[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13501]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LATE ARNOLD FRIBERG

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                          HON. JASON CHAFFETZ

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 20, 2010

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the 
late Arnold Friberg, a proud Utahn and world-renowned artist. Mr. 
Friberg passed away July 1, 2010 at 96 years young, just nine days 
following an agreement to create the Arnold Friberg Museum of Art. The 
Utah Cultural Arts Foundation will manage the museum and ensure the 
masterpieces of Mr. Friberg will be enjoyed by generations to come.
  Mr. Friberg's patriotic depictions of General George Washington, his 
sketches for the famed ``The Ten Commandments'' movie, and his 
paintings of individuals and events from The Book of Mormon will 
forever be remembered in this newly created Museum.
  In preparation of what became Mr. Friberg's defining artistic moment, 
Mr. Friberg traveled to Valley Forge, in the dead of winter, to 
identify with the bitter conditions General George Washington and the 
Continental Army experienced during the winter of 1777-1778. As Mr. 
Friberg put it, ``Art to me is a service, to bring enrichment to 
people's lives. That's why I want my art to be perfectly understood. 
One of the things I work for is clarity.'' The completed piece was 
released during an American bicentennial ceremony and captures the very 
essence of American pride and patriotism. For those of you who have 
seen ``The Prayer at Valley Forge'', the suffering, the pressure, and 
General Washington's faith in America is perfectly understood and 
visualized.
  In the 1950's, Mr. Friberg partnered with Hollywood producer Cecil B. 
DeMille to serve as chief artist and designer for DeMille's epic 
motion-picture, ``The Ten Commandments.'' Mr. Friberg's 15 paintings 
for ``The Ten Commandments'' served as the pictorial basis for the 
scenes, characters, and costumes of the legendary film. For his 
efforts, Mr. Friberg earned an Academy Award Nomination in 1956.
  Other famous works include Mr. Friberg's work for his church, The 
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mr. Friberg painted and 
designed covers for the children's magazine, The Friend, and has 
depicted well-known scenes and moments from The Book of Mormon. These 
paintings are loved and celebrated by members of the LDS Church around 
the world.
  Mr. Friberg was born in a Chicago suburb, but by the 1950's, he was 
an established resident of Utah. Utah Governor Gary Herbert recently 
called Mr. Friberg Utah's ``adopted son.'' His Utah family will miss 
him, but his memory and his artwork will live on forever.

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