Skip to main content

## Search

My Visit

Donate

Smithsonian Institution

## Site Navigation

- Visit   - Hours and Locations
  - Entry and Guidelines
  - Maps and Floor Plans
  - Dining and Shopping
  - Accessibility
  - Visiting with Kids
  - Group Visits     - Group Sales
- What's On   - Exhibitions     - Current
    - Upcoming
    - Past
  - Today's Events
  - Online Events
  - All Events
  - IMAX & Planetarium
- Explore   - Art & Design
  - History & Culture
  - Science & Nature
  - Collections     - Open Access
  - Research Resources     - Libraries
    - Archives       - Smithsonian Institution Archives
      - Air and Space Museum
      - Anacostia Community Museum
      - American Art Museum
      - Archives of American Art
      - Archives of American Gardens
      - American History Museum
      - American Indian Museum
      - Asian Art Museum Archives
      - Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
      - Hirshhorn Archive
      - National Anthropological Archives
      - National Portrait Gallery
      - Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
      - Libraries' Special Collections
  - Podcasts
  - Mobile Apps
- Learn   - For Caregivers
  - For Educators     - Art & Design Resources
    - Science & Nature Resources
    - Social Studies & Civics Resources
    - Professional Development
    - Events for Educators
    - Field Trips
  - For Students
  - For Academics
  - For Lifelong Learners
- Get Involved   - Volunteer     - Behind-the-Scenes
    - Digital Volunteers
    - Smithsonian Call Center
    - Visitor Information Specialist
    - Docent Programs
  - Citizen Science
  - Work with Us     - Office of Human Resources       - Working Here
      - Employee Benefits
      - How to Apply
      - Job Opportunities
      - Job Seekers with Disabilities
      - Frequently Asked Questions
      - SI Civil Program
      - Contact Us
    - Affiliations
    - Global Partners
- Support   - About Membership
  - Become a Member
  - Renew Your Membership
  - Make a Gift
- About   - Museums and Zoo
  - Research Centers
  - Cultural Centers
  - Education
  - Our Organization     - Leadership       - Secretary Bunch
      - Advancement
      - Communications
      - Administration
      - Education
      - Museums and Culture
      - Science and Research
    - Board of Regents       - Members
      - Committees
      - Reading Room
      - Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
      - Contact
      - Schedules and Agendas
      - Meeting Minutes
      - Actions
      - Webcasts
    - General Counsel       - Legal History
      - Internships
      - Records Requests         - Reading Room
      - Tort Claim
      - Subpoenas & Testimonies
      - Events
    - Equal Employment Office       - EEO Complaint Process
      - Individuals with Disabilities
      - Special Emphasis Program
      - Supplier Diversity Program         - Doing Business with Us
        - Policies and Procedures
        - Additional Resources
    - Sponsored Projects       - Policies         - Animal Care and Use
        - Human Research
      - Reports
      - Internships
  - Reports and Plans     - Annual Reports
    - Metrics Dashboard       - Dashboard Home
      - Virtual Smithsonian
      - Public Engagement
      - National Collections
      - Research
      - People & Operations
      - One Smithsonian
    - Strategic Plan
  - Newsdesk     - News Releases
    - Media Contacts
    - Photos and Video
    - Media Kits
    - Fact Sheets
    - Visitor Stats
    - Secretary and Admin Bios
    - Filming Requests

# America’s Presidents Artist Bios

                  - English
                  - Español

                  - Share IconShare Icon                     - 
                    - 
                    - 
                    - 
                    -
                  -                     - 
                    - Print
                    -     
Version in español
**National Portrait Gallery Commissioned Artists**
Before their departure from the White House, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama selected artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald to paint their portraits for the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. Wiley and Sherald are the first African American artists to receive this National Portrait Gallery commission. The newly acquired paintings will be on view to the public beginning Feb. 13. 
Kehinde Wiley
Kehinde Wiley (b. 1977, Los Angeles) is a New York-based artist well known for creating vibrant, large-scale paintings of young African Americans. He earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale University School of Art in 2001 and gained national recognition when he was still in his 20s. The Brooklyn Museum presented Wiley’s first major museum exhibition in 2004 and recently organized “Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic,” a mid-career retrospective that traveled to six cities nationwide.

Wiley typically portrays people of color posing as famous figures in Western art. Through this practice, he challenges the visual rhetoric of power that is dominated by elite white men. 
Amy Sherald
In 2016, Baltimore-based artist Amy Sherald (b. 1973, Columbus, Ga.), known for her stylized, archetypal portrayals of African Americans, became the first woman to win the National Portrait Gallery’s prestigious Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Her work is included in several museum collections and will be the subject of an exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis this spring. 

Shortly after earning a Master of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2004, Sherald was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She underwent a transplant eight years later and continued to make art during her recovery. A personification of resilience herself, Sherald conveys the inner strength of her subjects through a combination of calm expressions and confrontational poses. She frequently cites her fascination with portraiture’s ability to draw attention to individuals. She recently joined the board of directors at the Baltimore Museum of Art. 

# # #

SI-85-2018
Media Only
Concetta Duncan

202-633-9989

duncanc@si.edu
National Portrait Gallery   Newsdesk- News Releases
- Media Contacts
- Photos and Video
- Media Kits
- Fact Sheets
- Visitor Stats
- Secretary and Admin Bios
- Filming Requests
            Search Newsdesk          Search      Media Events      Anacostia Community Museum Celebrates Earth Day With Daylong ActivitiesSat., Apr. 20, 2024 10:00 am - 5:00 pmSubscribe
 Newsdesk RSS Research News RSS
         Media      -    Tony PowellKehinde Wiley
Kehinde Wiley (b. 1977, Los Angeles) is a New York-based artist well known for creating vibrant, large-scale paintings of young African Americans. He earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale University School of Art in 2001 and gained national recognition when he was still in his 20s.
 
-    Courtesy of Amy SheraldAmy Sherald
In 2016, Baltimore-based artist Amy Sherald (b. 1973, Columbus, Ga.), known for her stylized, archetypal portrayals of African Americans, became the first woman to win the National Portrait Gallery’s prestigious Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.
 
          Footer logo      
Link to homepage
      Footer navigation      - Contact Us
- Accessibility
- Job Opportunities
- Inspector General
- Records Requests
- EEO & Supplier Diversity
- Shop Online
- Host Your Event
- Press Room
- Privacy
- Terms of Use
      Social media links      - Facebook
- Instagram
- Twitter
- YouTube
      Email signup form      Yes, I would like to receive email from the Smithsonian.Deny submitSign up for Smithsonian e-news:        Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)  Back to Top