‘The Obama Portraits Tour' Continues to Inspire Across the Country
The Obama Portraits Tour, organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, has traveled to three out of the scheduled five cities in the U.S. since June 2021. The tour has given millions of people the unique opportunity to view the official portraits of the 44th President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. The iconic paintings, which were unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in February 2018, were created by revered artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald. Wiley painted the portrait of Barack Obama, and the painting of Michelle Obama is by Sherald.
Wiley is renowned for his vivid, large-scale naturalistic paintings of African Americans, usually posing as prominent figures from Western art history. The portrait of Obama doesn’t include a hidden historical art element, however, the flowers in the backdrop have a unique meaning for Obama. For instance, the chrysanthemums are the official flower of Chicago. The Windy City is where Mrs. Obama spent her childhood, specifically in the South Shore neighborhood. Barack spent years teaching at the University of Chicago Law School. The momentous 2008 election night was celebrated in “Chicago’s Front Yard,” a.k.a. Grant Park. The jasmine flower represents Hawaii, where Obama spent most of his childhood, and the African blue lilies are for his late Kenyan father.
To create her official portrait for the museum, Mrs. Obama hand-picked Sherald, the winner of the 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Sherald’s paintings usually feature a solid pastel-hued background, allowing her subjects’ visage, plus vibrant and detailed clothing to capture the viewer’s rapt attention. In her portrait of Mrs. Obama, Sherald paints her evoking confidence and approachability while donning a dress by former Milly fashion designer Michelle Smith.
In addition to the artwork on display, the tour features thrilling audio-visual footage, educational workshops, and engaging curatorial presentations, which lends themselves to conversations centered on the power of portraiture and its potential to captivate communities. The Obama Portraits Tour is in Los Angeles through January 2, 2022, before wrapping up in Atlanta and Houston in spring 2022. You can purchase tickets from the museum links below.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Los Angeles—Nov. 7, 2021–Jan. 2, 2022
High Museum of Art; Atlanta—Jan. 14, 2022–March 20, 2022
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Houston—April 2, 2022–May 30, 2022
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Photography by: Mark Wilson/Getty Images