Jan 23, 2020

Obama portraits to embark on national tour in 2021

Rashaan Ayesh

Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama next to their portraits — Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will leave Washington, D.C., in 2021 on a national tour of five cities, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: The paintings have brought in millions of visitors to the capital's National Portrait Gallery, where they are currently housed.

The artists who painted the portraits, Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, are the first African American artists to ever be selected to paint gallery portraits of a president or first lady.

The tour schedule:

The Art Institute of Chicago: June 18, 2021 through Aug. 15, 2021
The Brooklyn Museum (New York City): Aug. 27, 2021 through Oct. 24, 2021
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art: Nov. 5, 2021 through Jan. 2, 2022
The High Museum of Art (Atlanta): Jan. 14, 2022 through March 13, 2022
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: March 25, 2022 through May 30, 2022

Go deeper: Smithsonian unveils official Obama portraits

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Obama portraits to embark on national tour in 2021

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