Kennebunkport. "I am very honored and pleased," said George Bush in July at the presentation of a bronze bust which was created by the German sculptor Kurt Arentz. Arentz received the commission for the bust when Bush was still President in the White House. The presentation finally took place in the summer residence of Bush.
For this occasion the sculptor Kurt Arentz and his wife Therese came from Europe. The director of The Museum of European Art, B. John Zavrel and his wife Sandy attended the presentation. The delegation also included the Italian painter Alessandra Della Valentina, and the inventor Wilson Greatbatch.
At the presentation said B. John Zavrel: "Mr. President, this gathering gives me the opportunity to thank you for your long-term American-European engagement. Especially in Germany, with its Chancellor Helmut Kohl, people know how to value the loyalty of the United States, which both you as well as your predecessor Ronald Reagan have always clearly demonstrated. That this community of values is not only politically motivated, but also has its roots in the German population, is confirmed also by the creation of your portrait by the sculptor Kurt Arentz." It is a pleasure for us to report that there are works by this artist in the collection of The Museum of European Art, which was founded in bilateral cooperation in Clarence, New York.
Bush replied: "I am again pleased to realize that my work for a peaceful, good future has been fruitful. When politicians succeed in bringing people together in mutual respect and friendship, the people of the various continents, then they have accomplished something great. But this coming together will be successful only on the basis of human rights." Bush said that the bust by Arentz will belong to the George Bush Presidential Library Center. It will be there as a reminder of the German-American cooperation for the years ahead.