New Yorkers will have a chance to see the super popular Obama portraits soon…
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery announced that the portraits will be making a multi-city tour this year—from June 21, 2021 through May 30, 2022!
Kehinde Wiley painted the oil-on-canvas portrait of President Obama, while Amy Sherald painted the oil-on-linen portrait of the former First Lady. They were unveiled in February of 2018 at the National Portrait Gallery and have been met with immense acclaim ever since. The museum has even seen a record number of visitors the last two years the portraits have been on display. So now, they’re spreading the love!
Besides just the artwork being on view to the public, the art exhibit will have audio-visual elements as well as teacher workshops, curatorial presentations, and a new illustrated book called The Obama Portraits, according to the museum’s announcement.
Our own Brooklyn Museum, located at 200 Eastern Pkwy in Prospect Heights, will be the next stop on the five-city tour, after Chicago. The schedule is:
- Art Institute of Chicago, June 18, 2021-August 15, 2021
- Brooklyn Museum, August 27, 2021-October 24, 2021
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art: November 5, 2012-January 2, 2022
- High Museum of Art in Atlanta: January 14, 2022-March 13, 2022
- The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston: March 25, 2022-May 30, 2022
“We view the country as our community,” said Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery. “Since the unveiling of these two portraits of the Obamas, the Portrait Gallery has experienced a record number of visitors, not only to view these works in person, but to be part of the communal experience of a particular moment in time. This tour is an opportunity for audiences in different parts of the country to witness how portraiture can engage people in the beauty of dialogue and shared experience.”
So, just a few weeks away from making their NYC debut on August 27! Find out more on their website here.