From ping-pong matches that thawed relations between the U.S. and China to playwrights who helped bring down the Soviet Union, arts and cultural exchanges have a greater impact on diplomacy, politics and society than they are given credit for, according to a panel of experts who discussed the issue at the University of Montana on Friday.
The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center hosted a daylong conference in the University Center called "The Art of Diplomacy" to explore how the arts and cultural engagement shape foreign affairs.