See Obama Center’s Newest Artistic Commissions, Including Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s Portrait of the Former First Couple
ARTnews reports that the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago will open to the public on June 19 in an eight-story granite museum building designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, featuring commissions by more than 30 artists. Newly unveiled works include Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s The Obamas: Springing Forth, described as the first official portrait of Barack and Michelle Obama; the artist presented it to the couple on Sunday, June 14, and it will hang in the lobby, a public space requiring no ticket. Other highlighted commissions include Mark Bradford’s three-story atrium mural City of the Big Shoulders, Aliza Nisenbaum’s large library mural honoring Chicago literary figures, Jeffrey Gibson’s Yet With a Steady Beat with 17 circular prints referencing drums and political buttons, and a stained-glass window by Julie Mehretu. Outdoor and additional works on the grounds include sculptures by Martin Puryear and Alison Saar.
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This story was covered in Safe Markets, Culture Wars, and Queer Reframing