The official portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama will travel around the country in 2021.
Beginning in June 2021, the paintings of the former president and first lady will go on a five-city tour to Chicago, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Houston.
The widely popular artworks have been housed at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery since they were unveiled nearly two years ago. Shortly after it was put on display, Michelle Obama’s portrait had to be moved to a different part of the museum because of the number of visitors wanting to view it.
“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,” Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said in a statement. “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.”
Kehinde Wiley, who is known for his vivid, large-scale paintings of African Americans, painted the portrait of the former president. Amy Sherald, who typically paints African Americans doing everyday things, created the likeness of Michelle Obama.
Sherald and Wiley were the first black artists to paint official portraits of a former president and first lady for the museum.
