

Hours:
Tues. - Thurs. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Fri. 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sun. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
"Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection" is included in regular museum admission. The Denver Art Museum is closed on Mondays.

Admission to the Denver Art Museum:
Colorado residents: Adults $10, Seniors/Students $8, Youth (Ages 6 - 18) $3
Out-of-state residents: Adults $13, Seniors/Students $10, Youth (Ages 6 - 18) $5