Arts & Entertainment
Obama Presidential Center Unveils Official Portrait of Barack and Michelle Obama
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama view their portrait by artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby in the Obama Presidential Center Museum's Hope and Change Lobby on June 14, 2026. (Courtesy of The Obama Foundation)
With the grand opening soon approaching, the Obama Presidential Center has unveiled its first official portrait of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.
The portrait, “The Obamas: Springing Forth,” by artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby is on display in the museum’s lobby, an area open to the public and that does not require a ticket, according to a Monday news release.
The unveiling of the portrait — which weaves together archival images, family albums and symbolic elements — comes as the Obamas are back in Chicago ahead of the Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening celebrations this week.
The Obama Presidential Center officially opens to the public Friday.
The mixed-media portrait aims to memorialize the Obamas’ journey to the White House and their legacy.
Based on a photograph taken by Akunyili Crosby, the portrait was made with acrylic, colored pencils, charcoal and transfers on paper. Layered throughout the work, Akunyili Crosby chose images for her signature image transfers that span the Civil Rights Movement, the Obama presidency, the Obamas’ personal histories, Chicago landmarks, political activists, artists, friends and family, according to a news release.
Njideka Akunyilil Crosby; The Obamas: Springing Forth; 2026; Acrylic, colored pencils, charcoal, and transfers on paper. Courtesy of the artist, Victoria Miro, and David Zwirner. Commissioned by The Obama Presidential Center. Photo by: Marten Elder
The portrait includes symbols and historic references, such as:
- Michelle Obama’s childhood home on Euclid Avenue, with her father’s beloved 1970 bronze, two-door Buick Electra 225 hardtop coupe;
- The carved relief pattern of the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office;
- The Martin Luther King Jr. bust by Harlem Renaissance artist Charles Alston that was displayed in the Oval Office during the Obama administration;
- The cover of Stevie Wonder’s album “Talking Book,” the first album Michelle Obama received. It was a gift from her maternal grandfather, Pernell Shields, aka “Southside.” The Obamas danced to the album at their wedding, and a copy is displayed in the museum;
- Small charms that were gifts from constituents to Barack Obama, who carried them with him. A selection of charms is also on display in the museum;
- A vase modeled after those made by Dave the Potter and filled with flowering plants and vegetables that have symbolic ties to the Obamas, including okra, coral hibiscus, torch ginger, petunia and plumeria;
- An array of items on the bookshelf, including the Obamas’ four Grammys, a framed photograph from the March on Washington, a basketball, books they love and books they have authored.
Akunyili Crosby was born in Nigeria in 1983. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College in 2004, a post-baccalaureate certificate in 2006 from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and an MFA from Yale University in 2011, according to an artist biography.
Before the Obama Presidential Center officially opens to the public, an invite-only, livestreamed grand opening ceremony will be held at the campus Thursday. Community celebrations are also scheduled throughout the campus this weekend as part of grand opening celebrations.
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama pose for a photo with artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby in the Obama Presidential Center Museum's Hope and Change Lobby on June 14, 2026. (Courtesy of The Obama Foundation)
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
