Frank O’Hara, the poet and curator at the Museum of Modern Art, was a central figure in the mid-20th-century effort to promote American high art globally as a cultural counterpart to U.S. military and economic power. The article examines how O’Hara’s work, alongside the Abstract Expressionists and other artists, helped establish New York as the capital of the art world, projecting American cultural influence abroad through exhibitions, poetry, and institutional support.
This matters because the article argues that the 'American Century'—the era of U.S. cultural dominance that O’Hara helped build—now appears to be ending. As geopolitical power shifts and global art scenes diversify, the model of a single nation leading high culture is increasingly questioned. The piece reflects on how O’Hara’s legacy is tied to a specific historical moment that may not return, prompting readers to reconsider the relationship between art, national identity, and soft power.