Where to See More Work by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, Obama’s Portrait Painters
The unveiling of Obama’s official portraits earlier this week sparked a lot of intense emotion, both aesthetic and political, not to mention a reminder of how aesthetic and political are intertwined. But my strongest reaction was: damn it, I need to see these paintings and other works of these artists in real life.
I have been lucky enough to see some of Kehinde Wiley’s paintings before at the Portrait Gallery in Washington DC and at my nearby Brooklyn Museum, and they are personally stunning, hypnotic even. But I’ve never seen Amy Sherald’s work before – and after seeing photographs of her enigmatic Michelle Obama, I desperately want to see them.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. If you’ve been inspired to look for works by Wylie or Sherald, here’s where you can do it.
Amy Sherald’s work is in the permanent collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. Her upcoming exhibitions include:
MassArt Bakalar & Paine Galleries , through March 3 (group) Taubman Museum of Art , Roanoke, VA, opening March 3 (group) St. Louis Museum of Contemporary Art , opening May 11 (solo) Ackland Museum of Art , University of North Carolina, opening 1 June (band) Baltimore Museum of Art Opening 2020 (solo)
Kehinde Wiley’s upcoming exhibitions are international (and sporadic), but his work is in permanent collections in many museums across the country, including:
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Studio Museum in Harlem Denver Art Museum in Los Angeles and UC Hammer County Museum of Art Walker Art Center in Minneapolis High Museum of Art in Atlanta Columbus Phoenix Art Museum Milwaukee Art Museum Brooklyn Museum
Not all works are always on display, so check the museum’s website before planning your pilgrimage. But at least the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC is a win-win.