Labor Day Reflections Through American Art

Labor Day has been observed in the United States since 1894 as a tribute to the strength, dignity, and perseverance of American workers. It is a day that honors not only the labor that built our cities, fields, and industries, but also the creativity and ingenuity that continue to define our national spirit.

Art, like labor, is an act of building. Each brushstroke, each carved line, each vision brought to life on canvas or paper reflects hours of dedication and the pursuit of something lasting. The works we’ve shared from the U.S. Department of State’s Art in Embassies (AIE) collection remind us that art is labor, and labor itself can be art — both giving form to the values of perseverance, community, and progress.

Just as workers have shaped the American landscape, artists have shaped its cultural identity. Through their effort, we see not only a reflection of our nation’s history, but also a glimpse of its enduring optimism and hope.

This Labor Day, we invite you to spend a moment with this curated collection — to see in these works the shared story of effort and imagination, and to reflect on the ways labor and art together continue to carry the American experience into the future.