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National Portrait Gallery - Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald Commissioned for Official Portraits of Former President Barack Obama and Former First Lady Michelle Obama - Unveiled Feb 12, 2018. On National Tour June, 2021 - June, 2022.


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The National Portrait Gallery has commissioned Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald to paint the museum's official portraits of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.  The two portraits will be unveiled at the museum in early 2018 and will be added to the Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection. 

Kehinde Wiley received wide acclaim for his touring exhibit "Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic," which appeared at the Brooklyn Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Seattle Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, Toledo Museum of Art, and Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

Amy Sherald is from Baltimore and is probably best known to DC folks for her First Place painting at The Outwin 2016.  

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The National Portrait Gallery was PACKED this afternoon.  NPG staff were quoting an hour wait in line to view Barack Obama's portrait (or really to wait in line to take a selfie with the painting) which does need to be seen in person.  So vibrant.

You can access the Presidential Portrait Gallery without waiting in line, but you can't get up close to Mr. Obama's painting unless you wait in line.  So you can get a good view, its just going to be off to the side with other people milling around.

Mrs. Obama's portrait is set up just off the main NPG lobby area.  There was only about a 5-10 minute wait in line to view the painting.

For both paintings you only get a minute or so to be up close and personal with the paintings, so best to go on off hours or wait for the crowds to die down. Good luck!

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An article in the Washington Post's Express stated that during the first week after the unveiling of the portraits, the National Portrait Gallery had 72,100 visitors, including 50,000 over the President's Day weekend.  In comparison, last year's holiday weekend attracted 16,041.     

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Obama portraits are going on tour. June 2021 - June 2022.

Art Institute of Chicago (June 18, 2021 - Aug. 15, 2021)

Brooklyn Museum (Aug. 27, 2021 - Oct. 24, 2021)

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Nov. 5, 2021 - Jan. 2, 2022)

High Museum of Art, Atlanta (Jan. 14, 2022 - March 13, 2022)

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (March 25, 2022 - May 30, 2022)

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