Croon and color
The National Portrait Gallery is becoming more hip by the moment. First, the gallery accepted a portrait of “Comedy Central” star Stephen Colbert into its permanent collection, and now this: 15-time Grammy Award-winning singer Tony Bennett will donate to the gallery a watercolor painting he created of D.C. native Duke Ellington.
The presentation will take place in April to commemorate the 110th anniversary of Ellington’s birth. Bennett has painted all of his life and has two other works — one of Central Park and the other of Ella Fitzgerald — in other Smithsonian institutions. The image of jazz legend Ellington was recently chosen to appear on the District’s new quarter.
