The Onera Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving historic American architecture, has opened a physical venue in New Canaan, Connecticut. Its inaugural exhibition, "Treaties on De-Fences" (through March 2026), features sculptures and prints by Spanish American artist Jorge Otero-Pailos, inspired by his work preserving the Eero Saarinen-designed US Embassy in Oslo. The foundation, founded by David B. Peterson, acquired the landmark 1836 Greek Revival building in 2018 and restored it to host exhibitions and public programs.
This matters because the Onera Foundation fills a gap in the preservation field by creating a dedicated space for exhibitions and discourse around historic architecture, an area with limited foundation support. The focus on diplomatic architecture—highlighted by Otero-Pailos's transformation of the embassy's fence into artworks—underscores how preservation can engage with broader cultural and political narratives, making history accessible and relevant to contemporary audiences.