Popular Obama paintings from National Portrait Gallery to go on 5-city tour

Portraits of former US President Barack Obama and First lady Michelle Obama are all set to go on a five-city tour of US in 2021. The portraits, which were created by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, were unveiled at Washington’s D.C.’s National Portrait Gallery in 2018. 

Considering the popularity of both the paintings, the National Portrait Gallary has now decided to send them to different cities. The paintings will be sent to the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, the Los Angeles County of Museum Art, the High Art Museum and the Museum of Fine arts, Houston.

An opportunity for audiences

While speaking to international media, Kim Sajet, the director of National Portrait Gallary said that since the unveiling of these two portraits of the Obamas, the Portrait Gallery had 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. 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. Both Wiley and Sherald were the first artists of African American descent who were commissioned to create official portraits of a US president and first lady. 

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Read: Barack Obama Wishes Wife Michelle On Her 56th Birthday With A Sweet Post

Meanwhile, the former President of the United States of America Barack Obama took to Twitter on January 17 to wish his wife Michelle Obama on her birthday with a sweet message. He posted four black and white pictures of himself with his wife calling her his star as she turned 56 on January 17. Even though she's no longer the First Lady, Michelle Obama still has quite a following. She was named most admired woman two years in a row — this year gaining 10% of the vote, far higher than anyone else on the list. 

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