Picturing the Obamas

Even before the portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama were unveiled in 2018, they were already major news for being the first commissioned paintings of an African-American president and first lady by African-American artists. From the electric unveiling at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery to the early stops of their national, five-city tour, we reveal the historical, cultural, and emotional significance of the Obama portraits, as described by the artists (Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald), curators, fans, and the president himself.

Since they were unveiled in 2018, the portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have doubled the number of visitors to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Now, a tour of the paintings is engaging millions more across the country. In this episode, we travel to stops in Atlanta, Houston, and Brooklyn to meet the curators and museumgoers inspired by the artworks and their subjects. We also discover firsthand how Michelle Obama and artist Amy Sherald worked together to create her stunning portrait.