This is the last chance to see them before they commence their year long journey across the country
Barack Obama’s portrait painted by Kehinde Wiley and Michelle Obama’s portrait by Amy Sheraldand, will be going on a five city tour from June 2021 to May 2022. It will be removed from the National Portrait Gallery on May 23rd but will be returned at the end of the tour next year. Indeed, these portraits have increased the visits to The National Portrait Gallery since they have been displayed in 2018.
This tour will allow many Americans and tourists to enjoy these vibrant, impactful paintings. Their journey is
- Art Institute of Chicago, June 18, 2021, to August 15, 2021
- Brooklyn Museum, August 27, 2021, to October 24, 2021
- the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, November 5, 2012, to January 2, 2022
- High Museum of Art in Atlanta, January 14, 2022, to March 13, 2022
- Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, March 25, 2022, to May 30, 2022
Dorothy Moss, the gallery’s curator of painting and sculpture, sees a deeper meaning to having these portraits tour the country side by side: “we wanted to be sure we shared the portraits with diverse audiences across the country, […] especially young people. The Obamas really wanted these portraits to be for future generations.”
Furthermore, Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery said that “We view the country as our community […] 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.”
To see these spectacular portraits one more time before they embark, reserve free timed-entry tickets. As a reminder, the National Portrait Gallery is opened Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.