Organized by the United States Information Agency, the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, along with consumerist goods from cars to kitchens, introduced contemporary American visual art to millions of Soviet people. By displaying works of abstract artists such as Jackson Pollock, curators sought to showcase freedom of artistic expression in America, which was allegedly unavailable within the framework of Socialist Realism—the only official style in the totalitarian Soviet Union. Exploring diverse novel materials from drafts of the exhibition catalog to original comment books, this essay provides a nuanced accounted on the curatorial message and the visitors’ reception of the art show. Updating dominant narratives on the exhibition, this piece concludes with a discussion of challenges one encounters when evaluating success of the show.