By VOICE & VIEWPOINT NEWSWIRE
As reported by Because of Them We Can, Amy Sherald’s exhibition showcases over 50 works! A Georgia native who gained recognition in Baltimore, Sherald holds an MFA and an Honorary Doctorate from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her 2014 piece “Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance)” won the 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, making her the first woman and first African American to do so. This victory included a $25,000 prize and the chance to commission a portrait of a notable American, which she chose to be Michelle Obama.
Sherald’s portrait of the Forever First Lady debuted in 2018, marking her as one of the first Black artists to create a presidential couple’s portrait for the National Portrait Gallery. This year, she returns for her first major museum show, making history as the first contemporary Black artist to have a solo exhibition there.
National Portrait Gallery’s Rhea L. Combs called it “an incredible sort of ‘welcome home’” for Sherald.
“Amy Sherald: American Sublime” will feature over 50 pieces from 2007 to the present, including her portraits of Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor, which appeared on Vanity Fair’s cover. Sherald focuses on the everyday lives of Black people, using grayscale palettes to “highlight race as a construct.” This exhibition will explore the connection between her portraits and their reference materials.
“Amy Sherald: American Sublime” premieres at the National Portrait Gallery on September 19, 2025, and runs through February 22, 2026.
