Apr
30

Sidedoor: Painting Michelle Obama

“Being asked to paint Michelle Obama is the most validating moment of my life.”
—Artist Amy Sherald
 

Graphic for Sidedoor episode

 

The day that Amy Sherald heard that she had been chosen to paint the official portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama, she called her mom to tell her the news, and then she told her dog. But soon after, the nerves set in. How was she going to create a portrait of one of the most iconic women in the world? In this episode of Sidedoor, we journey to Amy’s studio to hear exactly how she captured the spirit of Michelle Obama in paint on canvas, and what she thinks of the reactions to her work.

 

Michelle Obama Portrait

Amy Sherald, “Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama,” 2018. Oil on linen (photo courtesy the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution)

Related posts:

Haupt GardenICYMI: Highlights from the week that was Feb. 11 – Feb. 17, 2018 cropped portrait of ObamaIn good company: Official portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama unveiled People checking phones in Photo galleryA Unique Lens: Photographs from the Smithsonian Family Abstract painting in orange and black2019 Artists at Work

Posted: 30 April 2018
About the Author:

Alex di Giovanni is primarily responsible for "other duties as assigned" in the Office of Communications and External Affairs. She has been with the Smithsonian since 2006 and plans to be interred in the Smithson crypt.