This installation was selected in 2015 to be exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum National Portrait Gallery Outwin Boochever 2016 Portrait Competition. Out of over 2,500 entries, 43 artists have their work shown in the exhibition "The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today."

The People's Choice Competition asked visitors to vote for their favorite work in the collection. With more votes than ever (over 40,000), Adrián Román was voted the winner.

The most fulfilling part of this entire experience has been the emails, phone calls, and greeting cards I received from visitors of the gallery and the Smithsonian staff sharing the impacts my work has had on them. One of my favorite visitors was Amaia, a first grade student visiting the museum to do an art project on Susan B. Anthony. Upon visiting my installation, she was inspired to create her portrait of Susan B. Anthony in paper.
(Amaia's artwork below)

Another fulfilling moment was finding an article on the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center || Center for Innovation in Early Learning website, featuring Will Kuehnle and Jessie Miller of the four-year-old Honey Bear classroom. They focussed on the study of curiosity, the students focused on questions, thoughts, and things we were curious about. They used my portrait as their point of study and reference.
Click here for the link to the article.

The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today exhibit opened on March 12, 2016 at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Due to the wonderful response my piece received by visitors and staff of the Smithsonian, on January 8, 2017 I was given the honor of closing the exhibit with an artist talk. In the words of the Public Program Manager, "It will be our closing talk and hence very important to our visitors and to us, that we close with your strong piece."

The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today exhibit will be on National Tour from:
February 2017 - October 2018.

National Tour Information
Tacoma Art Museum: February 4, 2017 - May 14, 2017
Art Museum of South Texas: June 8 2017 - September 10, 2017
Kempler Museum of Contemporary Art: October 6, 2017 - January 7, 2018
Exhibit extended TBA: Naples Florida
Exhibit extended TBA: North Carolina

Additional Links:
The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today

Adrián Román Wins the Outwin 2016 People’s Choice Award

Every Three Years, Artists Compete to Be On View at the National Portrait Gallery.
Here Are the Winners