Famed Obama Portraits Come To Brooklyn This Week

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Iconic portraits of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will soon be on display at the Brooklyn Museum, the only northeast stop in the the paintings' tour across the country.

The official portraits of the former president and first lady, painted by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, will be featured on the Brooklyn Museum's fourth floor from Aug. 27 until Oct. 24.

The display is the second stop on a five-city tour aimed at reaching millions of people who might otherwise not get the opportunity to view the paintings, which were first unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C in 2018.

"Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of President Obama and Amy Sherald’s portrait of the former First Lady have inspired unprecedented responses from the public," organizers write. "This special presentation enhances the conversations surrounding the power of portraiture and its potential to engage communities."

The "Obama Portraits Tour" — which also includes an illustrated book from the National Portrait Gallery and Princeton University Press — started with a stop in Chicago and will head next to Los Angeles, Atlanta and Houston. It kicked off in June and will run through May 2022.

At the Brooklyn Museum, it will be accompanied by an opening celebration, several members-only viewings and an event focused on Michelle Obama's culture-shifting style.

Here's what you need to know to see the portraits during their stay in Brooklyn:

WHERE: Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing, 4th Floor of the Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway.

SCHEDULE:

• Aug. 26: Member Preview from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Aug. 27: Exhibit opens to the public.
• Aug. 28: "Member Morning" members-only viewing from 10 to 10: 45 a.m.
• Aug. 28: Opening Celebration from 4 to 8 p.m. with music by Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber, plus art-making, poetry, and more.
• Sept. 2: Brooklyn Talks: The Sartorial Vision of Michelle Obama from 7 to 8:30 p.m.; Take a closer look at the culture-shifting style of former First Lady Michelle Obama in a conversation with her stylist, Meredith Koop, and fashion historian Kimberly M. Jenkins.
• Sept. 4: "Member Morning" members-only viewing from 10 to 10:45 a.m.
• Oct. 24: Last day of exhibit

WHO: The Brooklyn presentation is curated by Jane Dini, Andrew W. Mellon Senior Curator, American Art, and Eugenie Tsai, John and Barbara Vogelstein Senior Curator, Contemporary Art, with Joseph Shaikewitz, Curatorial Assistant, Arts of the Americas and Europe, Brooklyn Museum. Major support for the Brooklyn presentation is provided by the Brooklyn Museum’s Contemporary Art Committee. Generous support is provided by Regina Aldisert and Saundra Williams-Cornwell and W. Don Cornwell. Additional support is provided by Jane Hartley and Ralph Schlosstein and Sally Susman and Robin Canter.

Find out more on the Brooklyn Museum website here.