There’ll free open house at LACMA this Sunday, November 7, to celebrate the public opening of the Obama portraits in L.A.
You’ve probably seen the astounding portraits of our former President and First Lady shut down your entire timeline at some point in your interweb existence. But in case you haven’t, there’s no need to go on an extensive Google search because the iconic paintings are going on tour! Naturally, Los Angeles is one of the five cities that will get to bask in all the profound Obama glory — we did name an entire street and highway in their honor, after all.
To celebrate the opening on Sunday, there’ll be a free opening house from 11 am ( the same time the LACMA opens), featuring conversations with Michelle Obama’s portrait artist Amy Sherald and DJ sets by Ms. Jck, DJ Peezie, and Jasmine Solano between 12 pm and 6 pm. There’ll also be workshops, curatorial tours and photo booths as part of the festivities. However, timed-tickets must be booked online in advanceand visitors must need to undergo a health screening and wear face masks are required in all indoor spaces.
The portraits started their tour on the walls Washington D.C.’s Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, but the iconic pieces have embarked on a five-city tour which started in June of 2021 with its debut at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The temporary exhibition will make its way to the City of Angels later that fall, so get ready to head over to LACMA to visit 44 as soon as November 22 of that year. Angelenos can catch a glimpse of the portraits through January 2, 2022, before they leave for Atlanta.
A list of the following cities and museums include:
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art: November 5, 2021 -January 2, 2022
• High Museum of Art in Atlanta: January 14, 2022 – March 13, 2022
• The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston: March 25, 2022 – May 30, 2022
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The artistic representations of the Mr. and Mrs. were unveiled back in 2018 and brought in a record-breaking 2.3 million visitors to the DC-based gallery. The tour hopes to help those, who don’t have the means to travel to the nation’s capital, witness the breathtaking portraits for themselves. The selected cities are said to have been chosen by the Obamas and the artists based on their significance to the parties; Barack has a few ties to Los Angeles himself, having attended Occidental College for his freshman and sophomore year in the ’80s!
Aside from the impeccable delivery of the Obamas, what makes these presidential and first lady portraits so special is the fact that they were both created by Black Artists and selected by the prosperous couple themselves! Barack’s portrait is by Los Angeles-born Kehinde Wiley and Michelle’s was made by Amy Sherald.
Location: 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Featured photo: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution