The Obama Portraits Tour, organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, will travel to five cities across the U.S. from June 2021 through May 2022.
From the moment of their unveiling at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in February 2018, the museum’s official portraits of President Barack Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama have become iconic. Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of President Obama and Amy Sherald’s portrait of the former First Lady have inspired unprecedented responses from the public.
The Obama Portraits Tour, organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, will travel to five cities across the U.S. from June 2021 through May 2022 and is expected to reach millions of people who might not otherwise have an opportunity to view these remarkable paintings. In addition to the artworks themselves, The Obama Portraits Tour will feature audio-visual elements, educational workshops, and curatorial presentations. A richly illustrated book entitled The Obama Portraits (2020), co-published by the National Portrait Gallery and Princeton University Press, and select merchandise will also be available. This special presentation will exchange the conversations surrounding the power of portraiture and its potential to engage communities.
Tour locations include: The Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago, Brooklyn Museum New York: New York, Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Los Angeles, High Museum of Art; Atlanta, and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery recognizes the lead donors to the Obama portraits: Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg; Judith Kern and Kent Whealy; Tommie L. Pegues and Donald A. Capoccia; Clarence, DeLoise and Brenda Gaines; The Stoneridge Fund of Amy and Marc Meadows; Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker; and Catherine and Michael Podell.
The Obama Portraits Tour is organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. To see the travelling schedule, see here.
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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