The Outwin: American Portraiture Today Direct from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery NEW ENGLAND EXCLUSIVE

SPRINGFIELD Mass., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Springfield Museums are delighted to present The Outwin: American Portraiture Today at the

SPRINGFIELD Mass., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Springfield Museums are delighted to present The Outwin: American Portraiture Today at the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts October 3, 2020, through April 4, 2021.

«The Outwin has gained a reputation for spotting the best of the best in American portraiture,» said Kay Simpson, President and CEO of the Springfield Museums. «We are delighted to offer this important exhibition to our visitors. And we are excited to also feature regional portraiture in our Community Gallery

The Outwin: American Portraiture Today a major exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery featuring the finalists of its fifth triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.  Every three years, artists living and working in the United States are invited to submit one of their recent portraits to a panel of experts chosen by the Portrait Gallery. In 2019, nearly 50 works were selected from over 2,600 entries in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, time-based media and performance art.  The resulting presentation reflects the compelling and diverse approaches that today’s artists are using to tell the American story through portraiture. Finalists have come from 14 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

The latest edition of The Outwin addresses themes of socio-political relevance, including immigration, Black Lives Matter, adolescence, the status of American workers, gun violence and LGBTQ+ rights. Included in the exhibition is the work of the competition’s first-prize winner Hugo Crosthwaite, a resident of San Diego, and the first Latinx artist to receive this prestigious award since the national competition was founded in 2006.

«We are thrilled to display this celebrated and prestigious exhibition in Springfield and to present the many expressions of portraiture being pursued by artists today,» said Heather Haskell, Director of the Art Museums and Vice-President of the Springfield Museums.

The Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition is made possible by the Virginia Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Endowment, established by Virginia Outwin Boochever and continued by her children.

Smithsonian affiliation made possible through the generous support of the MassMutual Foundation.

 Springfieldmuseums.org, One Admission/Five Museums, including the one and only Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum Parking is always FREE

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SOURCE Springfield Museums Corporation