News
The Obamas Unveil First-Ever Official Dual Portrait
The richly layered painting was created by artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby using her signature photo-transfer technique.
Barack Obama
Feature
A First Look at the Art in the New Obama Presidential Center
With works by Idris Khan, Maya Lin, and more, the $850M campus will be a public art destination for Chicago’s South Side, if it can live up to its community.
News
White House Replaces Obama Portrait With Trump Raised-Fist Painting
The new artwork appears to be based on the notorious photographs of the president after his assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
News
Four Years Late, New Official Obama Portraits Are Unveiled
The paintings, by Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung, will hang in the White House.
Film
How the Myth of Barack Obama Overtook the Man (and the Politician)
A new HBO film introduces a level of nuance to its depiction of the president that’s been sorely lacking in most portrayals.
Film
What Does Obama and Reagan’s Official Photographer Think About Trump?
In The Way I See It, former White House photographer Pete Souza recalls his time following two different presidents.
In Brief
White House Removes Bill Clinton and George W. Bush Portraits From Entrance Hall
The paintings have been removed from Trump’s daily route to the Oval Office and replaced with depictions of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
Film
The Inspiring Story of Michelle Obama, and Its Limitations
Based on the former First Lady’s memoir, the documentary Becoming advances the Obama family’s skillfully crafted image, while unintentionally revealing some of its contradictions.
News
Trump Will Likely Refuse to Unveil Obama’s Official Presidential Portrait
Trump will be breaking a four decades-long White House tradition, fueling years of dispute between him and former President Barack Obama.
In Brief
Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley's Portraits of the Obamas Get a National Tour
Starting in June 2021, the official portraits of Michelle and Barack Obama will leave the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC to tour five cities across the country.
Opinion
Parsing Trump’s Latest Photo Op (aka the Killing of al-Baghdadi)
Donald Trump tries to reinvent another seminal Obama moment in his own image. But did it work?
Film
When a Chinese Company Resurrected a Shuttered American Auto Factory
American Factory, the first film from the Obamas' production company Higher Ground, is a riveting inquiry into globalization.