The reveal of the Obamas’ official portraits earlier this week evoked a lot of strong feelings, aesthetic and political—not to mention a reminder of how the aesthetic and political are intertwined. But my strongest reaction was: Oh damn I need to see these paintings and more work by these artists in real life.
I’ve been lucky enough to see some of Kehinde Wiley’s paintings before, in the Portrait Gallery in D.C. and my nearby Brooklyn Museum, and they are stunning, even hypnotic, in person. But I’ve never seen Amy Sherald’s work before—and after seeing photographs of her enigmatic rendering of Michelle Obama, I am desperate to.
I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling this way. If you’re inspired to seek out Wiley or Sherald’s work, here’s where you can do that.
Amy Sherald’s work is in the permanent collections of The National Museum of African American History & Culture and The National Museum of Women in the Arts, both in Washington, D.C. Her upcoming exhibitions include:
MassArt Bakalar & Paine Galleries, through March 3 (group)
Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA, opening March 3 (group)
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, opening May 11 (solo)
Ackland Art Museum, University of North Carolina, opening June 1 (group)
Baltimore Museum of Art, opening 2020 (solo)
Kehinde Wiley’s upcoming shows are international (and sporadic), but his work is in the permanent collections of many museums around the country, including:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Studio Museum in Harlem
Denver Art Museum
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
UCLA’s Hammer Museum
Walker Art Center in Minneapolis
High Museum of Art in Atlanta
Columbus Museum of Art
Phoenix Art Museum
Milwaukee Art Museum
Brooklyn Museum
Not all work is always on display, so check the museum’s website for information before you plan a pilgrimage. But at least the National Portrait Gallery in D.C. is a sure bet.