Paintbrush Diplomacy

Paintbrush Diplomacy (PBD) promotes peace, multicultural learning, and international awareness by facilitating a global exchange of children's art and letters. PBD was founded in 1972, when world travelers Char and Rudy Pribuss began collecting, sharing, and trading children's art with people around the world. The success of this informal pen-pal program led to the establishment of our nonprofit organization in 1986, and through the years our program has touched thousands of lives. Today, we administer a robust cultural exchange program that engages people of all ages throughout the world. Every year, PBD chooses a theme that connects the work produced. For example, our theme for 2010 is Outside my Window. Each school or community center that sends artwork to PBD, in turn, receives a “diplomatic pouch” with art and letters from the other participating countries. PBD sends and receives art in two ways: 1) direct mail exchange with partnering institutions, and 2) through our University Diplomat Program, where American university students take art abroad, conduct mini art and letter writing projects with children and youth in their host countries, and deliver finished artwork to PBD's Bay Area headquarters. PBD shares this artwork with the community-at-large through public exhibitions and our online gallery.