National Portrait Gallery

Today, the National Portrait Gallery is excited to announce that Michael S. Hollander will be the new chair of its 25-person commission, effective immediately. For the next three years, Hollander will lead the commission in its support of the Portrait Gallery’s mission of narrating the multifaceted story of the United States through the individuals who have shaped American culture. He will succeed Joseph P. Ujobai, who has served as chair since November 2016. Hollander was appointed to the Portrait Gallery’s commission in 2021 and most recently served as chair of the Strategy and Finance Committee. Learn more: https://s.si.edu/3w9ZLM1  📸: Courtesy of GTCR

Have you or someone you know published an outstanding essay on American portraiture? Submissions for the 2024 Director's Essay Prize are now open! The Director's Essay Prize is awarded for leading research in the field of American portraiture and visual biography. The recipient will receive a $3,000 cash prize and will present at the National Portrait Gallery this fall.   To qualify, scholarly essays of 8,000–12,000 words must have been published in print or online within the past three years (details below). Scholars may self-nominate or nominate the work of their peers.    Nominations are due May 24, 2024 at 5pm ET.   ⭐️ Learn more and submit nominations here: https://bit.ly/3PCRjLF

Interested in interning with the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery this summer? The application deadline is March 8 at 11:55 p.m. EST. To learn more, check out the link below: https://lnkd.in/eJcS-zrU

Today we remember Marc Pachter, who served as the director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery from 2000 to 2007. His distinguished career at the Smithsonian spanned more than thirty-three years. As director of the Portrait Gallery, he led the reopening of the museum in 2006, following extensive renovations to its National Historic Landmark building. Under his leadership, the museum expanded its “America’s Presidents” exhibition and established permanent galleries for portraits from the worlds of sports and entertainment. Through his supervision, the Portrait Gallery famously secured a $20 million donation from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to acquire Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington, known as the “Lansdowne” portrait, for the permanent collection. In addition to being the Portrait Gallery's director, he served as the museum’s chief historian and assistant director. Marc was the Smithsonian assistant secretary for external affairs, chair of the Smithsonian’s 150th anniversary celebration in 1996, and acting director of the National Museum of American History. Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Archives.

Born #OnThisDay in 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey came of age during an era of profound change in American society. As she watched TV coverage of the civil rights and women's liberation movements of the 1960s and 1970s, Winfrey would be shaped by their sense of action-oriented possibilities for change. As a 17-year-old high school senior in Nashville, Winfrey began her career in broadcasting as a news reader for WVOL-AM's radio station. She transferred to TV joining the Nashville’s WTVF where she became the youngest person and the first African American woman to anchor the news at the station. ⁣In 1976, Oprah Winfrey left Nashville to accept a job at WJZ-TV in Baltimore. She agreed to co-host a new daytime talk show, "People Are Talking." While hosting, she discovered the talk show format was a better match for her personality, passions, and talents. After 5 years of co-hosting "People Are Talking" in Baltimore, Winfrey learned that WLS-TV, the ABC affiliate in Chicago, was looking for a new host for its morning talk show. She auditioned for the job, and on January 1, 1984, she made her debut on "A.M. Chicago." Winfrey was an instant hit on “A.M. Chicago,” and in 1985, the show was renamed "The Oprah Winfrey Show." For 25 years, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" dominated daytime TV. Watched by millions in over 150 countries, it was the highest-rated talk show in history. Winfrey used her unique life experiences to bring a wide range of topics into the living rooms of Americans everywhere that were previously unexplored on traditional daytime TV programs. #APeoplesJourney This portrait is on view on the first floor of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. This portrait was acquired through the generosity of Tommie L. Pegues and Donald A. Capoccia; Taylor and Wemimo Abbey; Anonymous; Deon Jones and Cameron J. Ross; Lisa Opoku and Loki Muthu; Mack Wilbourn; Charles Young and Andrea Wishom Young. 🖼: Shawn Michael Warren, 2023. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

Calling all artists! Starting on October 2 you can submit a portrait to our seventh triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.⁣ ⁣ The first-prize winner will receive $25,000 and a commission to portray a remarkable living American for the National Portrait Gallery’s collection. ⁣ ⁣ Selected artworks will be featured in “The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today” exhibition at the Portrait Gallery.⁣ ⁣ ⭐️ Visit portraitcompetition.si.edu for more information about #Outwin2025 🖼: “Anthony Cuts under the Williamsburg Bridge, Morning” (detail) by Alison Elizabeth Taylor, 2020. Collection of the artist. © Alison Elizabeth Taylor