Intense institutional activity in New York

After an activity-packed day in New York City, Carles Vilarrubí, the vice-president responsible for the FC Barcelona Area of International and Institutional Relations gave a reception to members of the Catalan community living in the Big Apple at the club’s new offices in the city. The Barça director told the guests about the presentation of the FCB Photo Awards the day before and in his speech described how Barça can form a bond between new arrivals to Catalonia.

The people attending the event included the delegate of the Catalan Government, Andrew Davies; the co-director of the Farragut Foundation, Mary Ann Newman; the director of the Ramon Llull Institute in New York, Jadranka Vrsalovic; prestigious surgeon Valentí Fuster; representatives of academia in New York like Lance Brown and Sophie Gonide; urban planners at the City University of NY and of NYU respectively, and Andrew Lee, historian at NY University, as well as representatives of businesses with offices in New York.

Visit to Brooklyn Museum

Carles Vilarrubí was fresh back from a trip to the Brooklyn Museum to enjoy a private viewing of the Who shot in Sports? expedition, for which Gail Buckland is the commissioner. The vice-president was joined by members of the jury of the FCB Photo Awards and was able to admire some of the greatest sports pictures ever taken. Buckland revealed the reasons for and the story behind each of the photos on show.

Agreement with Farragut Foundation

Before the reception in the FC Barcelona offices, Vilarrubí had signed a collaboration agreement with the Farragut Foundation along with its co-director, Mary Ann Newman. This is an organisation to build links between Catalonia and the United States and to support creation and innovation in the arts, culture, humanities and science

Statement by vice-president responsible for the Area of International and Institutional Relations, Carles Vilarrubí:

“Sport can do a lot for integration in modern society. It is a core element of what Catalan society is today and Barça has done much to help newcomers to our country. One of the first things that a foreigner from a radically different culture to our own does to feel part of the community is to wear a Barça shirt or become a Barça supporter”.

“Culture is in our roots. We set up an initiative called Barça Cultura. FC Barcelona is the best ambassador for Barcelona and Catalonia in the world”.

Statement by the delegate of the Government of Catalonia, Andrew Davies:

“FC Barcelona is more than a club, and it is also an agent of Catalonia’s public diplomacy. Barça takes the name of Catalonia around the world and has a capacity for attraction that’s hard to match. A lot of people have learned about our country through supporting Barça, which has helped in our endeavour to explain ourselves to the world”.

“Today the relationship between Barça and the United States has especially started growing since the opening of the New York office. In the name of the almost 15,000 Catalans residing in the United States, I congratulate you and thank you for thinking of us”.

Statement by the co-director of the Farragut Foundation, Mary Ann Newman:

“It is a huge privilege to be here to collaborate with FC Barcelona. Art is about having fun through play, there are also rules to sport and art, but the principle is play and we can start from there. One of the goals of the Farragut Foundation is to showcase Catalan heritage in the United States. There are many examples of that, and Barça is one of them. We are delighted to be able to work with FC Barcelona and to present the Catalan legacy in the United States”.