Arts

Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill hosts “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today”     

The Ackland is the fourth and final stop and is the only Southeast location chosen to host the exhibition.

A painting of a woman in a blue dress and red hat at Ackland.
The Outwin: American Portraiture Today spans cultures, generations, and backgrounds. It is an incredible forum for artists to present their work, and an amazing opportunity for the public to experience the breadth of portraiture. The Outwin offers a unique glimpse into the minds of artists and provides a space for those artists to articulate their vision, perspective, and process. (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

(Chapel Hill, N.C.— May 31, 2018) – The Ackland Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will host “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today” on view from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery from June 1 through Aug. 26. The Ackland is the fourth and final stop and is the only Southeast location chosen to host the exhibition. A preview of the exhibition can be seen here.The selected finalists for the 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition finalists included in “The Outwin: American Portraiture Today” present a turning point in the advancement of American contemporary portraiture.

First-prize winner of the 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Amy Sherald became the first woman to win the competition for her oil on canvas titled “Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance)” (2013). Former first lady Michelle Obama selected Sherald to create her official portrait for the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection, revealed in February 2018. Sherald and Moss will also participate in a public discussion on June 1 at 6:30 p.m. about modern portraiture in the age of the selfie and digitized personhood.

“We are thrilled to welcome “The Outwin” as the Museum’s major summer exhibition,” said Katie Ziglar, director of the Ackland Art Museum. “From the breadth of artistic medium to the diverse representations of participants and their subjects, this show reflects the Ackland’s commitment to providing experiences that spark insight into ourselves, each other, and the world.”

“The Outwin” is the latest art experience offered by the Ackland, a partner in the university’s Arts Everywhere initiative, which strives to make art accessible to the campus and wider community. Arts Everywhere is a signature initiative of the University’s $4.25 billion fundraising campaign, the Campaign for Carolina. Since January 2017 the Ackland has secured gifts valued at $69.2 million, including several Rembrandt drawings, paintings and prints by Joan Mitchell and a 1971 oil and charcoal on paper by Willem de Kooning. These gifts, among others, increased the Ackland’s growth by more than 500 percent over the prior four years, bolstering the museum’s position as the preeminent public university art museum in the country.

The Outwin: American Portraiture Today

Open June 1 – August 26, 2018

Ackland Art Museum

101 South Columbia St.

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. More information is available at ackland.org.

Discussion with artist Amy Sherald

Friday, June 1, 6:30 p.m.

Artist Amy Sherald and curator Dorothy Moss will host a public discussion

Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History

150 South Road

Chapel Hill, N.C.

This exhibition has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C. The competition and exhibition have been made possible by generous support from the Virginia Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Endowment.

 The Ackland presentation of this exhibition has been made possible by generous support from The Caldwell Family Fund for the Ackland Art Museum, The Seymour and Carol Levin Foundation, and Cathy and Hunter Allen.

-Carolina-

About the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill



The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s first public university, is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching, research and public service. A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Carolina regularly ranks as the best value for academic quality in U.S. public higher education. Now in its third century, the University offers 77 bachelor’s, 111 master’s, 65 doctorate and seven professional degree programs through 14 schools and the College of Arts and Sciences. Every day, faculty, staff and students shape their teaching, research and public service to meet North Carolina’s most pressing needs in every region and all 100 counties. Carolina’s more than 323,000 alumni live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 149 countries. More than 169,000 live in North Carolina.

About the Ackland Art Museum

Featuring a year-round calendar of special exhibitions and dynamic public programs, the Ackland Art Museum on UNC-Chapel Hill’s historic campus is a local museum with a global outlook that bridges campus and community. Admission to the Ackland is free and accessible to all. The Ackland’s holdings include more than 18,000 works of art. The collection spans all cultures and time periods, showcasing the breadth of human creativity. A vital teaching resource, the museum’s mission is the art of understanding. Visitors can connect with the complexity and beauty of the wider world by getting close to art – the familiar, the unexpected, the challenging. The Ackland Art Museum is located at 101 South Columbia St. on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. The museum is open until 9 p.m. for Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s 2nd Friday ArtWalk. More information is available at ackland.org.

University Communications: Carly Miller, (919) 445-8555, mediarelations@unc.edu

Ackland Art Museum: Audrey Shore, (919) 843-3676, audrey.shore@unc.edu