Michelle Obama Presents Portrait Of A Nation Prize To 'Good Friend' Lin-Manuel Miranda
Former First Lady Michelle Obama waxed lyrical about her “good friend” and Broadway superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda, to whom she presented the Portrait of a Nation Prize at the 2019 American Portrait Gala on Sunday night.
“Love this guy — with his melodies, rhymes, and nonstop energy, he’s painted as honest a portrait of our country as I’ve ever seen, lifting folks up through his work onstage and off,” Obama wrote on Twitter, sharing a photograph of her and the “Hamilton” creator posing in front of his new portrait.
The image, captured by photographer Mark Seliger, shows the three-time Tony Award winner clad in full “Hamilton” regalia.
So proud to present the Portrait of a Nation Prize to my good friend, @Lin_Manuel. Love this guy—with his melodies, rhymes, and nonstop energy, he’s painted as honest a portrait of our country as I’ve ever seen, lifting folks up through his work onstage and off. pic.twitter.com/Xar2Y1mcFP
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 18, 2019
Miranda was one of six recipients of this year’s Portrait of a Nation Prize, awarded by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
The other honorees were Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour; Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos; R&B legends Earth, Wind & Fire; Nobel Prize-winning chemical engineer Frances H. Arnold; and former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi.
Their portraits will be on display at the National Portrait Gallery through Aug. 30, 2020, as part of its “Recent Acquisitions” exhibit.
The recipients are @francesarnold, @JeffBezos, @IndraNooyi, @EarthWindFire, @Lin_Manuel, and Anna Wintour. You can see all of their portraits through Aug. 30, 2020 in @smithsoniannpg’s "Recent Acquisitions" exhibition. https://t.co/tiHaf0RoSO pic.twitter.com/0aiSMAr47U
— Smithsonian (@smithsonian) November 17, 2019
“The awardees of the Portrait of a Nation Prize reflect the mission of the National Portrait Gallery as handed down by Congress in 1962 by having made an impact on America’s history and culture,” Kim Sajet, the portrait gallery’s director, said in a statement, per Vanity Fair.
“Represented by portraits created by talented and insightful artists, their stories of ingenuity and tenacity provide inspiration to others to excel in their chosen fields of endeavor and offer new ways to approach the future,” Sajet added.
Thank you for celebrating portraiture with us tonight. See all the honorees’ portraits on view at our @smithsoniannpg, which tells the multifaceted story of the U.S. through the individuals who have shaped American culture. #myNPG pic.twitter.com/nrxqhIosbd
— Smithsonian (@smithsonian) November 18, 2019
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